Jena Six Case Shows Black Teens Get Short End of Stick

Jena Six Case Shows Black Teens Get Short End of Stick

www.alternet.org

The investigators also found unsurprisingly that black teens were hit with far stiffer sentences than white teens for the same crimes. It made no difference whether the whites had a prior history of criminal or bad behavior and the black teens were altar boys and had a squeaky clean record. The blacks still got harsher sentences. Countless studies show that a black teen is six times more likely to be tried and sentenced to prison than a young white, even when the crimes are similar, or even less

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is just plain wrong and should not happen in this day and age.
We hear a lot from black communities about racism and how they are treated differently to white people, and this would seem to bear out those complaints.
Social injustice is nothing new, but surely we should not be in a position, in the 21st century where this is still an issue.
Is there still a hardcore of racist thinking in some states?
It appears that those who have sentencing power may be a part of that hard core.

www.alternet.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by budski


The investigators also found unsurprisingly that black teens were hit with far stiffer sentences than white teens for the same crimes.

^^^^got any links i can read through....

thanks

over a few noose' hanging off a tree...yeah, that warrants a beating

white people were strung up too.
just sayin...


[edit on 19-9-2007 by Boondock78]

edit again**** i honestly don't know all the ins and outs of this case and that is my fault....i can see places like this being years behind the rest of the country as far as racial issues go, and the country itself is years behind where it should be....no matter how you slice it, it's sad really.

i was never a racist dude but when i was younger i had certain feelings toward certain groups.....it didn't take long to wise up though and realize we're just all people man.....

life is too short for that crap....hard to believe how many people still are this way

[edit on 19-9-2007 by Boondock78]

reply to post by Boondock78


He re's a link which is interesting reading - I'll try and find some DOC stats later, if I get time - but I already know that there is a much higher per capita prison population of ethnic groups.

The article seems to bear out the idea that if your an ethnic minority, you have a much larger chance of going to prison for crimes that white groups don't get sent down for.

It seems racism is alive and well in some states judiciary systems.

Also see this

The crime

[edit on 19/9/2007 by budski]

i'm starting to read about this whole jena case now and yeah, some of it don't seem right...

especially the shotgun incident...

The Jena 6 case is an absurd one. It is evidently a place where flagrant display of hate fueled racism was overlooked as being a mere joke. There are close to the bone jokes and there is narrow minded spiteful, venomous and vitriolic hatred, which is all I garnished from the attitudes of the young whiteys involved. And for there to be a beating and one of the young black males to be threatened with a shotgun, its ridiculous. They may as well have been in a pick-up with white hoods on.

The biggest insult is of course the victims of the peice being sentenced longer for a morally lesser crime. Hell, I'd have beaten up that white kid like they did, regardless of his colour. His defence of just being a friend is nonsense. In that situation, he would have been involved. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have been their friend.

reply to post by Subcomandante


I have not studied this but I remember it in the news when it broke, the black kids were putting the boot to the guy on the ground. I mean they beat the crap out of him. If the level of violence, and potential for harm is different that would explain differance in this one case.

Correct me if I am wrong.

I do believe are system is bias against minorities and the poor classes regardless of race.

reply to post by Redge777


The articles and links highlight the fact that this is in no way an unusual case, and that the punishments handed out to black offenders far outweigh those handed out to white offenders.

Which is a scandal in this day and age - or any other come to that.

Way I heard it went:

Theres a big ol' oak in the school grounds that the white kids all sit under. The black kids ask if they can sit under it too, seeing as they got hassle when they tried prior.

School of course says its fine, but when the black kids go there the next day, theres nooses hung over it. Apparently left there by the irked white kids.

There is then a fight at a party where one of the black kids is attacked, it escalates, and a gun is pulled on the black kids.

The black kids then happen across one of the white kids, who without his homeboys, gets suitably stomped.

The court proceedings now show that for all that, the whiteys got a lesser sentence. Not exactly fair.

The person who pulled the shotgun should have been charged at least with brandishing a weapon. The article didn't state wither or not he pointed it at anybody. If so, he should have received a more severe charge. The kids that hung the nooses should have been suspended and made to attend a sensitivity program.

I think the charges for the accused are too severe. Except maybe for whoever kicked the unconscious kid in the head. Probably not attempted murder, but kicking an unconscious person in the head is definitely worse then a regular fight.

reply to post by budski


I completly agree with you on this, punishment of minorities is way worse then whites. I have heard their are more blacks on parole or in prison then in college. Some places with 90% white population have 90% minority prison population.

6 people of one race beating 1 person of another race.

If the 6 people were any color except black, this would be a hate crime.

Where are the hate crime activists now?

Is not going to stop on that issue, tomorrow is going to be rallies in favor of the black kids by the minority groups leaders.

Is going to get quite hot in that town for a while now, they are going to have their town full with minorities.

Well I work in a jail and yes, the majority of the inmates are Black, not all from here mind you, we've got gang bangers from Jamaica and such but the premise is accurate. The jail population is mostly Black.

Subcomandante, would you mind using another term that "whitey"? Thanks.

Originally posted by budski


This is just plain wrong and should not happen in this day and age.
We hear a lot from black communities about racism and how they are treated differently to white people, and this would seem to bear out those complaints.
Social injustice is nothing new, but surely we should not be in a position, in the 21st century where this is still an issue.
Is there still a hardcore of racist thinking in some states?
It appears that those who have sentencing power may be a part of that hard core.

www.alternet.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

Know whats sick and wrong ... this kind of reverse Racism.

WHY IS IT RACIST THAT THESE PUNK KIDS WHERE ARRESTED AND SENT TO TRIAL FOR SOMETHING THEY DID!!!!

And tell me, mr. Defender of the poor and pathetic, of the "suppressed" .. Why is it NOT racist that these punks BEAT UP a WHITE kid? ... ooohhhh.... thats right. Its only racist when the white boy does something to the black boy, and should the black boy be caught for attempted murder its the white man keeping him down. Pathetic, and quite frankly, people with your mind set are just as pathetic as the people who perpetrated this act because you allow the message behind their acts to be multiplied.

I for one could give a damn what happens to these punks. And I could give a damn if they are black, purple, white what ever, you don't beat a kid 6 on one like that. And I could give a damn what fools like you say about me.. I am sick and tired of this politically correct BS that has flooded this country. I WILL NOT FEEL BAD FOR THEIR FATE JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE BLACK.

I hope they spend a good time in jail, for a long time, maybe they will learn to be PRODUCTIVE citizens instead of gangster wana bes. Though I doubt it.

By the way, ever think that maybe the reason behind so many blacks in jail and being arrested IS BECAUSE THEY COMMIT THE CRIME??

Dear Rockpuck

That has got to be the stupidest post I've read today. Even more so than the guy accusing ATS of being full of terrorists.

Reverse racism? What is that? I don't think it exists. It's just plain racism. And this case is chock full of it, from damn near all angles.

The reason these black kids beat up the white kid is because he was involved with the fellas that beat up one of them. Eye for an eye. Not very clever, but not exactly racially motivated.

However, the original fight was between a black and white kid because the WHITE kid was being racist. So theres some of your lovely racism for you. So yeah, the black kids probably didn't like the white kids after that, and yeah, thats racist, whatever way you look at it. Their hatred however, had a reason, that being the violence and bullying. Not a justification, just a fact.

And as for your horribly stereotypical and totally racist notion that all black kids are "gangsta" wannabes, it might enlighten you to know that guns were infact pulled out during a fight involving the black kids. The guns were pulled out by white kids and aimed at the black kids. Didn't see that one coming!

Also, apologies Intrepid

Wow, it took 6 heros to beat 1 kid senseless. There is no reason for such action. At least the cowards could have made it a fair fight, now they should all get 1000 years in the vilest prison..........New Orleans

By the way, ever think that maybe the reason behind so many blacks in jail and being arrested IS BECAUSE THEY COMMIT THE CRIME??

Couldent have said it better, some people just have no concept of personal responsibility and thus will come up with any excuse to try and justify what they did.

Its a proven fact by the FBI that Blacks and Hispanics commit more violent crime then White people, likewise White people commit more financial and money related crimes then minorities ... both are crimes and both deserve to be punished.

Those poor "Jana 6 "al Al Sharpon calls them committed assault on a single person.

That person was beaten mercesslessly.

They committed the crime; they need to do the time.

I care not their Color, Race, Religion, or any other unimportant information.

"Do the crime, Do the time"

Second Point:

Btw, I wonder if al sharpton or Jesse Jackson would be out if the attackers were white.
Actually I bet they would be leading protests on put them in jail.,

*sigh*


[edit on 9/19/2007 by mrmonsoon]

Originally posted by ChrisF231

By the way, ever think that maybe the reason behind so many blacks in jail and being arrested IS BECAUSE THEY COMMIT THE CRIME??

Couldent have said it better, some people just have no concept of personal responsibility and thus will come up with any excuse to try and justify what they did.

Its a proven fact by the FBI that Blacks and Hispanics commit more violent crime then White people, likewise White people commit more financial and money related crimes then minorities ... both are crimes and both deserve to be punished.

I think that's an interesting point you've brought up, and I won't disagree, statistics are statistics. However to dispell all of those "people" as being merely lacking of personal responsibility is a very middle class notion.

What, pray tell, do you think is the reasoning for their incarceration? Evidently, a crime as been commited (not necessarily one warranting the time served), but why do minorities seem to commit more violent crime than white peoples?

You said it yourself. White people have more money. Violent crime, for the most part, is linked to money. Burglary, mugging and robberies are always perpatrated by the poor. Regardless of the race. It just so happens that minorites are poor, and have always been poor. That is why such is the case. Crime is not a race issue, it's about classes.