"White Tree" bad, "Black Bleachers" good.

Were nooses hung from the bleechers when white boys sat on them?

No, instead boots were hung from the unconscious white kid's ears.

In all seriousness, though, I don't believe that nooses or bleachers were in evidence, literally or figuratively, when the actual violence in this case occurred.

Why did the white boy sit in the black bleachers?

In all seriousness you should try to imagine yourself into a black life in Jena, LA.

spiker:

Why did the white boy sit in the black bleachers?

I don't know---why DID the white boy sit in the black bleachers?

Best place to see a race? He'd been told there was no race, but it turns out they were mistaken.

In all seriousness you should try to imagine yourself into a black life in Jena, LA.

That would be difficult, you're right, especially in these heady times. I'd be busy collating personal anecdotes concerning Race, sprinkled with diversity-speak platitudes, say "Things have come a long way.....but they still have a long way to go". Try to get buttonholed by a Spirit of the Sixties national news reporter, her brow furrowed as she feels your pain, then look for Oprah's people.

spiker:

In all seriousness you should try to imagine yourself into a black life in Jena, LA.

Okay.,.and what does that do? Help me excuse an inexcusable beating of a white kid?

In all seriousness, you should try and imagine yourself into a gang of people nearly beating you to death because of your race. Been there myself. No fun. I'd take a the lifetime in Jena as a black in American over the risk of getting kicked to death of that kid.

Like you saw the fight and how vicious it was.

spiker:

Like you saw the fight and how vicious it was.

The father in an NPR interview said his son bled from both ears after the assault. An eye was swollen shut.

Wikipedia described the injuries as well. He apparently still suffers from headaches.

What is your point, that if the beating was not so bad, it is better to be that white victim than one of the black kids beating him? I'm genuinely asking because I am not sure what you are trying to say.

I hope you can join me in the ritual condemnation of this atrocious assault and acknowledge that no set of antecedent circumstances excuse these young men for beating someone this way.

And is "fight" the right word, Spiker, for what happened to that kid?

I've been reading here and I can't stand to sit quiet anymore!!! "Fight" is not an apprropriate term for what happened in this case.

6 boys beat 1 boy unconcious. How is there a question on what happened. No one even denies it DID happen. Just WHY it happened. Excuses, excuses. Isn't that what is wrong with our world today? There is an excuse for everything and it's always someone else's fault. FOR EVERYTHING. Look at our world. It's full of a bunch of young adults & teens who can't do a thing useful & take responsibility for nothing.

People like Al Sharpton just come here to stir the pot. --They only come around when they find it will gain them something. They just want to make sure their names are kept in the public eye. They say they want to "help" these kids but putting on a march is helping who? It is just intimidation.

There are many crimes that white people are punished for. I see it every night on the local news. There was a case a couple of years ago where black people pulled a white cab driver out of his cab and several people beat him. There was a crowd of more than 50 onlookers.---It was taped so don't say it didn't happen. One news channel aired the video 1 time. It was then pulled because they said it would cause "problems" Well, when it happens the other way around it is aired over and over again. --What do you call that?

As far as "these poor black kids trying to get along in a white school" is crap! I live in Louisiana. I KNOW what it is like to go to a highschool here! If you think the blacks are just sitting around trying to fit in, you need a wake-up call!!! They are just as racist as the whites. YES, I said it, I said it because it is true. It may not be right, but it's the way it is.

I have lived here for most of my life.

LALady, perhaps they hate you as much as you obviously hate them but I doubt they have any power in that town so I doubt their hatred of you really harms you. Do us all a favor and stay south. There's plenty of hate up north but the venom really drips off you.

A nurse (according to Wikipedia) also said the boy suffered from migraines before his beating. Why do you selectively read things? Racism?

Furthermore, the Wiki account says that the white boy left 2 hours after being admitted. He was beaten unconscious but did not even spend the night in the hospital for observation purposes?

Yes, for this beating the black boy should spend what 8 years in jail? No, better make it 10?

You're laughable too. How could you come up with saying I would say being the white victim would be better than being the black boy? Well I guess if you ask I'd rather take a beating and spend two hours in the hospital RATHER THAN SEVERAL YEARS IN JAIL for a crime that did not warrant that kind of punishment.

And I won't join you in any racist "rituals" thank you very much.

I will say I won't vouche for Mychal Bell (?) he may well kill somebody when he gets older. But he should spend life in prison when he actually commits that crime.

No more or less so than Racism happened to the other kid.

There is no venom dripping from me. I have people I talk to that are black and I'm friends with. They agree that what happened in all sides was wrong. However the educated and open minded friends I have also admit that 6 beating 1 is dead wrong. Take the color out of it and look at the crime. 6 on 1!!!!! It doesn't take much of a brain to see that is wrong. Were the other things like nooses & such wrong? OF COURSE. However this is 1 case. I am not saying the prosecutor did not make any mistakes, but I get upset when I see these 6 being glorified. --They have made it to celebrity status by getting in a group with 5 other boys and beating someone up. That is the outrage in me!!! The actions of the white kids was wrong but it does not justify what is happening now.

It is not their fault they have been "glorified" it is the DA in the case who set them up to become what they have become. Your anger over that should be directed at the DA.