There's No Shade Now

I can't believe it's 2007 and not 1956 when I hear stories like the one coming out of Jena, Louisiana. The fact that overt, and even covert acts of racism are still so widely perpetrated makes me wonder if, for all our talk of uniting this country, we are as far apart as we ever were.

You've heard the story. A black high school student in Jena asked a school administrator if he could sit under the "whites only" shade tree on campus. He was told he could sit wherever he wanted to (the fact he had to ask is troubling enough). The next day, three nooses were hanging from the tree. I don't care how narrow minded you are, that sends a clear message. The white teens responsible for sending that message were suspended for three days and that was the end of that, since the D.A. decided not to prosecute those knot tying fanatics. Later a white teen was beaten by six black teens, dubbed the "Jena Six". He was treated and released from the hospital, attended a school function that night, and then the circus came to town ensuring that no one would be able to sit under the big tree without being caught in the media spotlight.

The D.A., showing more questionable judgment than O.J. in a Vegas hotel charged the six with attempted murder. One of the six was convicted, but the sentence was overturned because a higher court found that he shouldn't have been tried as an adult. He was later convicted, as was another defendant of aggravated battery. The D.A. defended his decision not to prosecute the white teens by saying he could not find any Louisiana law that they had broken. That's good news for all you practicing racists out there. You can hang nooses while enjoying a little etouffee down on the Bayou without fear of the man stepping on your red neck. In the slimmest of defense for the D.A., he did say that hanging the nooses was a "villainous act" and that the people who did it should be ashamed. Well there you go. How much more punishment do you want? A stern tongue lashing seems appropriate. He also said that this was not a case about race. Wow, I think he needs to go sit under a shade tree, he's obviously overheated.

My only problem with the protests that are going on now is that black leaders seem to be completely negating the black teens responsibility for beating the white teen. There should be no doubt that the people responsible for the nooses should have been charged with something. I'm not Perry Mason, but I'm sure in the annals of Jurist Prudence there has to be something to cover this. That being said, the black teens did commit a crime. Was it "attempted murder"? Again, I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think so. I think what is being lost in a lot of the rhetoric is the concept of equal justice. It has definitely not been served here, but to try to erase the culpability of the "Six" is just as irresponsible. Despite all the protestations from the citizens of Jena, this has become a race issue, or maybe it hasn't become anything. It's just another case of disparity and discrimination that has been trying to stay in the shadows.

On a lighter note. Try to listen to the big show on WGN. We'll be covering everything from "Banned Book Week" to the "Overnight Arcade" and we might even have an amusing tale from Nature. Plus my new producer Lindsey promises some new production elements. That sounds fun right? You won't know unless you listen. Have a great weekend. Later....Brian