Jena, La...Jena, Anywhere, USA

Yes, I had my black on yesterday, but I added red to my outfit to represent the blood that has been and continues to be shed due to racism. When I first heard about the six young men I thought the punishment was a bit excessive and the more I learn I know it is a bit much. For those who think that race relations have gotten better, this is a perfect example of how flawed our legal/justice system actually is. For those who think that things like this only happen in the South, I beg to differ, this can happen anywhere. I've heard stories from people all over the U.S. who encounter racism daily.

I think what saddens me most is that the people of Jena think they don't have a race problem. First of all, because of the protest yesterday, all businesses, schools and government agencies closed and most of the residents left town. Why? That in itself speaks volumes. Second, if you are not the recipient of racism, you would not realize there's a problem. I think certain actions and thought patterns are so ingrained in most of us that we don't realize that our actions and thoughts are biased and prejudiced. Third, the origins of the assault stem from subtle actions that just boiled over. For those who think that the noose incident was a prank, read a book on lynchings such as Lynchings in Mississippi: A History, 1865-1965 by Julius E. Thompson. Those nooses were hung to intimidate other students, plain and simple. If something had been done about that incident, I guarantee things would not have gotten this far. I don't condone what the six young men did, but I can understand why...each kick represented years of mistreatment and injustice for African Americans.

I'm not a fan of Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, but I think they've done an excellent job as leaders in the protest of the treatment of the Jena 6. For those who don't know what has happened or have only "heard" stories, read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jena_Six