new - newer - news

[FreddyKnuckles]

But in general, the beef is that penalty was excessive and that white kids wouldn't have gotten sentences that stiff for the same crime right?

[C of heartbreak]

Well not the penalty, it's mainly how it was prosecuted. The DA tried to throw attempted murder at them. Since then the charges have been lowered; I'm not sure what happened next though.

[Andrew_TSKS]

But in general, the beef is that penalty was excessive and that white kids wouldn't have gotten sentences that stiff for the same crime right?

the white kids hung the noose, the black kids protested, the da told the black kids he'd end their lives with a stroke of a pen during an entire-school assembly. then 6 black kids beat up a white kid, and were arrested for attempted murder. obviously there is not equal justice under the law in jena louisiana.

but saying that doesn't change the fact that there was serious wrongdoing on both sides, and the people who act like the black kids were not guilty of anything and should be set free are wrong. that said, the fact that the white kids did get away with what they did is equally wrong.

[FreddyKnuckles]

wait, did the DA come before or after the beat down?

[Good Intentions]

Before, but after running inter-racial fights at the school.

Wikipedia is very good for current events like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jena_6

[FreddyKnuckles]

Did y'all hear that the supreme court is taking the DC gun case?

http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2007-11-20T222455Z_01_N20527359_RTRIDST_0_USA-GUNS-COURT-UPDATE-3.XML

so cool

Boby Levy came and gave a little talk at our school about a month ago and was really candid about the whole thing.  really really interesting stuff.  I guess the lawyer who is arguing it is this fairly young guy who only got the job because he agreed to do it on the cheap, and he's nailed it so far.  Nothing like getting to argue a case before the supreme court!

I wish they'd talk to the think tanks for their story though, rather than reactionary Brady campaigners and NRA'ers, who are more likely to suck the life out of it

[Good Intentions]

Australia elects new leader, Kevin Rudd, kicking John Howard to the curb.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7109692.stm

[melancolley]

And about time too. 11 very long years.

[dieblucasdie]

Heh, first Hastert, now Lott.  I guess it's only fun for Republican leaders when they control all 3 branches of government.  Lose one and all sorts start to cry and go home.

[Andrew_TSKS]

so ok, back when he said it was a shame that strom thurmond's segregationist party didn't win the presidency, he was forced out of his position, but that didn't mean he stopped being a senator? do i have that right?

[RoyBiggins]

Correct. Now he's takin' off, probably mostly because on January 1st, a new law goes into effect saying that senators can't work as lobbyists until they've not been a senator two years (now the rule is only one, so it's likely Lott wants to trade up on the value he's got sooner if possible.)

[Andrew_TSKS]

good god. the naked corruption inherent in something like that.

[RoyBiggins]

Word.  More or less.

[dieblucasdie]

That's correct.  Then in '06 after the Democrats got control, the Republican party purged their leadership and he became Minority Whip again, 'cause everybody loves a redemption story.

xpost the lobbyist thing is also why Hasert resigned early. 

It's even shadier in his case, since the only reason he ran in '06 was to raise money he didn't need for his own race and funnel it to the RNC to help try to keep the GOP in majority.

[RoyBiggins]

How is Lott's case different there? He just got re-elected, too.

[dieblucasdie]

Well, he actually wanted a term and wanted back in a leadership position.  Now he's basically just being a baby since it's more work than he thought and wants to make more.  Everyone in Washington knew Hastert wanted to retire, and would retire ASAP.  Lott was kind of a surprise.

[FreddyKnuckles]

I saw denny hastert speak once.   He was basically exactly what you'd think a wrestling coach/history teacher would be like. 

[dieblucasdie]

You just described every Chicago politician whose first name does not end in arack.

[RoyBiggins]

The history teacher/wrestling coach at my high school was paralyzed from the neck down.

Well, I guess he stopped coaching wrestling officially after that.

Edit: he was not paralyzed by wrestling.  He was paralyzed by being full of huburis and booze and jumping into a lake in exactly the wrong way.

[FreddyKnuckles]

if I'm ever paralyzed, that's how I want it to happen

[RoyBiggins]

It's good to have goals.

[Greg Nog]

If I'm ever paralyzed, I would like it to be as a result of being crushed by several tons of delicious deep-fried whole-belly clams.

[FreddyKnuckles]

good point

[howardfinkel]

You guys get to this story yet?

Sick.

Here

[dieblucasdie]

Wow.  They'll bust out the "she's a slut" defense even when the victim is 11?  I hate this fucking country.