(Crossposted in the Cottonmouth Press)
As some of you may know about me, I have deep family ties in Jena, La. Both my parents were born and raised there, and I still have a lot of relatives there. I am white, and I am appalled at the conduct of the powers that be in perpetuating a dual system of justice in Jena. As you can imagine, I'm Googling the news for Jena every day.
Reed Walters, the Distric Attorney of LaSalle Parish, La., has an op-ed that just appeared in the New York Times online for publication in tomorrow's paper. In it he attempts to explain the decisions he's made as a prosecutor in the Jena 6 case.
While some who are inclined to agree with him might find his op-ed an articulate and convincing self-defense, its omissions are glaring.
Here are a few excerpts from Walters' op-ed:
Conjure the image of schoolboys fighting: they exchange words, clench fists, throw punches, wrestle in the dirt until classmates or teachers pull them apart. Of course that would not be aggravated second-degree battery, which is what the attackers are now charged with. (Five of the defendants were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder.) But that’s not what happened at Jena High School.
Fine, Mr. Walters, but that doesn't explain why they were first charged with attempted second-degree murder. The blatant overcharging of these kids is a huge part of what set this whole thing off. That you subsequently came to your senses and found slightly more appropriate charges is too little, too late.
Now, about those nooses:
I cannot overemphasize how abhorrent and stupid I find the placing of the nooses on the schoolyard tree in late August 2006. If those who committed that act considered it a prank, their sense of humor is seriously distorted. It was mean-spirited and deserves the condemnation of all decent people.
But it broke no law. I searched the Louisiana criminal code for a crime that I could prosecute. There is none.
Point taken. But the fact is that these morons were barely punished at ALL. Maybe that's not your fault, but it's part of the overall narrative here.
And I'll bet the Louisiana criminal code has something to say about pulling a shotgun with a pistol grip at a convenience store, yet the white dude who did that wasn't prosecuted - hell, he wasn't even arrested. Instead, the kids he pulled the gun on were charged with second-degree battery, assault, disturbing the peace and theft of the weapon after wrestling it away from him in self-defense. Why? Because the white guy felt "threatened."
And what about Justin Sloan, the guy who attacked one of the black students with a bottle at a party? Charged with simple battery and given probation.
Yes, "Free the Jena 6" has become a rallying cry around this whole sorry mess, but I'm not sure even the protesters believe the six should get out of jail free if they were involved in the attack on Justin Barker.
It's just that so many others ought to be going to jail as well.
Mr. Walters, I certainly hope that there are enough fair-minded people in Jena that they will find someone to challenge you in the next election, someone who won't bring further shame on Jena. I can only hope you're feeling that fear and that's why you've finally decided to attempt to explain yourself.
But it's too late for that. It's time for you to find another line of work.