Interview of 2 of Jena 6 - maced in jail - reaction to nooses

[Anita Garcia]

Democracy Now has interview of two of the Jena 6.

They talk about being maced in jail and their thoughts upon seeing the nooses hanging in the tree at the high school in Jena.

<http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/05/1422246>

Excerpt:
DAVID GOODMAN: What happens when you get maced? What does it feel like?

THEO SHAW: I got asthma. I couldn't breathe.

ROBERT BAILEY: It took them forever to come back there. I had to holler like thirty times. You know, you bang on the wall if they’re spraying, so I’m banging on walls. “He can’t breathe! He can’t breathe!” So I’m like kicking ’em, kicking ’em. I’m kicking the wall and jumping in front of the camera. “Hey, what you want?” They gonna spray me, so I’m running like, you know, “He’s got asthma.” They weren’t going to believe us at first. I don’t know.

. . . .
THEO SHAW: ’Cuz it wasn’t no prank. It was a threat.

AMY GOODMAN: Robert, what did you think about the nooses?

ROBERT BAILEY: I don't know. I was mad. Everybody was mad about the nooses.

AMY GOODMAN: What did they mean to you?

ROBERT BAILEY: The first thing came to mind was the KKK. I don't know why, but that was the first thing that came to my head. I used to always think the KKK chase black people on horses, and they catch you with rope. I don't know why I was thinking like that, but that was the first thing that came to my head.

[bluestateguy]

1. Were the people who hung the nooses ever caught and punished?

nt

[backscatter712]

2. Caught, yes. Punished, no.

The school superintendent dismissed the nooses as a "silly prank." The kids that hung the nooses got three days suspension. That's it.

:mad:

[hootinholler]

4. Suspension is punishment.

:grr:

-Hoot

Do I need the sarcasm tag?

[backscatter712]

5. Technically, yes.

But wouldn't you agree that a three day suspension for a racially motivated death threat is a total slap on the wrist?

They should have been expelled and jailed.

[hootinholler]

6. Apparently I did need the sarcasm tag. n/t

[hootinholler]

3. That was the first thing that came to my mind too...

But I know why, history.

-Hoot