This video, a montage of photos supposedly snatched from the Myspace page of Robert Bailey, Jr. (of Jena Six infamy), is an example of why attention should be paid to the issues involved in the Jena Six case — hate crimes and racism in the criminal justice system — and not the actual boys, who indisputably beat up a classmate in a 6-on-1 brawl. We shouldn’t trot them out to a star-studded award show and let them schmooze on the red carpet, nor should we celebrate them as burgeoning civil rights icons or stars. They are kids, after all. Kids who, despite whatever provocation might have occurred, did a thing they weren’t supposed to. Kids whose heads have swelled as a result of all of the big-name attention they, in addition to their case, have been getting.
As this video circles the blogosphere, people are speculating that this money is from the Jena Six Defense Fund. I strongly doubt that’s true or even possible. Still, the whole thing is ignorant and highly offensive to the people who are donating their time, money, and/or energy into making sure he and his friends get fair charges and fair sentencing.
