A Bowl of Rice

Several days ago, bloggers from all over the Internet came together to speak out against the tragic, yet almost predictable treatment of the Jena Six. Since then, the story seems to have gained attention in the mainstream media, and news networks like CNN have even gone so far as to craft titles like: A Miscarriage of Justice? While I take heart in knowing that public awareness on this issue has been increased, more questions have sprung up in my mind regarding not only the Jena Six, but also racism, and the American judicial system.

I would like to point out the veiled logic that is implied through the statement: "A Miscarriage of Justice." A miscarriage is what occurs when a mother is trying to give birth, and the pregnancy is terminated prematurely. To me this implies that justice in America is like a child that has not yet been born. Full of hope and promise, it rests gestating in our collective womb, kicking now and again to let us know it is alive, yet sadly, more often than not, the child aborts itself. I don't know whether to applaud CNN for finally getting it right, or shake my head in frustration at the biased corruption present in the American legal system.

Additionally, while analyzing the "all white jury" dynamic present in the first Jena Six trial, I'd like to try and explain why this is considered a bad thing. If America was not a sanctuary for racism, then it would not matter what the color or ethnicity of any member, of any jury, was or should be. A fair trial would not be measured on the presence, or lack thereof, of a specific dichotomy of participation. However, that is not the case, and the incendiary presence of an "all white jury" only serves to confirm the reality that America, and segments of it's legal system are racists.

Is racism the extent to which the American legal system is broken? Or is it just one of many tools of societal segregation through the -isms? And what exactly is State sponsored racism in actuality? Some would like to refer to it by another name; "terrorism," and extend the disrespect, the hatred, and the preferential loathing beyond America's borders. Did anyone in Abu ghraib prison receive a fair trial? Did any of the "detainees" in Guantánamo Bay prison receive a fair trial? Did the Jews in the Auschwitz death camp receive a fair trial?

Be wary my friends, that you do not one day find yourselves on the wrong side of America's capitalist, elitist, white, patriarchal, Christian fundamentalist power paradigm agenda, because sometimes, ...people just disappear. Where is America heading? How can we stop this? What can be done to repair the damage? And who has the guts to say or do anything about it? Change is inevitable, but it is also typically slow. Don't be caught unawares .

To quote the Dead Kennedy's "You'll work hard with a gun in your back, for a bowl of rice a day."