Comments on: The Jena 6 http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/ LDS women blogging about the peculiar and the treasured Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:42:28 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Justine http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-18167 Justine Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:58:22 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-18167 I wonder if there's a way to recreate that victimization culture. I recently read something that talked about black children that were ostracized or bullied for their academic successes. These children were, predictably, failing in school within a year or two. It was such a sad article to see that there are, OF COURSE, tons of children of all stripes that are engaged in the process of educating themselves, but are punished for that effort. I honestly don't think we can affect change on a macro scale. It's got to come from some micro place on the chart and grow from there. programs and policies only further bring attention to such slogans as "racial inequality" "educational parity" and "the race divide". As well intentioned as they are, they typically serve to further alienate us from each other. Who knows. I certainly wish I did. I wonder if there’s a way to recreate that victimization culture. I recently read something that talked about black children that were ostracized or bullied for their academic successes. These children were, predictably, failing in school within a year or two. It was such a sad article to see that there are, OF COURSE, tons of children of all stripes that are engaged in the process of educating themselves, but are punished for that effort.

I honestly don’t think we can affect change on a macro scale. It’s got to come from some micro place on the chart and grow from there. programs and policies only further bring attention to such slogans as “racial inequality” “educational parity” and “the race divide”. As well intentioned as they are, they typically serve to further alienate us from each other.

Who knows. I certainly wish I did.

]]> By: DW http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-18163 DW Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:40:15 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-18163 agree 100% Justine, But its up to the individual to take responsibilty for his/her own choices. If you want to deal crack and you get caught don't blame society when you get busted. Furthermore, when you live 30 minutes from LSU. Take the city bus. sacrifice to have what you want. I would say less than 5% of the people in this state dont have the ability to learn. Its all about choices. agree 100% Justine, But its up to the individual to take responsibilty for his/her own choices. If you want to deal crack and you get caught don’t blame society when you get busted. Furthermore, when you live 30 minutes from LSU. Take the city bus. sacrifice to have what you want. I would say less than 5% of the people in this state dont have the ability to learn. Its all about choices.

]]> By: Justine http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-18161 Justine Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:31:49 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-18161 I have certainly lived in the deep south, and absolutely believe that racism runs both ways, DW. The issue could categorically be called an issue of race, but it would be more appropriate to call this an issue of economics. Race is certainly intertwined with this issue, but it largely boils down to economics and cultural expectations. Overcoming racism is going to involve looking past race and addressing some fixable issues. I absolutely do not portend to have a solution to this problem, but until we address the underlying educational issues that the south is facing, no one, whether she be a black urban youth or a migrant cotton picker or a white "red-neck" will have the tools and the cultural impetus to make anything change. Me getting off my soapbox... I have certainly lived in the deep south, and absolutely believe that racism runs both ways, DW. The issue could categorically be called an issue of race, but it would be more appropriate to call this an issue of economics. Race is certainly intertwined with this issue, but it largely boils down to economics and cultural expectations. Overcoming racism is going to involve looking past race and addressing some fixable issues.

I absolutely do not portend to have a solution to this problem, but until we address the underlying educational issues that the south is facing, no one, whether she be a black urban youth or a migrant cotton picker or a white “red-neck” will have the tools and the cultural impetus to make anything change.

Me getting off my soapbox…

]]> By: DW http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-18146 DW Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:14:46 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-18146 Ok this is how I see it. I live in North La and have heard all of the stories. I ran a little experiment for 30 days last year. Now what I am about to write will definetly put me in the light of being a bigot or a racist. But in my defense let me say this; I have met black (i refuse to go PC on this one)people here that deserve to be respected and some that don't. I have also met some red neck a$$ whipes that don't deserve it either. For some reason the racism here flows equally through both races. Many blacks here hate white people, vice versa. The problem here is the level of ignorance that still resides. The people that hung the nooses should have been punished and the people that went violent should also. The level of punishment should be more harsh on the Jena 6 because of their actions. The punishment should fit the crime on both sides of the aisle. Make no mistake I am probably the most non-racist person you will ever meet. But after living here and watching the non whites drive 15 mph in a 45 without any regard for other people and what they have to get accomplished to take care of their family is only the icing on my rage cake. The fact that when you go to the licensing bureau to get a business license and you pass the welfare office the non-whites out number the whites 5-1. The fact that certain people (painfully a majority)that live here are so worried that someone is getting something they arent tips the ignorant scale here.So please all of the tree hugging, granola eating, ride your bike to not use gas individuals out there that don't live here. Its easy to throw stones. Live here for a year and then talk to me. Thank you! Ok this is how I see it. I live in North La and have heard all of the stories. I ran a little experiment for 30 days last year. Now what I am about to write will definetly put me in the light of being a bigot or a racist. But in my defense let me say this; I have met black (i refuse to go PC on this one)people here that deserve to be respected and some that don’t. I have also met some red neck a$$ whipes that don’t deserve it either. For some reason the racism here flows equally through both races. Many blacks here hate white people, vice versa. The problem here is the level of ignorance that still resides. The people that hung the nooses should have been punished and the people that went violent should also. The level of punishment should be more harsh on the Jena 6 because of their actions. The punishment should fit the crime on both sides of the aisle. Make no mistake I am probably the most non-racist person you will ever meet. But after living here and watching the non whites drive 15 mph in a 45 without any regard for other people and what they have to get accomplished to take care of their family is only the icing on my rage cake. The fact that when you go to the licensing bureau to get a business license and you pass the welfare office the non-whites out number the whites 5-1. The fact that certain people (painfully a majority)that live here are so worried that someone is getting something they arent tips the ignorant scale here.So please all of the tree hugging, granola eating, ride your bike to not use gas individuals out there that don’t live here. Its easy to throw stones. Live here for a year and then talk to me.

Thank you!

]]> By: Donna http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-18112 Donna Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:03:07 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-18112 Heather. I agree with your perpective; there is an underling problem. But who created it - the media, the school, the kids, the parents, or society? Where should the the healing process begin and who should oversee a solution to racism - be it black, white, regilous, culural etc? There is a problem in the world concerning racism and an answer needs to be found. Our government rides the side that will get them elected; yet forgets their promise once they get to Washington. Common sense and the goldern rule should be the bottom line when address the problem. Thanks for your feedback. My eyes are opened. Heather.

I agree with your perpective; there is an underling problem. But who created it – the media, the school, the kids, the parents, or society? Where should the the healing process begin and who should oversee a solution to racism – be it black, white, regilous, culural etc? There is a problem in the world concerning racism and an answer needs to be found. Our government rides the side that will get them elected; yet forgets their promise once they get to Washington. Common sense and the goldern rule should be the bottom line when address the problem.
Thanks for your feedback. My eyes are opened.

]]> By: Heather O. http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-17970 Heather O. Wed, 26 Sep 2007 19:05:15 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-17970 <p>Donna-</p> <p>Thanks for your comment. </p> <p>Of course the Jena 6 need to face the consequences of assaulting another student. We can also hope that if things were the other way around, that 6 white students would also have to face consequences for an assault. But what I tried to convey in the post is that a huge protest about the Jena 6's legal status does not solve the underlying problem, which does indeed involve racial tension. </p> <p>What I got from this article is not only that 6 black students suddenly jumped one white kid because they were offended about the nooses, it's that the nooses were the catalyst for a series of events that culminated in violence. What drives a situation like that? Who teaches their kids that hanging a noose from a tree in response to a person of another race sitting in your spot is okay? How can we teach our own children that participating in discriminatory behavior, white or black, is unacceptable?</p> Donna-

Thanks for your comment.

Of course the Jena 6 need to face the consequences of assaulting another student. We can also hope that if things were the other way around, that 6 white students would also have to face consequences for an assault. But what I tried to convey in the post is that a huge protest about the Jena 6’s legal status does not solve the underlying problem, which does indeed involve racial tension.

What I got from this article is not only that 6 black students suddenly jumped one white kid because they were offended about the nooses, it’s that the nooses were the catalyst for a series of events that culminated in violence. What drives a situation like that? Who teaches their kids that hanging a noose from a tree in response to a person of another race sitting in your spot is okay? How can we teach our own children that participating in discriminatory behavior, white or black, is unacceptable?

]]> By: Donna http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-17949 Donna Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:43:49 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-17949 Fact, white boys hung ropes from tree to keep blacks from sitting there. I heard the boys who hung the ropes were suspended. Fact, they did not hurt or injure anyone with the ropes. Fact, 6 black boys beat a white boy up. He was injured, but attended a school function the same night, Does the punishment fit the crime is the question we should be asking. Not if this whold mess is racial. The Jena 6 punishment is harsh and should be changed, but they did in fact beat up on one boy who may or may not have even hung the ropes. Were you there, did you see what actually happened or are you listening to what you want to hear. If it were the other way around do you actually think that 6 white boys would not have received punishment? I agree the punishment does not fit the crime, but a crime has been committed and they should not walk away without some form of correction, even if it is just picking up trash around the school with the same white boys who hung the ropes. Make them work together. Fact, white boys hung ropes from tree to keep blacks from sitting there.
I heard the boys who hung the ropes were suspended.
Fact, they did not hurt or injure anyone with the ropes.
Fact, 6 black boys beat a white boy up.
He was injured, but attended a school function the same night,
Does the punishment fit the crime is the question we should be asking. Not if this whold mess is racial.
The Jena 6 punishment is harsh and should be changed, but they did in fact beat up on one boy who may or may not have even hung the ropes. Were you there, did you see what actually happened or are you listening to what you want to hear. If it were the other way around do you actually think that 6 white boys would not have received punishment? I agree the punishment does not fit the crime, but a crime has been committed and they should not walk away without some form of correction, even if it is just picking up trash around the school with the same white boys who hung the ropes. Make them work together.

]]> By: Tiffany http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-17614 Tiffany Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:15:25 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-17614 I grew up in a pretty rascist home. I spent a lot of time arguing with my dad about it. But I realized that while there isn't much I can do to change my dad, I could impact my own children. We live in an extremely diverse neighborhood with children from every country in the world, every race imaginable and nearly every religion represented. We've made friends with wonderful people and have always welcomed new friends with different customs and cultures into our home. I realized all this teaching had sunk in when my boys responded to an ugly incident with two other neighbor children. One boy, (white and Swedish) taunted a little girl from Bangladesh and told her that Swedes hate people from Bangladesh. My boys were so indignant on the girl's behalf. They defended her verbally against the boy and immediately came and told me what happened. I was so proud of my boys. When my boys were younger, one came to me and said that all brown people were bad--because he had been having conflicts with a Muslim boy in our neighborhood. It was a perfect opportunity to explain that skin color doesn't make a person good or bad, its what we do that makes us good or bad. We talked about all the people we knew that were different races and how we loved them. I have never heard my son express that negative sentiment again. I think the big think is that we as adults have to steer clear of rascism in our attitudes, with our friends, etc. I grew up in a pretty rascist home. I spent a lot of time arguing with my dad about it. But I realized that while there isn’t much I can do to change my dad, I could impact my own children. We live in an extremely diverse neighborhood with children from every country in the world, every race imaginable and nearly every religion represented. We’ve made friends with wonderful people and have always welcomed new friends with different customs and cultures into our home. I realized all this teaching had sunk in when my boys responded to an ugly incident with two other neighbor children. One boy, (white and Swedish) taunted a little girl from Bangladesh and told her that Swedes hate people from Bangladesh. My boys were so indignant on the girl’s behalf. They defended her verbally against the boy and immediately came and told me what happened. I was so proud of my boys.

When my boys were younger, one came to me and said that all brown people were bad–because he had been having conflicts with a Muslim boy in our neighborhood. It was a perfect opportunity to explain that skin color doesn’t make a person good or bad, its what we do that makes us good or bad. We talked about all the people we knew that were different races and how we loved them. I have never heard my son express that negative sentiment again.

I think the big think is that we as adults have to steer clear of rascism in our attitudes, with our friends, etc.

]]> By: Heather O. http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-17531 Heather O. Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:15:07 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-17531 The support by those who are in authority is the really scary stuff. I just read a first hand account of a woman who survived the Rwandan Holocaust (Left To Tell--wonderful, wonderful book), and she related how government broadcasts over the radio would tell the Hutus that it was their duty to cleanse their country of Tutsis, that it would make one a good citizen. The more you killed, the better the citizen. Scary, scary stuff. The support by those who are in authority is the really scary stuff. I just read a first hand account of a woman who survived the Rwandan Holocaust (Left To Tell–wonderful, wonderful book), and she related how government broadcasts over the radio would tell the Hutus that it was their duty to cleanse their country of Tutsis, that it would make one a good citizen. The more you killed, the better the citizen. Scary, scary stuff.

]]> By: s'mee http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-jena-6/#comment-17519 s'mee Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:13:08 +0000 http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/the-jena-6/#comment-17519 (pushed send before I finished, duh) My point, I guess, is that discrimination is also against the law, yet it continues to be practised within certain communities and supported by those in authority. (pushed send before I finished, duh)
My point, I guess, is that discrimination is also against the law, yet it continues to be practised within certain communities and supported by those in authority.

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