In Jena, 'truth' is real victim

A staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle contacted Project 21's office seeking comments for a piece he was writing about Jena, La., and a "black MoveOn" wannabe. During the interview, I asked if he had personally spoken to Donald Washington, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. He answered no, but said he had seen/heard "him on television." Which brings me to my point.

The media have failed miserably in accurately and truthfully reporting the news. And I submit the violent attack by seven black youths on one unsuspecting white youth in Jena at the end of a school lunch period as proof. That unprovoked act of barbarism had nothing to do with the noose incident that took place three months earlier. Let me explain.

The public has been led to believe that the genesis of the attack had to do with nooses found hanging on a tree at the school. They have been led to believe that racial hatred in Jena is rife and that this series of events proves it. However, the true facts provide a different reality.

On Aug. 30, 2006, "an all male school assembly at Jena High School was held. Many items were discussed including rules and policies of the school for the upcoming school year. [Toward] the end of the assembly, one black student jokingly asked Assistant Principal Gawen Burgess if black students were permitted to sit underneath the tree in the center of the campus. The question brought laughter from everyone … black and white alike. Burgess [responded] 'Don't even go there. You know you can sit anywhere you want.' [He] and the students knew the remark was made to gain laughter as a joke, not as a serious question. [More jokes followed, although not about the tree], before the lighthearted assembly was dismissed." (The Jena Times; "Chronological Order of Events Concerning 'Jena Six'"; Oct. 4, 2007.)

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The following morning two crudely constructed nylon ski rope nooses were found hanging from the tree referenced the day before. Only the students who arrived before 7:55 a.m. saw the nooses. The overwhelming majority of the students did not find out about the nooses until the following week, when media reports began to surface. The students responsible for placing the nooses were identified and removed from school with such harsh penalties as are consistent with a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior.

An extensive criminal investigation concluded there was no racial motivation behind the nooses. They were meant as a prank – the act itself being copied from a scene in a movie. The three offending students were investigated and interviewed by persons at every level of authority. The results of the investigation led everyone to the same conclusion: As hard as it may be for some to believe, the students had no understanding that nooses could be construed as an insult to some blacks. (That being said, I'm reasonably certain the descendants of those who crossed paths with Isaac Charles Parker, aka "The Hanging Judge," and Judge Roy Bean may beg to differ pursuant to who has the pre-eminent right to be offended by nooses.) Every investigator and interviewer, including those from the civil rights division of the U.S. attorney's office, reached the same conclusion. The students did not act out of hatred and were truly remorseful. They had many black friends whom they were sorry to have potentially offended.

What is not in question is the lack of remorse shown by Michael Bell and his posse. Despite the media doing their level best to foment racial tension, there were no reports of any violence or destruction from Sept. 9 to Nov. 30, 2006. But on Dec. 4, 2006, what has been described as one of the most violent attacks in Jena High School history was orchestrated by Bell and six other black students on one unsuspecting white student. From all evidence and witness statements gathered, the attack of Justin Barker by Bell, Robert Bailey and the five others had nothing whatsoever to do with, nor was it connected in any way to, the noose incident three months earlier.

According to witnesses, the seven jumped the white male, beating him unconscious, with Bell delivering the first blow. It was an unprovoked and cowardly attack. Even for the sake of argument, if Barker had done something untoward, we live in a civilized society – Bell and the others should have reported the offense to a proper authority.

But the plaintive cry has been that the white boogeyman is out to get these poor innocent black youths. The truth is not one of them is innocent. They committed an unprovoked, violent attack that could have led to a death. One can argue that it was intended to severely maim, if not kill, the victim. But that fact has been dismissed by the race mongers. The media has chosen to overlook the fact that the 16-year-old Bell has a continued history of violence as a juvenile, with at least four different arrests for violence. He was on juvenile probation during some of the arrests and was on probation when he attacked Barker.

Contrary to media accounts and protests of the cadre of usual race hustlers – including Jackson and Sharpton – it was not "just an after-school fight." It was a horrific, unprovoked act of extreme violence. There is no other way to truthfully put it. Nor was the attack in any way brought about by the noose incident. While there have been disassociated acts during the past 14 months since the noose incident, none has been related to it. Not one.

Still, the race mongers, enjoined by the media, continue to paint Jena as a hotbed of racial injustice, and portray Bell and the others as victims. The true victim in Jena is the "truth." Once again, it is the "truth" that has been kicked to the curb in favor of lies that give theater to those Magdalenians who foment immiseration and malcontent as a means of commerce.

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