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Exposing Bigotry

Submitted by Mike, Sep 20, 2007 13:18

Mr. McWhorter has no problems exposing the Jena prosecutor as a bigot, based on the facts as he sees them. Among the facts that inform his exposure is the fact that half of American prisoners are black, and their percentage in the population is "10 and change."

While I agree with his sentiments about the War on Drugs, to imply that the high number of black prisoners is evidence of bigotry and racism in the country and the immoral drug war is to ignore the mounds of data which indicate that historically, blacks commit violent crimes at rates much higher than whites.

A gimlet-eyed view of statistics generated solely from victim descriptions (thereby mooting arguments about racist cops, prosecutors, and juries) will end in a realization that the large numbers of black prisoners could rationally be a result of black crime rates only. Such statistics are hard to find, unfortunately, but the are compiled by the Justice department, and the consistency of the numbers, year after year, decade after decade, and the comparison with the similar rates exhibited by statistics of conviction and incarceration, lead to disquieting realizations.

My point being that the the mere recognition of racial imbalance in the prisoner population should not be allowed to stand as prima facia evidence of bigotry.

In the specific case in Jena, the existence of prior arrests of Mychal Bell for assault could be read as either further evidence of a racist prosecutor, or of a greater tendency to violent crime among the black population, depending on your subjective view of the reason for the high black incarceration rate.

My own perspective is that the victim here was actually knocked unconscious early in the attack. I use the word attack, because 6 on 1 is not a fair fight, it should not be called a fight. Nor should it be termed "misbehavior," the word Mr. McWhorter uses. Then, after being knocked unconscious, he was kicked in the head! You may have seen people knocked unconscious before. Can you imagine anyone more vulnerable? What kind of viciousness is evident in the behavior of the attackers, who continued to pummel and stomp on an single unconscious individual?

Mr. McWhorter states that the victim was instigating the violence with race-baiting language. I know the parents of the Jena 6 have claimed this, but was it actually brought out in trial? I'm unaware of this, and I think it unlikely that any single man would engage in this kind of race-baiting when faced with six potential attackers.

What should the prosecutor do with an individual who was being arrested for previous assaults, who is then involved in the gang stomping of an individual recently beaten into unconsiousness?

I understand the victim was not seriousy injured, but could the stompers have known that as they kicked an unconscious individual? It's the violence of their behavior that needs to be addressed, not the end results.

Mr. McWhorter makes some fine comments about the difference between mean behavior and violent behavior. I agree the mature and more effective response the nooses would have been to ignore them and continue to sit under the tree. And I do agree that racism taints justice, I just don't think incarceration rates are enough to point to.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
Yes, racism is rampant in the United States with the Blacks receiving the short-end of justice. Be that as it... [MORE]	julia	Oct 17, 2007 12:07
This is not a case about black prisoners or black outh culture. This about a double standard and a DA... [MORE]	Mindy	Sep 23, 2007 21:39
I agree with most of your assertions, aside from your claim that six white boys would not have been punished... [MORE]	Tom	Sep 21, 2007 12:24
The idea that America remains racist is simply an excuse for minorities to claim victimhood. Institutionalized racism is a thing... [MORE]	Dan from Atlanta	Sep 21, 2007 12:13
In any society, the large majority of violent crimes will be committed by 1) men, 2) the poor, and 3)... [MORE]	D.J. Leslie	Sep 21, 2007 09:02
From the article: "The Jena story, it must be said, does not show the school's black teens in their best light.... [MORE]	David	Sep 21, 2007 04:26
The day after the nooses appeared, the principal of the school, the mayor, and the police chief should have gathered... [MORE]	Clifford Billions	Sep 20, 2007 23:41
One kid on the ground while several kids try kicks to his head is a serious assault which could be... [MORE]	guthriej	Sep 20, 2007 22:59
I agree with most of what you said, but I disagree about the noose incident just being a prank. I... [MORE]	John	Sep 20, 2007 16:46
I don't know if Rev. Sharpton is going to help this cause. I don't recall him asking for a Congressional... [MORE]	Carol	Sep 20, 2007 16:44
What I find amazingly disturbing is the fact that the stunt with the nooses is even brought in to this... [MORE]	David	Sep 20, 2007 16:27
I am almost 68 years old and I have seen the whole spectrum of racial divisiveness this country can produce... [MORE]	Jim	Sep 20, 2007 16:08
Al Sharpton has zero credibility. He is a fraud and has no business in LA. The Tawana Brawley case will... [MORE]	Bob Henkel	Sep 20, 2007 16:08
Do you think one could dismiss the hanging of nooses in Jena High school as a joke especially given the... [MORE]	Siva	Sep 20, 2007 13:35
Mr. McWhorter has no problems exposing the Jena prosecutor as a bigot, based on the facts as he sees them....	Mike	Sep 20, 2007 13:18
What is the citation for this assertion? [MORE]	jonwash	Sep 26, 2007 16:34
As a member of a minority group (be it not an official minority) I can tell you that there is... [MORE]	Aryeh	Sep 20, 2007 12:41
I'm not buying it. I love how people jump to conclusions about what the justice system WOULD do if it... [MORE]	John Snyder	Sep 20, 2007 11:24
I take exception to this statement: "Beating another person is NEVER permissable" The notion that all manner of harms can be... [MORE]	Marty Lund	Sep 20, 2007 15:10
This article leaves out very important icidents that happened between the time the nooses were put in the tree and... [MORE]	Darrell	Sep 20, 2007 11:18
I wondered why the facts Darrell mentioned were omitted. All of the missing events were catalyst for the unfortunate outcome.... [MORE]	Toni	Sep 20, 2007 16:38
I don't consider hanging nooses on the tree a "prank". It was definitely sending a message. [MORE]	Celeste Dwyer	Sep 20, 2007 11:07
Okay, I agree that there was over charging in this case. So here's my question, Mr. McWhoter: Is it okay... [MORE]	James Skora	Sep 20, 2007 09:14
Hello John: Just a short comment to say that you are so correct in your commentary. This case is one where... [MORE]	David M. Bethune	Sep 20, 2007 08:53
I know it's not polite to mention, but black people are not 50 percent of the prison population simply because... [MORE]	Notashamed	Sep 20, 2007 13:18
Nooses and assaults are not pranks. One is a hate crime the other a felony. 6 on 1 could be... [MORE]	John Bailo	Sep 20, 2007 02:54
I'm glad I'm Asian because that means I won't conjure images of the Holocaust or southern racism when I see... [MORE]	Kit	Sep 20, 2007 14:02

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