Jena 6

Before the Jena 6 case I believed the issue of racism was only being kept alive by black leaders like Al Sharpton seeking attention instead of truth. I don’t know what this town is like but anyplace which establishes a racial boundary within a school definitely has a problem. I can put myself in the shoes of those black students being told repeatedly they were not allowed and I can feel the rage within me starting to boil.

We have two different issues to discuss in the Jena 6 case. First of all, we have a racist community and secondly we have a criminal justice system which also needs an overhaul.

There are changes which need to me made in this town and others like it to help eliminate racism. Common sense tells us that having a racial boundary is not a good idea so the adults which allowed this behavior (I’m talking about the school administrators and any other adult working for the government which allowed this behavior) should all be fired. The new administrators should promote healing by encouraging all races to participate in a school function dedicated to eliminating all racial boundaries.

You will never be able to completely erase racism in towns like Jena in the parents of the children but you can train the teachers, the administrators, the police, and everyone else within the local government to instill a better attitude within the kids. Show the kids how ridiculous, irresponsible, and hurtful racism can be and then teach them how to be more accepting of everyone. This would be a good start to help in the healing.

The second issue which is the criminal justice system is more complicated. I don’t believe it to be a racial system but I do believe there is a bias according to the class of defendants. This bias is built into the system by giving the best lawyers to the state or the richer defendants. Poorer individuals often do not have a chance in proving their innocence because their lawyer is inadequate. Public defenders are often over-worked and unprepared for their case load and it reflects by the number of poorer people in jail.

We all know if O.J Simpson was a middle class man he would have easily been convicted. His trial was little to do with race but everything to do with money. If everyone could afford his defense team no one would be in jail. I’ve heard Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson complaining how the criminal justice system is a racist system but instead of pointing the finger at race they should be arguing to even the scales of justice for everyone regardless of pocketbook. They won’t do this because they have plenty of money and want that advantage if they need it.

I have thought for many hours about our justice system but I still don’t how it can be changed so it is fair for every American regardless of money. I can tell you that I have witnessed this system first hand with the conviction of a relative. I believe our criminal justice system is worse than death. With death at least there is peace at the end but being accused of a crime and watching the loss of everything is worse.

First of all, if you are accused of a crime how can you pay for a decent lawyer when you are put in jail and either cannot afford bail or do not even get bail? You cannot work in jail so you will lose your job and eventually all of your assets will be owned by the bank which held your mortgage or other creditors. It is very easy for a middle class family to lose everything even before the trial. There is no decent defense when you are penniless so now you are at the mercy of the over-worked and unprepared public defender. Realistically you are guilty at the arraignment because now you don’t have a chance in hell. Plus you lost everything so even if god does somehow intervene and you are found innocent at the trial you have no home anyway.

The Jena 6 has exposed isolated pockets of racism in our country but the inflated charges have nothing to do with race but everything to do with a corrupt system. Trumped up charges is evidence of how our criminal justice system is abandoning justice. If you need proof just turn on Court TV or MSNBC and you’ll see inflated charges tagged across all races. Even the battle between the prosecutor and the defense has nothing to do with guilt or innocence but everything to do with political gains or money. Even the judges sentencing have more to do with politics than with justice.

On the lighter side of justice (another observation):

Our criminal justice system is so terrible if a super hero like Spiderman did exist, he would be put in jail with a very long sentence. Prosecutors, police and judges do not like people playing god, they want exclusive rights to that function especially if they have aspirations of running for public office.