by Michael Hawley | Horrific hate crime perpetrated against white student.
In what many are calling a civil rights revival, Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton led a march of 30,000 people through the streets of the small town of Jena, LA, on September 20 to protest the circumstances surrounding the unprovoked, vicious, and racially motivated beating of one student by six of his classmates. College students across the country, including some here at Tufts, displayed their solidarity with the marchers by holding local rallies or by wearing armbands. However, the similarities to Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement during the 60s end there.
This time, the protesters were not speaking out against the perpetrators of the assault, but for them. Instead of demanding that the charges for the race-based attack include hate-crime stipulations, the Reverends and their followers demanded that the assailants not be punished at all. Apparently unconcerned by the hypocrisy of their actions, Jackson and Sharpton have managed to turn a group of vicious bullies into inspirational victims.
The affair began last September, when black students at the local high school sat under a tree where white students occasionally congregated. The next day, nooses were found hanging from the tree. School administrators suspended the guilty parties. For the next several months, racial tensions simmered at the school, culminating with the beating of white student Justin Barker by six black classmates. Witnesses say that Barker, allegedly a friend of the students who hung the nooses, was knocked out by the boys who continued to punch and kick him as he lay unconscious.
Some protesters claim that while they do not condone the beating, it was an understandable reaction to an atmosphere of racism that permeated the town. They claim that the culture of a “whites only” tree, the appearances of the nooses, and the “lenient” treatment of the perpetrators all mitigate the severity of the black students’ crime. Besides trying to avert the blame from those truly responsible, such views are simply uninformed. According to teachers and administrators, students of all races actually sat under the tree at one time or another. At first, rather than being offended or frightened by the appearance of the nooses, black and white students were found swinging on them together. Furthermore, the beating occurred three months after the original incident, eliminating a “heat of the moment” justification.
An impartial observer would probably say that the authorities are pursuing a just prosecution. Nevertheless, professional race-baiters Jackson and Sharpton claim that the whole affair reeks of bigotry. They attacked DA Reed Walters, who did not bring charges against the white students who hung the nooses. They suggest that this decision illustrates a double standard for blacks and whites. However, unlike the beating, hanging a rope on a tree may be repugnant, but it is not a crime.
The protesters contend that the initial charge of second degree murder indicates racial bias. Some described the attack as a typical schoolyard fight, perhaps necessitating some school discipline, but certainly not meriting criminal charges. The actual facts of the unprovoked, six-on-one attack contradict this interpretation. A beating carried out while the victim is unconscious could quite plausibly fit the standard for attempted murder. Walters nevertheless chose to reduce the charges to battery. Indeed, the DA’s actions seem quite lenient considering the circumstances.
Much has been made of the case of Mychal Bell, one of the six. Jackson and Sharpton have tried to elicit memories of the Jim Crow South, painting a picture of an innocent black student, persecuted by a racist system and convicted by an all-white jury. Again, however, they have ignored important facts in favor of a good story. Bell was incontrovertibly guilty and had multiple prior convictions, including two for other violent crimes. Prosecutors, moreover, had no control over the jury’s demographics. Only ten percent of the local population is black. Nevertheless, the computerized, random selection of Bell’s jury pool did include some black candidates. All of them, however, failed to show up on the day of the trial.
One might wonder then, how six teens who beat a fellow classmate could have become the heroes of those who claim to fight hate. For many young protesters, the allure of a 60s-style civil rights march was too tempting to pass up. “This is the first time something like this has happened for our generation,” said one college senior, “This is the chance to experience it for ourselves.’’ In the face of this opportunity, demagogues have prioritized sensationalism over facts.
Ben Reid, a black resident of Jena sums up the demonstrations: “This whole thing has been blown out of proportion.” The blame for this travesty lies heavily on the shoulders of Jackson and Sharpton, skillful manipulators who have used the good intentions of many protesters to gain publicity and power for themselves. Few are willing to challenge these men, fearing that the charge of racism may be leveled at them. Even President Bush refused to comment substantially on the matter. DA Walters has endured numerous ad hominem attacks, yet has steadfastly held to his commitment to the truth: “[This prosecution] is about finding justice for an innocent victim and holding people accountable for their actions.” His example should inspire all who truly seek justice.
Mr. Hawley is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
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