The Power of the Net

Reed Walter, the LaSalle Parish, LA prosecutor is either a damn fool, a liar, or — most probably — both. For him (and the other White residents of Jena, and indeed the rest of the country) to continue to maintain, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that the genesis of the case that is generating so much controversy was not racial in beyond mind-boggling... it’s actually laughable.

There were many opportunities for community leaders in Jena to diffuse the situation before it mushroomed into this monster case that is now attracting worldwide attention, but, similar to most Whites when confronted with America’s racial past, they wanted to simply ignore the storm clouds that continued to gather.

To briefly recap the series of events, the case began last when a new Black student at the mostly White high school (Jena is 87 percent White and 13 percent Black) asked if he could sit under the White Tree,” which had historically been reserved for Whites only. The principal responded that he could sit anywhere he wanted, but after the Black student proceeded to do so, three White youths hung three nooses (in school colors no less) from the tree. The principal moved to expel the White youths (and a case could be made that they should have been prosecuted for perpetrating a hate crime) but the superintendent and all-White school board reversed the decision and reduced the punishment to an “in-school” suspension... whatever the hell that is. The youths were technically suspended, but were still allowed to go to classes.

When Black members of the football team protested the very light slap on the wrist by holding a silent rally under the tree, the Whites in Jena freaked out. Their “Negroes” were getting uppity and they simply were not going to stand for that... no-sir-ree Bob, as the good ‘ol boys like to say. An assembly was held, and Walters, looking directly at the Black students (which was easy to do since seating in the auditorium is segregated), waved his pen in the air and said, "With a stroke of this pen, I can make your life disappear."

In other words he was telling them — backed by the power of law mind you — to get back on the reservation, to continue to accept the status quo, which in the case of Jena means Jim Crow. To continue to accept things as they always have been — racist.

Things seemingly quieted down, but like in many cities and towns in America, the racial caldron was bubbling just beneath the surface; it wouldn’t take much of a spark to set it off. A series if fist-fights broke out between Black and White students, but only the Black participants were ever sanctioned. The fight which caused attempted murder charges to be brought against the six Black students (remember Walters waving that prosecutorial pen...? he fulfilled his threat) never should have happened. The animosities should have been addressed in the town before they escalated to the point of violence... even juvenile violence. And, if the Black students had a beef with the White student there should have been a one-on-one fight, not six on one. They were wrong, and should be punished, but punished for what it was -- basically a schoolyard fight. The White kid went to a school dance that evening, so he certainly wasn’t hurt enough for attempted murder changes to be filed.

At bottom this is a case about unequal justice... something Blacks have been faced with in America since landing on these shores in 1619. But it is also about something more —the potential to use technology to change things in America. Quite simply the march on Jena would not have happened (or certainly would have been much, much smaller than the 30,000 Blacks and Whites that came from all parts of the country, in addition to the marches that were held in literally hundreds of cities and towns across the U.S.) if not for the Internet. I personally received dozens of emails in the months and weeks leading up to the march, and if I had not been previously committed to attending a critical meeting with a client of my consulting business, I would have at least covered the march as a journalist, if I didn’t put down my writing pad and tape recorder, donned a black shirt, and marched right along. This could very well be the dawning of a new Internet-driven civil rights era in America.

The Whites in Jena have been vociferous in denying they are racists. I can imagine them saying, “After all they really were fairly small nooses.” And in their own minds they probably are being honest; they actually believe their own brand of homegrown BS. The simple fact is, no one wants to see themselves in a bad light... even Hitler didn’t think himself a monster. But the muted silence from the Whites in Jena when the nooses first were hung is all the proof needed — if they were not racists they would have spoken out, and spoken out strongly. But no one White did.

Over the years I’ve come to have a convoluted form of sympathy for racists. You see, we all had imperfect upbringings, but part of becoming an adult is to do a critical self-examination and try to correct the deficiencies and mistakes made by our parents and the inculcating of surrounding culture.

But dyed-in-the-wool racists are either too dumb or too cowardly to say to themselves that their parents raised them wrong. In effect, they still are children, so how can I be mad at ‘ol Billy-Bob when it’s like being mad at a child, or someone with mental retardation? Poor thing, he can’t help himself. We’ll just have to wait for the old rednecks to die off, and pray that not too many new ones take their place.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com

 (:divend:)