Home » Crime, Discrimination, Jena 6, Racism

Something I Don’t Understand About the “Jena 6” Case

30 September 2007 4 Comments

There is news — long-awaited news, in fact — that the 17-year-old at the center of the “Jena 6” controversy in Lousiana, has finally been released from jail on a $45,000 bond after ten months.

Mychal Bell’s release came a week after 20,000 protesters from across the country, including well-known civil rights activists like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, converged on the tiny Louisiana town of Jena.

USA Today reports that the $45,000 bail was posted by a Lake Charles, Louisiana man who doesn’t know Mychael Bell.

Moments after his release, Bell appeared at a news conference in front of the courthouse, flanked by his parents, attorneys, Shapton, Martin Luther King III and supporters.

Here’s what I don’t understand:  why did it take a complete stranger from Lake Charles, at this late date, to post Bell’s bail?  Where were Jackson and Sharpton’s checkbooks?  If you’re going to lead protests about what you describe as a blatant injustice, why do you allow that injustice to continue by letting Bell sit in jail while you do television appearances?  Isn’t that, in the most generous terms, allowing a bad situation to continue?

4 Comments »

  • Rick said:

    There’s alot I don’t understand about what’s transpired, and about what the ideas for real reconciliation lack.

    # 30 September 2007 at 1:56 pm
  • Robin said:

    Great question Patrick! I’d be interested to hear the “excuses” as to why Jesse, Al and all the other civil rights folks weren’t first in line to post Mychal’s bail.

    Robin in Texas

    # 1 October 2007 at 1:11 pm
  • TMJ said:

    AMEN! I have been wondering the same. Why didn’t those two loud mouths put their money where there mouths are???

    # 1 October 2007 at 4:51 pm
  • donna in TEXAS said:

    Because they don’t give a crap about the kids they are just attention seekers…they just like to see there name in the news…
    big whimps…

    # 3 October 2007 at 5:17 pm

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