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Jena Six 9/20/2007 4:06:22 PM
Ok, am I missing something here? I am not sure that it matters what color the skin is of the six men who beat another man and almost killed him. Does it really matter? These six young men brutilized another young man and now they are saying they shouldnt be taken to trial because they are black and the young man was white and was taunting them with racial slurs?
It seems to me that the Rev Jackson, who was with Dr. King when he was protesting against racial inequality didnt listen to the man he says he respects more than anyone living or dead. I quote:
"But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. "
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. "
Well ladies and gentlemen, these six young men are now being judged by the "content of their character" not because of the color of their skin.
Just because someone yells racial remarks at you, does not give you the right to almost kill them, no matter what color you are. It seems to me the ONLY way that someone could bring race into this would be if the six young men were white and they DIDNT go to jail for what they did. Now, you would have a case for racial injustice.
Somehow, based on Dr. King's words, I don't think he would be standing side by side with Rev Jackson and Rev Sharpton. Somehow, I believe he would be speaking directly to these young men and encouraging them to "rise about the fray" and not to bring themselves down to the level of those who hurl insults at them and encouraging all of us to do the same.
