Well, of course "Actions by black students were treated more harshly than actions by white students." It's Louisiana for God's sake, and "Bubba" rules. Integration may have been mandated years ago but the prejudice still stands in lots of places in the South. So it cuts both ways, sometimes,like the charges against the LaCross players (white boys) accused of raping a black girl. Race should NOT be an issue but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Until people get over the "color" thing (both ways) injustice will prevail.

"The attack on Barker was the latest incident in a series of conflicts between white and black students sparked when black students found three hangman's nooses dangling from a tree on school property."

That, by definition, is a hate crime (and the definition can be found on the FBI website). The FBI is charged with investigating hate crimes. Why are they not investigating this one? Why have the perpetrators not been brought to justice?

There are so many details missing from this story.

So called civil rights leaders excusing criminal behaviors by individuals just because those individuals are black? Umm, how shocking. If these "leaders" really wanted to help the black community (and all society in general), they would condemn criminal actions perpetrated by anyone, regardless of skin color. Those six criminal thugs should be imprisoned for a long time for gang assaulting an innocent person. Notice I didn't say "black thugs" and "innocent white person." I'm color blind when it comes to crime and punishment, unlike the pathetic "leaders" in your article.

Some white guys beat up Mexicans for no reason in San Diego. They go prison time. 6 blacks against 1 white. Sounds about right. They should do some time.

if it was reversed they would face life sentences get real make justice fair give them all six life

Any action such as this one is a hate crime.Just because the bad actors were black does not make this kind of action any thing less. so yes LetsKeepItReal you are not correct.

Okay, but should these kids be getting charged with aggravated battery, landing them in serious prison time even though this was a school-yard jumping, basically.

We all know what high school was like. There were fights, kids got beat up. That's what happened here.

GET SOME JUSTICE! WHAT IN THE SAM HENRY "HADES" IS THE DOJ DOING? THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE.

No one is condoning what happened. A crime was committed. What IS being questioned, though, is the disparity of punishment. Aggravated Assault? When the victim was basically uninjured beyond the usual bumps and bruises. That is a problem. Justice has to be equal if it is to be respected. Prior to the assault by the black kids, some white kids assualted a black kid at a party. The white kids were tried, convicted and given probation. Now that is a disparity of justice. So now it's out there for all the world to see. Truth, justive and the America Way? not if you're black and living in Jena, Louisanna...

These kids are all still young enough that they must be living at home. Therefore they have not ventured out into the real work-a-day world where responsible/civil behaviour is very important. If this is the case, maybe some time with a "scared stiff" program, and community service working as assistants to adult leaders with a youth counseling program might be a better idea. If behaviour like this happens again, then give them some jail time if the crime is serious enough.

A noose hanging from a tree. Retaliation. If they stop provoking it, the violence will stop.

You have a way with words, Dougster58.

The fact is that no one should be allowed to committ a crime and get away with it.
But, when a disparity of justice occurs respect for real justice diminishes because of what is percieved as an inability to obtain justice in the system.
Justice must be meted out without the issue of color being a determinig factor.
The DA office of LaSalle county made race an issue when the office choose to prosecutute the white perpetrators of a white on black assault with a lesser charge then the one choosen to be used against the black perpetrators of a black on white assualt.

Race has been and will always remain an issue for some in this country because they only see the superficial and not the beautiful heart and soul that dwells beneath.

I feel that the school should get in trouble for keeping campus security on sit and if they did have security where they close by to see this issue heat up slowy before it truned into this a violent act this could have been provent had the check the campess for thing that dont belong on campus could have been removed so that this young men would have got hurt.

I know I'm ignorant about this, but what does a noose hanging from a tree signify? It evidently means some racial slur? I agree with Mitch about the punishment, high schoolers are sometimes immature and don't always make the right decision, but to send him to prison for 22 years when the victim was not severely injured does not make sense.

It must be nice to be white in AMERICA. Because in America as a white person you are given mulligans, do overs and the benefit of the doubt. But as any person of color you are treated with disrespect , coldness and no sympathy or empathy. I see a double standard of justice as a Police officer, it is aggravated assault when a weapon of any type is used during a fight. I feel that if one party was treated as children, with the benefit of the doubt, then so should the other. I guess that only happens if you are white in AMERICA. Also if things pan out as they should , just like the Duke Prosecuter, This joker should be disbarred as well. Its only fair. oops I forgot, these "KIDS" are not white in AMERICA.

I love the people that are diminishing this crime. So Finch, 3 nooses hanging in a tree is, by definition, a hate crime huh? I took your suggestion and went to the FBI website. Absolutely nowhere did I find any definition whatsoever that even remotely said anything like that. If I ever saw 3 nooses in a tree, I certainly wouldn't automatically assume that it must be some sort of a heinous conspiracy to threaten or intimate an African American or deprive him of his rights. What high school did you go to Uncle Same where it was OK to beat people up? Because in the town I grew up in, that kind of thing was sort of looked down upon and any perpetrator was punished. If I were you, I'd move. And Mitch, I guess we should go easy on someone if he gang assaults an innocent victim once, but hey, if he does it twice we'll just be a little more strict then huh? Because the first victim for some reason is somehow less a human being then the second victim. In high school I still lived at home, but I still had the morals to know it wasn't OK to violently assault someone because of their race. And RNKay, if the white students were charged with a lesser crime, maybe the FACTS of that case bore out the decision to charge them with a lesser crime. That's how a crime gets charged: by whatever facts support that particular charge. To say that in every instance where two people get different charges brought against them, and they happen to be different races, is due to racism, is shear stupidity. And how do you know how hurt the victim was Deb? Because the "critics" say he only received minor injuries? Gee, I'm sure they wouldn't try at all to trivialize the injuries caused by the people they're defending. Let's have you be viciously attacked by 6 thugs for no reason and let's see how physically and psychologically hurt you are. Then let's see what sentence you think is appropriate.

Gee Kommisar, you are definitely right. It is absolutely not possible that more black people are in jail because they are guilty of more crimes. The explanation can not possibly be that simple. Instead the reason MUST be that there is a vast conspiracy in which tens of millions of racist people, including police officers, investigators, technicians, witnesses, lawyers, paralegals, prosecutors, court personnel, judges, and jurors, are all working closely together to persecute people based on their race. Of course, why didn't I see that before?

Do pay attention, informedone (sic).

Perhaps studying some history would help you understand why three nooses dangling from a tree on school property might intimidate black students. What *would* you assume about the purpose of those nooses?

My post was about the FBI not doing its job. Nowhere did I say it's all right to beat people up. It is not. That statement applies equally to people of different races, which means it was not all right for white students to beat black students with bottles and fists. Why are you trying to diminish *that* crime?

New articles aren't always accurate, duh! Drive on down to Jena LA, attend the court hearing, get the real facts folks.
Othewise, wouldn't this be pure speculation?