"Mommy, this place is RACIST!"

So I get a call from my college sophomore daughter last week.

“Mommy, I attended a forum last night. Have you heard of the Jena 6?”

“No honey, I haven’t.”

So she goes on to explain to me about these six black male teenagers who’ve been arrested and charged with attempted murder for jumping a white male teenager. I listen quietly and respond with, “Hmm.” Translation: okay, so now I know; thanks for the information.

“Mommy! Doesn’t that bother you? Isn’t it upsetting?”

“No, not really.”

“How can you say that?!”

“It’s an unfortunate situation, Twinkle. But I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that it’s upsetting me. Life is filled with good and bad, fair and unfair. These types of scenarios were going on long before you were born.”

Needless to say, my daughter became irritated with me. When I suggested we change the topic and talk about more pleasant things, she feigned off, citing homework and studies.

Unlike my daughter, I take the media with loads of salt grains. I spent several hours researching the Jena news story in preparation for writing this blog.

To the families and parents involved with this case, my heart goes out to you. To the citizens of Jena, my heart goes out to you too for all the labels, scapegoating and stereotyping your hometown will endure compliments of the media while this unfolds.

To my readers, here’s what I think about these unfortunate events stemming from the racial tension catalyzed by some bullies at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana. The story goes, in September 2006 several black students sat under a tree on school grounds that was previously laid claim to by the white high school students in recent years. The next day upon their arrival to school Jena students were greeted by three empty nooses hanging from that tree.

The guilty parties were suspended for three days. In the months to follow tensions among the students would increase and more incidents requiring discipline would ensue. According to reports, in December 2006, a white male student, Justin Barker, was jumped by six black male students. As a result, Barker suffered bruises from kicks to his body while laying unconscious on the ground and lacerations on and around his face. He spent several hours being tended to in the local hospital’s emergency unit.

Drawing the highest bail was 16 year old Mychal Bell, his bond set at $90,000. Now 17, Bell was eventually convicted of second degree aggravated assault. The initial charges (trumped up by over-zealous and obviously not without some racial bias himself, DA, Reed Walters) included attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Bell has been sitting in jail since his arrest last December whilst his lawyers work to get the conviction thrown out so that he may be retried as a juvenile instead of adult on the charge of aggravated battery.

As the mother of two teenagers, here’s what I knew instantly upon learning of this story. None of the young men involved in these incidents – from the noose-hangers to the hapless victim to the punks who jumped one kid – were innocent angels. According to student reports, Barker (the kid who was jumped) was targeted because of racial slurs he and friends were taunting black students with in previous weeks. Of course, that is NOT an excuse to beat him up.

Listen up people: DO NOT LET THIS INCIDENT FOOL YOU INTO FURTHER DIVISION OF THE RACES.

There are PLENTY of Jena citizens, BLACK AND WHITE, who are experiencing peaceful, productive, and cooperative living with one another. Their kids are not getting caught up in scrapes like these. The only people who are gabbing it up for the media are the opportunists. Most of the Jena citizens are feeling too humiliated and embarrassed to talk with reporters.

Racial divide keeps certain people in jobs. Hmm… let me see…. Oh yeah! Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to name a couple. And I don’t have time to explain how the continued division of the races improve economics for the wealthy as well as the government. Let’s not forget about the media whose job it is to fan the flames, beat the drums, get people hollering so that ultimately they tune in and stay tuned. Economics, here also.

On a last note, here’s something you should know about Mychal Bell before one of you decide to join the throngs of rabble-rousers with your picket sign. While it’s noted that he’s an honor student and a football star on the school’s team, he also has a juvenile offense record of four adjudications, two of them for battery. At the time of his arrest he was on probation.

That said, be reminded, the residue of racism exists in places all over this country. But it is not an accurate reflection of how most of us are living. Twinkle, we'll just have to agree to disagree until you increase your life experiences and grow up a little more.

Eyes wide open, icanseeclearlynow