THE JENA 6 RALLY
..from the perspective of the residents (media) of Jena
I think this is important for anyone who is discussing or supporting or not supporting this movement to read what the Jena Times have written regarding this incident. The site has a few articles in it. (If you are a design freak like me, be patient cause the site is crapy). The first, Officials Prepare for Rally, talks about the overwhelming police presence that will be in attendance to keep the citizens of Jena "safe". Business are closing. Schools are closing. SWAT will be present along with local and state police and sheriffs. The actual numbers are undisclosed. They also stated that because of the people traveling to Jena via buses and their own personal vehicles "The results will be a traffic nightmare that the citizens of Jena have never experienced." Really? Wow. She says under her breath. The overall tone of that article made it seem like they were preparing for the worst.
The second article discusses the charges of Michael Bell being overturned during the appeals process. It also discusses the others charged. While I would like to say that this article was an objective statement of the facts. There were tones in the writing by the author that didn't sit well. Primarily the last statement referring to a seventh student charged in connection with the incident. The author states "No information is available but sources say the seventh member of the group is another juvenile, making the Jena Seven - not the Jena Six." Sounds like a shot...was that a shot?....sounded like it. You be the judge.
The final article in the list on the front page of the Jena Times website is a Chronological recap of the events as reported in Jena. Apparently it is felt (by the author) that the national and global media has blown the incident out of proportion. They felt the need at each marker to state that no law enforcement officials were stating incidents were racially motivated. Referring to the hanging of the nooses as a "prank". Also, not racially motivated. It alludes to the fact that since the nooses were hung early and only a few students saw them, it was more or less not a big deal.
Those attending the rally please be careful. Those who are not able to be in attendance, wear black in support of the protesters on Thursday. Be informed. Be respectful. Be intelligent and articulate. Remember the reasons people are protesting and represent Black properly. Remember that the police don't really need a reason to arrest/detain you. Remember you are in the deep south and as much as you would like to forget, this incident has shown the world that things are still not equal. Please keep this demonstration peaceful, productive, and intelligent. My thoughts and best wishes are with you all.
