Obama “Outraged” by Jena, Blames Media for Being “Surprised”

What God, site your source, and ban what you made up!

Most Americans continue to believe that blacks respond with violence instead of dialogue, and this situation will only serve to confirm this long held belief for the majority. The students responded to what happened not with dialogue and reason, as MLK advocated, but with expected violence: they decided to beat up a white kid over it. If Obama were smart, he would distance himself from the situation (as much as he’s politically able to) as the kids will likely be convicted of assault. Giving a pass to the kids just because they happen to be black would be wrong, it sends the wrong message in that assault is o.k. if you happen to be a minority. If it were six white kids assaulting another white kid, they would still be prosecuted. The law is supposed to be blind to race, gender or nationality for the committing of any crime, that is why an assault conviction is necessary here. One does not simply get a pass for assaulting another in America just because they happen to be black, purple or polka-dot color.

Felony assault is not a “School yard fight”
This will be the beginning of Obama’s downfall. I’m surprised it’s starting so early.

Obama seems to react to things as slowly as Bush … was he waiting for the polls to be counted before he responded to this? Also … where was his vote concerning the MoveOn.org ad? … wasn’t he willing to stand up to the GOP bullies? … Hillary was!!!!!!!!!!

how did whites inflict violence against blacks in this case? Please explain. . Also, I believe you might have arrived at the wrong article, as this story has nothing to do with Iraq. If you have any insightful comments on the issue, instead of emotional tirades and foot stomping, then please feel free to contribute to the discussion.

Unfortunately, I believe the possible next 911 will be this guy getting elected. Isn’t it ironic that suddenly we have major civil unrest in the South? What a coincidence and how so very convenient. This is my opinion.

Please!! If this was 6 white guys beating one black kid it would be a hate crime, and all of you know it! Equality?? If racism is going to end BOTH sides need to stop the venom!

I understand the rage but I think what is lost is that these 6 teenagers are NOT innocents in this. They beat someone. What I believe is that if the 6 were white and the victim were black, there would be outcry if those that beat up the victim severely did NOT face a stiff prison sentence. There is a double standard in America

Anyone who thinks this adolescent should be facing a 2nd degree felony charge for a schoolyard
brawl has something wrong with there thinking or they are michief makers in ths world….get your facts staright (not to say it justifies the violence)but if your read the paper and story the violence was provoked by white kids saying the blacks could not sit under a tree they demmed to be theirs …and in someone or some individuals, hung some hang ropes with nooses from the tree as a provocation. If they adoloscents were white it would not be prosecuted as a 2nd degree felony…if anyone thinks African Americans, and all fair justice loving people in the world, are going to take this lying down have some serious misconceptions about the whole affair.

If it were six white kids assaulting another white kid, they would still be prosecuted.
If people took the time to research the topic before they gave their insight, we would be able to communicate better. The fight took place after a series of events that were racially motivated. Before the arrest and charges of Jena 6, a white man was arrested for beating a black teenager and he wasn’t prosecuted. He was given probation.
Civil rights doesn’t mean we are crying for a helping hand. It means we are demanding a fair shake. Don’t deny me something because of the shade of my skin then wonder why I am outraged.
It’s funny how people were singing Barack Obama’s praises before today..I guess to those of you who commented, you thought he “passed” enough to get your vote. Injustice is injustice and every so often we people of color show the world that we are a mighty big family who will fight for our rights.
Now if that means that we are “thugs punks” as John stated then say it loud I’m a thug punk and I’m proud. They pretend that Justice is blind but she’s not deaf.

At least one of these teenagers had several assault charges on his record, and was still on probation for one of them when this incident occurred. So go ahead and drop the charges, it will only be a matter of time before he/they are in trouble again. It is what they do. Then what will Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton say about these upstanding young men? Will it all have been worth it then?

RobertJB:
See this is why people cannot seem to get along. So many folks are missing the point: There were numerous outbreaks of fights before this last fight that seems to be the center of attention. For example: after the racist nooses were hung, Black students rightfully complained; and Black students were assaulted at white parties; A white man drew a loaded rifle on three black teens at a local convenience store. Are you fellows forgetting all of this? So, when you talk about Blacks reacting with violence, whites are the masters of violence in this country and around the world. All people (not every single person), without regard to skin color act out in violence. I used Iraq as an example to highlight how silly you sound by blaming violent behavior on Blacks. What in the world are you talking about? Blacks can be violent and Whites and all folks can be violent …and are. .Wake up and realize that this is not fair justice towards these Black kids.

I am just glad those folks didn’t come into my town, I would have barricaded the family in the basement. I hope and pray that the people of Jena are safe and protected during this endless night for them. May God watch over them.

“those folks” Are we back to the days of savages now? How many instances of violence took place during the protest? Don’t tell me you still cross the street when you see a black man or that one of the female members of your family still clutches her purse?
I hope and pray that when (if) you are given a home in Heaven, you don’t mind being one of “those folk’s” neighbors when God gives you a home in the sky. You do know Heaven isn’t segregated, don’t you?

You’re of course, right Tony, These white guys offended us, so let’s beat the living $#@^ out of him and we should be justified! What happened to the old “sticks and stones” thing. You’re not showing you can think, you’re showing that you agree with vigilate justice for your “side”

I’m a white 50 year old woman and I’m disgusted with the DA in charge of this case. How did a school fight turn into attempted murder when the ‘victim’ went to a school event that night? White kids hanging nooses in a tree as a warning for black kids not to sit there? And this get them an in-school suspension?
We all know the wealthy get away without jailtime in many cases but I had no idea any adult in a position of power like that DA would see the world so black or white, no pun intended. I hate to think of how many minor incidents lead to serious jailtime because of the color of someone’s skin.
Obama did the right thing, to not speak on the subject at length until he was sure of his facts but then he spoke out forcefully.

I agree with Obama, it was the media who had failed to grasp the gravity of the situation in Jena. I am appauled by the fact that when I called channel 7 a week ago, the news anchors and investigator that I spoke with said they knew nothing about it (Liars!) – what a dam*ed shame! You tell me the most important news you have is who left their pitbull in their back yard for 2 days or whatever or however many days and how OJ finally did something else wrong in order that there may be reason now to further kick him in the as* and down the stairs, but yet, you didn’t know about something as important as this, the Jena Six? An incident that should have been heard all over the world based on the simple fact that this is what African American ancestors and leaders have struggled and fought for to their deaths to prevent – only to find that it still exist and we are yet, slapped in the face with it over again. I SAY NO! IT CAN’T HAPPEN AND IT SHOULDN’T BE HAPPENING IN THIS DAY AND AGE! THIS IS 2007, NOT 1927!

Responding to the post by RobertJB. Evidently you haven’t taken the time to read the entire story of events leading to the publicized fight and the arrest of the six black students involved. If you would take the time to research before commenting you may have found articles such as one in Newsweek as well as others, outlining events. Prior to the beating of Barker by Bell and the other five charged, Robert Bailey, a black student was assaulted and beaten with beer bottles. The white student in that incident was charged with simple battery and given probation. I think a beer bottle is a more provocative “dangerous weapon” than a tennis shoe. Why does the assault and beating by a white student on Baily, a black student result in simple battery while the charges against the black student for beating the white student with a “tennis shoe” result in attempted murder.

What would happen if…
1) it were hispanic kids against black kids?
2) it were asian kids against white kids?
3) it were armenian kids against black kids?
4) it were white kids against samoan kids?
this black/white crap is getting old

I’m a Cherokee fool!

sorry, John . . I forgot the other fifty combinations here in America. To mix things up, let’s start some racial slurring for “native americans vs mongolian americans”…

You all show why so many fear another civil war . We are not White, Black, hispanics, men, women and so on, WE ARE AMERICANS!!! Come together or face the possiblity of a civil war in the next quarter century. We TOGETHER is what made our nation great!!! Screw the dividers (Sharpton, Obama & Clinton). America, UNITE! We are the best country in the world, despite our short comings!! We need to be united!

What do you call it when six people gang up on another person (forget race) and beat them unconscious? This is not just a schoolyard fight.. Count me out now for Obama….

Why is no one outraged that Hilary Clinton took the same stance?

One other interesting note of interest, the white student who was beaten has since been expelled from school for taking a gun to school.

Everyone arguing that if things were reversed and the victim was black and the aggressors white that there would be charges of hate crimes conveniently overlook the fact that the case currently exists. In West Virginia there is currently a case invloving a black woman that was kidnapped, raped and tortured for a week. The government has currently decided not to pursue hate crimes charges. So it looks like you were wrong. The woman was beaten, stabbed, raped, forced to eat animal feces and locked in a shed, but none of the six white perpetrators was charged with attempted murder. Sounds a little worse than what Justin Barker, the white kid from Jena went through.

This is a very sad board…you all or most of you should be ashamed….teach your kids not to hate from a very young age and that so called endless cycle of racism can and will be broken

O-Bomb-A’s campaign is tanking – everywhere – so it’s no surprise to see him pandering every which way he can. Three more months and this loser is gone!

If how a person looks or how they respond to issues determines what type of leader they would be, then how in the hell did Bush get elected. The Jena 6 case comment doesn’t determine who Obama is as a person or a leader. As far as I can see Obama thinks before he acts and speaks, which is more than I can say about our current leader. If he is damned from this comment in the eyes of the repondents, then you weren’t going to vote for him anyway. We need to stop electing our local, state, and national leaders like high school kids vote on the homecoming queen. But as far as Obama is concerned, I guess all you haters need to find something to knock him down since he doesn’t have skeleton flying out of his closet like a majority of the other candidates. If this is the best you can do then congratulations!
As for Jena, LA school officals and public servants whom I will from now on refer to as the “wait and see committee”
They hung nooses from a tree and the leaders said were gonna “wait and see”, threaten them with a gun (probation) and the leaders said were gonna “wait and see”, beat him down with a bottle and the leaders said were gonna “wait and see”, school yard fight black vs. white and the leader said with a stroke of my pen I can change you life forever. Well to the wait and see committe that are hiding in you basements and homes, you don’t have to wait any longer because the Jena 6 and America have shown that they are willing to stand against hatred and ignorance. They weren’t armed and dangerous with bottles and shot guns but they are facing the harshest punishment. These kids had to fight to protect themselves because we can be with them always. Because of this the Jena 6 couldn’t wait and see whether their school officials would protect them or whether they would be hung from that tree. They cut down the tree to hide the reality of their community but the pain of this incident will be rooted in Jena forever.

To say that this was just a “Scool yard fight!” is as ridiculous as saying the nooses were not harmless teenage pranks!!
6 man size boys beat this kid unconsious! (I don’t think they tried to kill him) but It’s PRETTY severe!
The nooses were DISPICABLE and the student should have been indefinately suspended! I almost think he deserves a whoopin, but not by 6 at once!
That’s my bit!
Peace

What all the news media is not letting all the world know is that the attack was planned. The “Jena Six” had an organized plan to attack the kid. The kid that was attacked got jumped on by 5 of the 6. One of the the 6 was distracting the teacher on duty so the other 5 could jump on the kid. The other 5 jumped on the kid and after knocking him out continued to stomp on the boy as he was on the ground. This is not just a school yard fight, it was a planned and attack. Also the news does not tell everyone the previous criminal records of some of the “Jena 6.” Some of the infamous 6 had been arrested before. Most of these boys are not quality citizens. Hopefully they get what they deserve.

Before one comments they should have taken into consideration all of the facts of the said event. First and foremost I find there is nothing wrong with Obama’s comment, except for the fact that it was a little to late. Not because he is black, but simply because he is human. Whether you are black, white, latino or anyother race or ethnicity the incidents that are occuring in Jena, La impact us all whether the impact be directly or indirectly. As far as the comment about blacks solving their problems with violence and violence alone this is simply untrue. For the person that made this comment if you would have been tuned into the event prior to the medias interpretation of it, you would have known that there were three events that occurred in Jena prior to the fight between the black kids and white kid. Allow me to explain. The first was when three white students hung three nooses under a tree located on the premises of Jena High School. The tree was a gathering place for the white students and the day before the nooses were hung a group of black students sat underneath the same tree. Now for those of you who want to say that this act was simply a prank, let us not be nieve. The hanging of the nooses was a message. A message that even in today’s society there is a place for whites and a place for blacks to gather. This was a hate crime. However, these boys were simply suspended for a couple of days. That event alone states that there is something wrong with the thinking of this town and its legal system. As far as blacks reacting to all events with violence. the white population did exactly the same, however they were not provoked. After the hanging of the nooses a white male went to a party and beat a black male with a bottle for no reason as stated by witnesses. This male received a slap on the risk no probation and he sure did not spend nearly a year of his life in four by four prison cell. Thirdly, a day or two after this fight occured another white male went to a gas station in the outskirts of Jena where mainly blacks live. This male stated that he felt threatened so he went back to his truck and retained his rifle. After pointing it at the black males the males then wrestled the rifle from the white male. The white male was not charged. However, the blacks males were charged with aggrevated assault, disturbing the peace, and theft by taking the rifle from the white male. I ask you if you are in situation where you feel so threatened that you go get a firearm for protection while you go in a gas station, why not go to another station. Some will say he really needed the gas or make up some other ignorant answer. The fact of the matter is he knew nothing would be done, because nothing was done in previous incidents. So you have three incidents that the DA of Jena is failing to elaborate on. Three different incidents in which the white students threatened and beat black male students. Now, please don’t think that the six males simply went to school and jumped on a boy, just because he was white. They hit a boy that was making racial statements to them. Prior to the fight the males asked the white male to be quiet. He chose to taunt them and to try to ridicule them because he knew that it was condoned in his environment. I admit they could have walked away, but that is much easier said than done. I know I will not tolerate a person calling me a racial slur and I am quite sure you will not stand there and allow me to shout racial slurs to you. That is not saying I would react with violence. I honestly would have to be in the situation. For the males to be charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit attempted murder is outlandish. This was a school yard fight, one in which the bruising and swelling looked far worst than it was. The white male afterall went to a party the very night of the incident. These boys did not conspire to do anything. They were not told that their fellow classmate was going to come to school and taunt them with racial statements. They simply acted in the moment. The difference is they acted when provoked. The three incidents before this were unprovoked. So now you may want to rethink your statement, a race doesn’t act with violence instead it is inviduals who act with violence. Violence is not the answer to anything, but neither is hate, or racism.

those that scream “racist crimes” all the time, are usually the racist. facts are the school did all they could do to the kids that hung the noose, but had the kids or there family go to law enforcement agencies in regards to the incident, to handle it in the appropriate mannor, then a child would not have been assaulted, but that didn’t happen and their crime was reported and it can’t be ignored. this is not a race issue, it and issue of right and wrong. did the assaulted child hang the noose? if not why was he assaulted (because he was white?)

Barrack is outraged that these teens are being prosecuted for attempted murder????? Are you kidding me???!!! The 6 teens beat this 1 teen to a pulp. He was unconscious and still beat him. He could have died. In my book this is attempted murder. I don’t care of you are a sterling student with A’s. He was unconscious and they still kept kicking and punching. And this man is up for consideration for the Presidency?????? Please, PLEASE do not vote for him. We need to prosecute according to the law. Whether their white, black, green, purple. To defend them is to say, I can kill or beat or maime because you said something that hurt my feelings?????!!!!!

I DO BELIEVE, that the Hurricane Katrina victims were neglected by the American People because they were represented as “uneducated, homosexual, and Negro”. THAT is a SIN.

Maybe Obama can go and cry under Oprah’s skirt, since she is buyer hersef, a Presi dent!
Well, I guess we should fire the courts also, because we don’t like the verdict? Yes justice is color blind, and if you don’t like it move to Nigeria. This ” Race Card” doesn’t work anymore, anytime a black man commits a crime, whitey gets called a racist.
Everytime an OJ Simpson decides to decapitate his wife, we get called Racists and we are supposed to set these criminals free. Everytime a million dollar football player gets caught killing and abusing dogs, we have to let him go?. IF you don’t like living with laws, move to Nigeria, where there are none, then see how you like it. And how dare we call a black woman a ” Ho” when they call themselves that, and so do their black men in hip hop and rap music? So its okay to depricate yourselves but if a white man does it, we fire him?
Who is a racist Now?

Sorry — but a shoe can indeed be a deadly weapon. Just ask any family whose relative has been stomped to death. There was just such a case in CA where a father out walking was robbed by 6 teenagers who, outraged that he had no money on him, stomped him to death. The police found the bloodied *tennis* shoes of the attackers in their homes and all 5 were convicted of murder. The only thing that didn’t make the Jena 6 a murder trial is that the victim was lucky enough to survive his attack. For this, people make comparisons to other crimes and try to argue that 2 wrongs make a right; i.e. if one white perp got off for something don’t convict a black perp — WRONG. Convict them all; work to change the justice system not to release all attackers into the streets!!!

I’ve read all the comments posted so far, and have learned a lot.
I’m born of European immigrants. My observation is that, at times, being a person of color in America makes life difficult. That’s not fair. I empathize with my friends of color.
I imagine Obama is in a really tough spot. But to be the first person of color to run for President has got to be a real challenge. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes in this case.
In general, Obama seems very thoughtful, and has taken some good positions, in my opinion. To say his staff is exploring the subject is smart; it allows him a chance to pull back later if his fact-finding reveals that as the right move.
Most people who have commented here negatively about Obama seem to do it with strong emotion. Not sure why that is. This case cannot be summarized as a one-liner.
Nooses from a tree is a hate crime. A planned attack on someone, 6 against 1, is a felony crime.
It’s odd to me that people use “school grounds” as a way to diminish the crimes committed there. In NH, 9 students are up on charges for two incidents of breaking & entering, then stealing advanced placement exams and sharing them with others on campus. Parents there are trying to say “it was just a prank.”
A crime is a crime. The severity of the crimes of the Jena 6 is undisputable. Hanging nooses in trees is a hate crime, prosecutable under federal law (I believe).
The Civil War ended only 150 years ago (approx). The resultant social adjustments are still in progress.
Please learn to love your fellow man/woman. Try performing kind acts toward strangers on a regular basis. Your life will change for the better.
Peace.

I guess HATE and race baiting gets you votes…. I’m slowly losing respect for him… He should least have waited to see what the final outcome is before he starts calling whites racist…..

How can a school fight (retalitory in nature) in which no one was seriouly harmed ecsalate into conspiracy and attempted murder charges? Only by racist perceptions and the need for the ancestors of slave masters to control the ancestors of slaves.

ENOUGH!
LOVE ONE ANOTHER and KEEP PEACE!
GOD SEES ALL THINGS….IT IS GOD WHO WILL BE THE FINAL JUDGE!….AND I PRAY THAT GOD HAVE MERCY ON THOSE WHO DO NOT WALK WITH HIM!

For the lack of knowledge my people parish:
there are a few wise sayings to adhere to: Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger for the anger of man worketh not the righteous of Christ.
Now what constitutes a rightous person? The bible says that a just man falls 7 times yet he is able to get back up. So I say this to say to every color and race, I say the words of a famous man that wrote so eligently years ago: Perhaps we should all work together in increasing the awareness for the Sociological sceince of blacks in america. Since the blacks have had to learn and function under the social ideology of some inorder to progress in society, perhaps it would do some the good of taking the time to study the sociology of the american blacks. REMEMBER:A WISE MAN ONCE WROTE: “at such a time true lovers of humanity can only hold higher the pure ideals of science, and continue to insist that if we would solve a problem we must study it, and that there is but one coward on earth, and that is the coward that dare not know”). THERE IS AWAY FOR EVERYONE TO GET THROUGH EVEN THIS.FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS. AND REMEMBER: AS A MAN THINKETH SO IT HE.)

It’s funny how these readers are so saddened and hurt, but never mention the boy who was came over to “watch” after the fight and was arrested. And the gentleman who was hit with a bottle by the 21 yr old prior to the school fight. You guys are sad people. Why are black soldiers in Iraq fighting for you pathetic people? The Indians were forced out through violence. My people were brought here from Africa through again, violence. Wars are funded and fueled by again Caucasians. Violence is in your nature.

You said it perfectly but ignorantly. Yes Katrina victims did have 72 hrs to evacuate. But the march was planned for weeks, not 72 hrs ago. AND,People from all over the country of all backgrounds and financial means could go to La. That was not the case in Katrina because the people were not financially able to leave their home and stay in hotels for days. You lack compassion for people, but probably are on the save the whales campaign.

Interesting comments – however not very not enlightening. Significantly, we should review and learn from history! Then focus on the real issues. In my opinion, we’re still being brainwashed by biased media reporting on both sides looking for ratings; we continue to be manipulated by both sides of the political aisle looking for votes. But the truth of the matter is – in the scheme of things we are all puppets controlled by the CARYLE GROUPS of the World – the real power brokers. Listen (read) It’s time to stop the “pecking order” and fighting among ourselves. The real issue is not a Black – White issue. The real issues pertain to quality education for all , quality medical care for all, committment to act and address hunger and global poverty – and this last episode that clearly demonstrate that the scales of justice is not equality for all. These are the real issues. As long as we fail to understand how work together and find remedies to correct the inequities in this life [that affect the majority of us] the fewer than 10% of the population ["Power Brokers"] who control more than 80% the worlds’ wealth WINS! We will continue to have situations like New Orleans, and Jena LA. The strategy to “Divide and Ccnquer” by whatever “hot” topic necessary [race, religion, etc,] will continue to succeed.

I think what many people failed to understand is that no one disgusted over Jena 6 has stated that the boys did not deserve some form of a punish. The issue is the level of punishment. As someone stated earlier – hanging the nooses was a hate crime, yet the expulsion was overruled by the local school board against the request of the prinicipal and when questioned the DA stated he could not find a charge to charge the 3 white students with. When a group of black students were taunted with a gun by a white student, and the managed to get control over the gun, they contacted the authorities as any reasonable citizen would do, only to be arrested and charged with theft and battery. The underlining issue of this case is that white offenders were provided liberties that there black counterparts where not. Before we loose track of the issue and speak, research the facts and speak from knowledge. I respect Obama for waiting until he understood the facts and not attack the issue because many thought he needed to address it as a black man, how about we all start addressing this issue and other issues as American and Christians. Christ is not a respector of persons whom we strive to be like, so why are we?

To be fair to Obama, he said he was “outraged over the disparities in treatment in the criminal justice system,” and only “puzzled” about the morphing of child-on-child violence (typically tolerated…) into the severest of charges. So he has drawn a clear distinction between criticism of the system in general and this case in particular.
I think that’s because this is a terrible instance with which to use as an occasion to begin a discussion of the system in general, when the Jena 6 are guilty of violence. Surely the disparities in the system reach other, far more innocent victims.

clyde lane first of all what are you trying to get at here. And second of all:
This is a free country. People are allowed to speak and think for themselves. They dont have to worship YOUR god.

I have read some of the comments on this site and I am appalled by the things that are not being seen here.
First and foremost, kids put up a NOOSE on a tree, to threaten other kids not to sit under a tree. Maybe to other races, this does not signify anything. To a black person, this is a THREAT TO KILL. Lynchings occurred against blacks and STILL occur in the south. This wasn’t putting an X on the tree to mark your spot, this was a symbolic threat against someone’s life. Sit under my tree N***** and I will lynch you!
If this was a threat against Jewish children, who asked a principal if they could sit under a tree, and the next day a swastika was on the tree, would the students involved receive “in-house suspension”? If earlier that week, a jewish child was beaten with a beer bottle by a Nazi propagandist, and this person was let out on probation, would we be not discussing these issues? I think Bush would have made a comment at that point about what we need to do in this country.
It happens to a black child and it’s business as usual. It’s scary living in this country for a african american man or woman. You never know when the equal rights of all Americans, may NOT apply to you b/c it is somehow convenient, and everyone turns a blind eye.
I am not saying it’s right that the kids beat the other child, but the punishment should fit the wrongdoing. Kids getting “jumped” happens every day. Is it right? NO! Do most kids go to jail for it? NO! Is that a new precedence that the law is looking to set? Anytime children “jump” another kid, they are going to jail? Okay, that should stop alot of fights in school. But that should happen for all schools, all races, all parts of the country.
But, let’s discuss the threat that was done here. Why is okay that people can do death threats against other children and that is okay, a blind eye is turned??? The Klu Klux Klan still marches in the South. This is not an idle joke that was given. This is life in a certain part of our country. This is not okay!!!

Agree, that news media, Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson have really pushed the Jena thing out of proportion, just for headlines. They (collectively) have put out a lot of double-speak, half truths, and are crying about not having enough fuel for their racial headlines. The news folks have lost control because someone is pushing to sell newspapers/headlines. Truth is, there was no racial problem. Six guys beat one guy unconscious. Thats it.

Personally, I find that Obama did the correct thing in waiting for his team to gather the facts before “spouting off at the mouth” about a situation while only having input from a tainted media machine. The media formed from, and always will be part of the entertainment industry. It tends to sensationalize common issues to bolster waning ratings (especially in a time when many would prefer to lose themselves in an xbox 360 rather than watch the State of the Union). After reviewing the actual facts regarding the case, Obama spoke in outrage in reflection of his findings.
In reference to the actual issue which the controversy surrounds, I feel that the punishment is certainly too severe; especially considering that one of the boys was sentenced as an adult when he was only 16 at the time of the incident (the legal age to be tried as an adult in LA is 17). To try someone as an adult, one must assume that this person exhibits traits that a fully developed adult mind exhudes. Clearly a sixteen year old child does not operate in the mental capacity of an experienced, productive member of adult society.
All in all, the incident should have been dealt with by the school board in manner that would neutralize both sides. According to reports, the school board had to actually tell these particular Caucasian students that is was “alright” for the African-American students to congregate in this particular area. That shows me that this is an already racially charged community; essentially a prime example of the existance of segregation continuing within the South. The minority students were, in essence threatened, (is not the hanging of nooses…etc reminiscent of terror tactics dawned by the KKK in American history?) and struck back due to the terror inflicted upon them by the antagonizing party. I certainly do not condone violence, but I, in addition, do not condone terrorism in any form (if you believe that my allegations of terrorism are misguided because of the aggravators age, need I remind you that our troops overseas have battled against armed assailants as young as pre-adolescents during this “war on terror”?) Had appropriate action been taken by the school board during this occurance, the entire situation could have been avoided.
I praise Obama for is diplomacy, condemn the media for extreme sensationalism, and hope that we as Americans can learn from this unfortunate tragedy known as the “Jena 6,” that hatred still exists in this country and the only way to silence it’s perpetual evils is to cease passing it on from one generation to the next.

In response to “Brad’s” comment:
The teen that was attacked was a part of the “hanging noose stunt” that got Jena into this mess in the first place. The teens attacked the perpetrator, not just some “white” kid at the school.

I am greatly dissappointed about these whole set of events. If the boys have a past history of violence, don’t you beleive it was provoked by a deprived and racist community that does not give them a chance for equality. I don’t know why the families of the Jena 6 hasn’t left such a racist city long before these events. Afican American boys has many strikes against them just being black and we as black people have to use better judgement when it comes to providing and protecting our kids. Our kids should be in an environment of peers that can uplift and not degrade and if you have no say so are no control, parents are to move. White folks do it all the time when blacks move in to their neighborhoods. I speak as a non-racist person who knows the facts. I pray for peace and I bleed the blood od Jesus over the city of Jena, Louisiana, country and the entire world. Families make informed decisions that will be best for your children. Peace out!!!

I am really disappointed with Obama’s delayed outrage. That’s why I’ve always been on the fence about him and this didn’t help our relationship…if I voted today Hillary would be my president.
As for those who you who are blinded towards the obvious misjustice- please read all the facts. These black kids (including some of the Jena 6) had guns pulled on them, their head bust open with a bottle, and a fight where THEY were the victim by white kids before this fight took place- nothing happened. Then, blacks kids jump one of the “taunter’s” and they are facing life in prison…come on that isn’t fair. No one says they didn’t commit a crime- but life in prison is quite extreme for a school yard fight. Who haven’t seen a fight in school before? Are we going to give them all life in prison?

Come on folks! Those folks who are saying they have decided not to vote for Obama, be honest you know you weren’t going to vote for him anyway!!! How can American accuse Iran’s president of injustices? These boys responded how most juveniles would (Black or White). That is why they are called juveniles! So having a shot gun pulled on you is less dangerous than being jumped by several boys???? If these boys are being prosecuted so should those white kids who beat up the black kids and pulled a gun on them. White Americans are in denial! This is why other countries consider us hypocrites. Justice should be equal and it is not. You should not receive a harsher sentence because of your race! Is this why so many of our young boys are in jail? White Americans are in denial about slavery and how brutal it was also! So I am not surprised by some of their reactions! Racism is alive and well!!!

How easily we forget about the Rodney King beating and what happened when the cops were found innocent and the whole thing was videotaped!