[Cobnat]

Okay. I think I'm going to get a hell of a lot of flack for this. But anyone that actually knows me knows that I am about the least racist person in the world.

HOWEVER: All of this hype surrounding the "Jena Six" is really starting to bother me. No one's really looking at all of the big picture here. This article sums it up well: http://msn.foxsports...r/story/7170510

Yes, I'm against racism. No, I don't think they should get murder charges. But the fact is, SIX tough, strong dudes ganged up on one guy, beating him even after he was unconscious on the floor. They could have killed him. And it was pretty much unrelated to the noose incident (until they got the idea to make it related, causing a media uproar). This white kid had nothing to do with that, as far as anyone knows. But everyone's all like, "Dude, nooses from the 'white tree' and then the black kids are getting charged for something they did wrong!" And then want the group of 6 to get off completely scot-free??? I don't think so.

So many people are following the media craze to support the Jena Six in a way that I don't think is fair. Anyone have any thoughts, here?

I have no idea why this was turned into a racial issue in the united states, maybe because Americans are way to PoCo. My point of view is that even if he did put nooses up on the tree, he has this right called FREEDOM OF SPEECH that people seem to be forgetting, there is no FREEDOM TO GANGBASH SOMEONE in the constitution I believe. This is not about race, this is about six guys beating the crap out of one guy. If they were white and they beat up a black kid for any reason, it would still be six guys beating the crap out of one guy. Put the violent fuckers in prison were they can work off their anger. This brings me to another point, screw hate crimes and all that crap. If a someone attacks someone else then it is assault, if one person is a different colour then the other it shouldn’t make a difference, assault is assault regardless of what the reason.

[Spoon Poetic]

Actually the noose thing would not be protected under the First Amendment's right to "freedom of speech." But I'll let you look that kind of thing up yourself as I'm tired of having to explain all the court cases and limitations that the amendment has.

[Otal Nimrodi]

My point of view is that even if he did put nooses up on the tree, he has this right called FREEDOM OF SPEECH that people seem to be forgetting, there is no FREEDOM TO GANGBASH SOMEONE in the constitution I believe.

I have to cite the case of Tinker V Des Moines. Although it was ruled in that case that the student HAD freedom of speech regarding wearing black armbands to school, it was ruled that freedom of speech was limited to a student if it disrupted the educational process, that is, basically, if it caused a great disturbance.

There were already racial tensions in the area. Nooses could not be hung from that tree, under the first amendment.

If there are no tensions, for example, it's perfectly legitimate to wear a confederate flag on a T-shirt. If there is a high level of racial tensions, it could be, depending on the EXACT amount, not at all legitimate to even wear a Dukes of Hazzard shirt that featured the General Lee.

Do you see what I'm saying?

[Cobnat]

So if, say, a group of protestors come out to protest something the government has done and then got into a fight with police, then the courts could rule that they are not allowed to speak their minds the next day as it might inflame tensions?

[Mirithorn]

No, he only applied that reasoning to an educational setting and disrupts the educational process. Protests are sanctioned under the first amendment, but not highly disruptive ones one school grounds, which hanging nooses on a tree most definitely was.

[Cobnat]

Another reason why schools should not be mandatory. Though this debate isn’t about free speech or about hate crimes (sorry for pushing it into that direction). We are debating at what level of ludicrousness this situation is in.

This post has been edited by Cobnat: 15 October 2007 - 10:45 PM

[z e w b]

Or maybe parents should teach their retarded children not to beat up other children for stupid reasons, like for instance, a bit of rope hanging from a tree.

[z e w b]

But zewb! That rope symbolizes years of racial prejudice and blah blah blah blah blah!

[z e w b]

Shut up, zewb, you overly-sensitive ninny.

[Slade]

... If you debate with yourself again, I will have to slap you.