There are two sides to every story. The University News presents only one side of the controversial “Jena Six” issue in their Sept. 21 article and editorial. Many significant details of the incidents occurring in Jena, La. are absent from The University News‘ coverage of the story. The following information is from an article published on Sept. 24 by Todd Lewan of the Associated Press. First, a United States Justice Department attorney investigating the case found no connection between the nooses hung in the tree on Aug. 31 and the assault which occurred three months later (on Dec. 6) of white student Justin Barker by six black students, including Mychal Bell. The editorial implied that the black students are “the innocent,” but does not mention that at the time of the assault, Bell was on probation for two counts of battery and one count of criminal damage to property.
Secondly, the article is misleading about the punishment dealt to the three students found responsible for hanging the nooses. These students were not only suspended from school for three days, but also sentenced to attend an alternate school for a month. The three white students did not face criminal charges, but this was not because of corruption of the legal system. This was because there were no Louisiana laws to charge them under-hanging nooses is appallingly stupid and racist, but not illegal.
Third, the article mentions that the legal proceedings have been completely administered by whites, implying a racist and corrupt legal system. However, the La Salle Parish jury pool is comprised of a high percentage of whites, mirroring the racial makeup of the community. Also, several black jurors called to serve on the case did not appear in court. The blame for these omissions should not be placed entirely on The University News. Students nationwide have been swept up in the campaign to “free the Jena Six” taking place via popular websites such as YouTube and Facebook. This campaign is spearheaded by Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. These men are sending the message that it is OK for a group of black students to get away with assaulting a white student badly enough to send him to the hospital simply because the attackers were black and can play the “race card,” which the medias on. Due to the pressure from protesters, on Sept. 4 Mychal Bell’s conviction (of his third count of aggravated battery) was overturned. This is the true failure of the legal system. Sharpton and Jackson are not working to make race less of an issue, but rather more of an issue. Jackson has accused black presidential candidate Barack Obama of “acting like he’s white” because he is not making the Jena Six a significant issue in his campaign. Sharpton and Jackson are simply fanning the fires of racism in America. The University News editorial board wrote of the “embarrassing hate that flows from ignorance” while their own reporting was ignorant of several key facts. To fight the ignorance that breeds racism, the students of SLU should inform themselves of both sides of every story.
Alisha Kirby
Senior
