What Really Happened In Jena?

Jesse Jackson is comparing Jena, LA to Selma, AL. He says this is a pivotal moment for civil rights, while blasting presidential candidates for not paying more attention to it.

For anyone not aware of the situation, here it is in a nutshell. Three white students placed nooses in a tree at Jena High School. The nooses were quickly removed, before the school day even began, the boys responsible were found and suspended. This set off a period of racial tensions that culminated in six black students beating a white student unconscious. The students were initially charged with attempted murder, but the charges have since been reduced. The charge of racism hits because the white students were only suspended while the black students were arrested.

Time for a reality check. As despicable an action as hanging the nooses is, there is no law against it. Most people never saw the nooses and there was nothing indicating that they were aimed at any particular student. The mother of one of the "Jena Six" has stated that because of America's history of racism, the boys should have been punished more severely.

NO!!! This is America. You cannot punish someone for what happened historically. You can punish people for what they do. What these kids did was stupid and asinine, but it wasn't illegal. You can't arrest somebody for actions that aren't illegal. The school was absolutely right to suspend them, but local and federal authorities should never be brought in unless a law is broken. You don't like that no law was broken. Contact your local officials to change the law. That's how democracy works.

In the course of the trial of Mychal Bell, the first of the Jena Six to be tried, it was revealed that has a history of violence and was on probation when he was arrested for attacking a store clerk in the weeks prior to the school incident. It should also be pointed out that the victim in the attack was not one of the students that put the nooses up.

The students that put the nooses up were punished for their actions. Actions which didn't cause physical harm anyone. Now it's time for the Jena Six to be punished for their actions. That's not racist, it's called taking responsibility.

Is there racism in America? Of course there is. But tacking a racist label onto every event that involves a white person and a black person diminishes the term and keeps people from truly addressing the problem. Jena isn't a matter of racism. It's a matter of how loud can Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson can yell. If you really want to do something to stop racism, stop listening to those two.