Re: Jena 6? 90% media hype, 10% bull***!



Mr Soul wrote:

On Oct 24, 3:03 pm, Lord Valve <detri...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Sorry, Libs - looks like another dose of Duke Lacrosse Rape Case Syndrome.
Read the straight skinny from a *local* newspaperman...and don't forget to
call me a racist for rubbing your noses in the facts...
_________________________________________________________________

Media myths about the Jena 6

A local journalist tells the story you haven't heard.
By Craig Franklin
from the October 24, 2007 edition

Located at: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1024/p09s01-coop.html

By now, almost everyone in America has heard of Jena, La.,
because they've all heard the story of the "Jena 6." White
students hanging nooses barely punished, a schoolyard fight,
excessive punishment for the six black attackers, racist
local officials, public outrage and protests - the outside
media made sure everyone knew the basics.

There's just one problem: The media got most of the basics
wrong. In fact, I have never before witnessed such a disgrace
in professional journalism. Myths replaced facts, and
journalists abdicated their solemn duty to investigate every
claim because they were seduced by a powerfully appealing but
false narrative of racial injustice.

I should know. I live in Jena. My wife has taught at Jena
High School for many years. And most important, I am
probably the only reporter who has covered these events
from the very beginning.

The reason the Jena cases have been propelled into the world
spotlight is two-fold: First, because local officials did not
speak publicly early on about the true events of the past year,
the media simply formed their stories based on one-side's
statements - the Jena 6. Second, the media were downright
lazy in their efforts to find the truth. Often, they simply
reported what they'd read on blogs, which expressed only one
side of the issue.

The real story of Jena and the Jena 6 is quite different from
what the national media presented. It's time to set the record
straight.

Myth 1: The Whites-Only Tree. There has never been a "whites-only"
tree at Jena High School. Students of all races sat underneath
this tree. When a student asked during an assembly at the start
of school last year if anyone could sit under the tree, it evoked
laughter from everyone present - blacks and whites. As reported by
students in the assembly, the question was asked to make a joke
and to drag out the assembly and avoid class.

Myth 2: Nooses a Signal to Black Students. An investigation by
school officials, police, and an FBI agent revealed the true
motivation behind the placing of two nooses in the tree the
day after the assembly. According to the expulsion committee,
the crudely constructed nooses were not aimed at black students.
Instead, they were understood to be a prank by three white
students aimed at their fellow white friends, members of the
school rodeo team. (The students apparently got the idea from
watching episodes of "Lonesome Dove.") The committee further
concluded that the three young teens had no knowledge that
nooses symbolize the terrible legacy of the lynchings of
countless blacks in American history. When informed of this
history by school officials, they became visibly remorseful
because they had many black friends. Another myth concerns
their punishment, which was not a three-day suspension, but
rather nine days at an alternative facility followed by two
weeks of in-school suspension, Saturday detentions, attendance
at Discipline Court, and evaluation by licensed mental-health
professionals. The students who hung the nooses have not
publicly come forward to give their version of events.

Myth 3: Nooses Were a Hate Crime. Although many believe the
three white students should have been prosecuted for a hate
crime for hanging the nooses, the incident did not meet the
legal criteria for a federal hate crime. It also did not meet
the standard for Louisiana's hate-crime statute, and though
widely condemned by all officials, there was no crime to
charge the youths with.

Myth 4: DA's Threat to Black Students. When District Attorney
Reed Walters spoke to Jena High students at an assembly in
September, he did not tell black students that he could make
their life miserable with "the stroke of a pen." Instead,
according to Walters, "two or three girls, white girls, were
chit-chatting on their cellphones or playing with their
cellphones right in the middle of my dissertation. I got a
little irritated at them and said, 'Pay attention to me. I
am right now having to deal with an aggravated rape case
where I've got to decide whether the death penalty applies
or not.' I said, 'Look, I can be your best friend or your
worst enemy. With the stroke of a pen I can make your life
miserable so I want you to call me before you do something
stupid.'"

Mr. Walters had been called to the assembly by police, who
had been at the school earlier that day dealing with some
students who were causing disturbances. Teachers and students
have confirmed Walters's version of events.

Myth 5: The Fair Barn Party Incident. On Dec. 1, 2006, a
private party - not an all-white party as reported - was
held at the local community center called the Fair Barn.
Robert Bailey Jr., soon to be one of the Jena 6, came to
the party with others seeking admittance.

When they were denied entrance by the renter of the facility,
a white male named Justin Sloan (not a Jena High student) at
the party attacked Bailey and hit him in the face with his
fist. This is reported in witness statements to police,
including the victim, Robert Bailey, Jr.

Months later, Bailey contended he was hit in the head with
a beer bottle and required stitches. No medical records
show this ever occurred. Mr. Sloan was prosecuted for simple
battery, which according to Louisiana law, is the proper
charge for hitting someone with a fist.

Myth 6: The "Gotta-Go" Grocery Incident. On Dec. 2, 2006,
Bailey and two other black Jena High students were involved
in an altercation at this local convenience store, stemming
from the incident that occurred the night before. The three
were accused by police of jumping a white man as he entered
the store and stealing a shotgun from him. The two parties
gave conflicting statements to police. However, two unrelated
eye witnesses of the event gave statements that corresponded
with that of the white male.

Myth 7: The Schoolyard Fight. The event on Dec. 4, 2006 was
consistently labeled a "schoolyard fight." But witnesses
described something much more horrific. Several black students,
including those now known as the Jena 6, barricaded an exit to
the school's gym as they lay in wait for Justin Barker to exit.
(It remains unclear why Mr. Barker was specifically targeted.)

When Barker tried to leave through another exit, court testimony
indicates, he was hit from behind by Mychal Bell. Multiple
witnesses confirmed that Barker was immediately knocked
unconscious and lay on the floor defenseless as several other
black students joined together to kick and stomp him, with most
of the blows striking his head. Police speculate that the
motivation for the attack was related to the racially charged
fights that had occurred during the previous weekend.

Myth 8: The Attack Is Linked to the Nooses. Nowhere in any of
the evidence, including statements by witnesses and defendants,
is there any reference to the noose incident that occurred three
months prior. This was confirmed by the United States attorney
for the Western District of Louisiana, Donald Washington, on
numerous occasions.

Myth 9: Mychal Bell's All-White Jury. While it is true that
Mychal Bell was convicted as an adult by an all-white jury
in June (a conviction that was later overturned with his
case sent to juvenile court), the jury selection process
was completely legal and withstood an investigation by the
Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Court officials
insist that several black residents were summoned for jury
duty, but did not appear.

Myth 10: Jena 6 as Model Youth. While some members were
simply caught up in the moment, others had criminal records.
Bell had at least four prior violent-crime arrests before the
December attack, and was on probation during most of this year.

Myth 11: Jena Is One of the Most Racist Towns in America.
Actually, Jena is a wonderful place to live for both whites
and blacks. The media's distortion and outright lies
concerning the case have given this rural Louisiana town a
label it doesn't deserve.

Myth 12: Two Levels of Justice. Outside protesters were
convinced that the prosecution of the Jena 6 was proof of
a racially biased system of justice. But the US Justice
Department's investigation found no evidence to support
such a claim. In fact, the percentage of blacks and whites
prosecuted matches the parish's population statistics.

These are just 12 of many myths that are portrayed as fact
in the media concerning the Jena cases. (A more thorough
review of all events can be found atwww.thejenatimes.net
- click on Chronological Order of Events.)

As with the Duke Lacrosse case, the truth about Jena will
eventually be known. But the town of Jena isn't expecting
any apologies from the media. They will probably never admit
their error and have already moved on to the next "big" story.
Meanwhile in Jena, residents are getting back to their regular
routines, where friends are friends regardless of race. Just
as it has been all along.

Craig Franklin is assistant editor of The Jena Times.

If you're going to post this CRAP here, please put the OT prefix on
the post so people can filter it out.

I could care less if there was a "white" tree on the school ground or
not, but the FACT's are that 3 nooses were put on a tree the day AFTER
a black student asked if he could sit under the tree. Coincidental,
huh? It doesn't matter who those nooses were meant for, you don't do
stuff like that & we should never permit it. A noose around a tree is
about as close to a hate crime as anything I could imagine.

Mr Soul


"Nowhere in any of
the evidence, including statements by witnesses and defendants,
is there any reference to the noose incident that occurred three
months prior. This was confirmed by the United States attorney
for the Western District of Louisiana, Donald Washington, on
numerous occasions."

In Lib Land, 1 day = 3 months. Is that, like, um...dog years,
or something?

Fucktard.

Lord Valve
ROFLMBFAO

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