BEFORE you judge me on this issue, hear me out. Then rant and rave and condemn all you want, these are just the opinions I've come up with after giving the issue some serious thought.
In the context of being American, the Jena 6 issue is extremely important. It shows a double-standard in our justice system, the over-powerment of prosecutors (my father is a senior executive at this city's D.A. office and has told me that American prosecutors have way too much discretion ), and general racism in the way of our country. It is important, as an American.
However...
I am a strong advocate for the Darfur Genocide. When I see news stations spending weeks on end discussing these issues, I have no choice but to wonder why Darfur is considered of lesser importance. It can't be about race, 2 million Africans have been killed. 2 million or more are displaced, their villages literally decimated. It's genocide and it has to stop. The NAACP is ABSOLUTELY right (http://www.naacp.org/advocacy/international/darfur/), it has to stop NOW. This isn't about race, or politics, or even if helping them is ethical. In fact this is one of the only truly moral opportunities we have had to power to partake in since Rwanda (and we took 4 damn months to do anything then).
So I ask you, why does the Jena 6 matter in the light, in comparison, with this rampant genocide that only the AU has shown any force with? This issue overshadows more than Jena 6. I'm talking Anna Nicole Smith, Bill O'Reilly (I'm a fan of his, but still) being a douche to someone, or what kid Michael Jackson molested (allegedly!).
Now I know the answer is simple. Humans are tribal by nature, and things occuring in your own country seem to be more important than things in other countries.
My point of this article, in reality? Go donate some ****ing money and do what you can. The least that you can do.
WillJ said this in post #1 : BEFORE you judge me on this issue, hear me out. Then rant and rave and condemn all you want, these are just the opinions I've come up with after giving the issue some serious thought.
In the context of being American, the Jena 6 issue is extremely important. It shows a double-standard in our justice system, the over-powerment of prosecutors (my father is a senior executive at this city's D.A. office and has told me that American prosecutors have way too much discretion ), and general racism in the way of our country. It is important, as an American.
However...
I am a strong advocate for the Darfur Genocide. When I see news stations spending weeks on end discussing these issues, I have no choice but to wonder why Darfur is considered of lesser importance. It can't be about race, 2 million Africans have been killed. 2 million or more are displaced, their villages literally decimated. It's genocide and it has to stop. The NAACP is ABSOLUTELY right (http://www.naacp.org/advocacy/international/darfur/), it has to stop NOW. This isn't about race, or politics, or even if helping them is ethical. In fact this is one of the only truly moral opportunities we have had to power to partake in since Rwanda (and we took 4 damn months to do anything then).
So I ask you, why does the Jena 6 matter in the light, in comparison, with this rampant genocide that only the AU has shown any force with? This issue overshadows more than Jena 6. I'm talking Anna Nicole Smith, Bill O'Reilly (I'm a fan of his, but still) being a douche to someone, or what kid Michael Jackson molested (allegedly!).
Now I know the answer is simple. Humans are tribal by nature, and things occuring in your own country seem to be more important than things in other countries.
My point of this article, in reality? Go donate some ****ing money and do what you can. The least that you can do.
Special interest groups of all kinds take issues to further their agenda. Any hint of injustice fuels these groups so some non-issues turn into a powder keg of media attention. Not saying Jena 6 is a non-issue, but let's see how long Sharpton keeps on this cause.
Your argument holds water, Will. I see what you're saying.
There is always a bigger story. We have 8 miners that get stuck here and it's a nationwide story. 3,000 miners get stuck in South Africa and it's on page 12 for a day.
We tend to be ethnocentric when it comes to news stories. Even echoes of major news stories. I mean, when a big racial motivated crime comes from the south, you bet it's going to be on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, etc. Rich white kids allegedly rape a black woman, headline news. Rich white kids allegedly rape a white woman, no one blinks an eye.
HECK! said this in post #3 : Special interest groups of all kinds take issues to further their agenda. Any hint of injustice fuels these groups so some non-issues turn into a powder keg of media attention. Not saying Jena 6 is a non-issue, but let's see how long Sharpton keeps on this cause.
Your argument holds water, Will. I see what you're saying.
There is always a bigger story. We have 8 miners that get stuck here and it's a nationwide story. 3,000 miners get stuck in South Africa and it's on page 12 for a day.
We tend to be ethnocentric when it comes to news stories. Even echoes of major news stories. I mean, when a big racial motivated crime comes from the south, you bet it's going to be on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, etc. Rich white kids allegedly rape a black woman, headline news. Rich white kids allegedly rape a white woman, no one blinks an eye.
-HECK!
WE have many people who can speak for US, Rev Al is not the only one. You can't know that because FOX inflenced media will not give air time.
You see what Will is saying because he is preaching to the choir. There is no way anybody with a soul can justify what was done.
What happen to the media coverage of the conservative Utah miner? The story just vanish. The people who were injured in the recovery, why haven't we seen any pics?
Because the world changes quick, news corps tend to keep up with the current affairs thats the way it is if we stuck with asll the older stopries that are unresolved then your nightly news would be about 6 hours long.
Oh and I agree with Will Darfur is more important than Jena easily more important
I'm sorry for the rant topic, I posted it while fairly angry about the issue. I also need to make a couple of changes to my post and thought it'd be better to show them than just slip them into an edit.
1) Darfur has not had 2 million official deaths. This is just a general estimate of some people. The official death count has reached 400,000. The 2 million displaced remark remains though.
2) "WE have many people who can speak for US, Rev Al is not the only one. You can't know that because FOX inflenced media will not give air time."
Malcom is absolutely right, I generalized with this comment. While I'm no Sharpton fan, there are a lot of good people out there trying to fight racism here in the states without a double-standard.
3) Bill O'Reilly remains a douche. I'm sorry, I love his show (I really do, that's not a joke), but he can be a total douche.
"Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord."
"Judge not, let you be judged yourself."
I live my life highly accordingly to these two quotes, and pray I'm never wronged to the point of forgetting them.
10-10-2007 04:08 AM
