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Presidential Candidate Barack Obama Speaks on Jena 6..Any Other Candidates Wanna Comment?
Earlier this week Senator Barack Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took advantage of the opportunity offered by the producers of the nationally syndicated radio program “The Michael Baisden Show”, to comment on the ongoing case of high school students in Jena, Louisiana who have been charged with murder for a high school fight. The fight was precipitated by white students hanging nooses from the branches of a tree on the school campus in response to the black students sitting under the tree formerly known as “The Tree of Knowledge”. The tree was considered for many years to be the gathering place for “whites only”.
One of the 6 young men charged, has been convicted for attempted murder. The weapon he used is a tennis shoe. He faces more than 20 years behind bars.
This is what the senator had to say:
“When nooses are being hung in high schools in the 21st century, it’s a tragedy. It shows that we still have a lot of work to do as a nation to heal our racial tensions. This isn’t just Jena’s problem; it’s America’s problem.”
“There are a number of signs that the system is not working in this case. It’s a problem when criminal charges are brought against some students for fighting, but not others. It’s a problem when a public defender doesn’t call any witnesses. And it’s a problem when a prosecutor decides to try teenagers as adults for a school fight, a charge that could leave them in jail for the majority of their lives. That is why I join my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in calling on the judge to consider all the relevant factors and calling on the District Attorney to drop the excessive charges brought in this case. And I, along with other members of the CBC, will continue to monitor this case closely.”
“Going forward, we have to fix our criminal justice system. Whether it’s Jena 6 or Genarlow Wilson, it’s long past time for us to admit that we have more work to do to ensure that our criminal justice system is fair. We must ensure that both victims and defendants can receive equal justice under the law, regardless of race, wealth, or other circumstances.”
We wonder when or if any other candidates, Dems or Republican, will make a comment about this controversial and important current legal case taking place in Louisiana. Clinton?Paul? McCain? Romney?Edwards? We can not presume you are opposed to the excessive prosecution taking place in Louisiana. You must speak plainly to us about this matter. Tell us your position.
Governor Blanco where are you on this matter?In our opinion your silence makes you complicit in this terrible injustice.
President George Walker Bush, what say you?
In our opinion your silence is a signal to perpetuate this kind of offensive blatant racist behavior toward black and minority youth.
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