There is a major stigma going around today. Apparently, if you are Black, you should be sentenced to jail, unless you are wealthy or an asset to the government. If you are White, then you only get a slap on the wrist. Everyone has heard of the Michael Vick saga. The man fought dogs, blah blah blah, and has now pleaded guilty and will get some jail time. While I agree he should go to jail for breaking the law, there was so much negative attention on him. In fact, there wasn’t this much attention on Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan.
Paris Hilton is a crack addict and drug abuser, point blank. However, Hilton has not been all over the news media like Michael Vick. Yeah, Hilton did go to jail, but a measly 23 or 40 days-whatever she actually served-was not enough.
If it had been me, I would’ve still been counting the days down with chalk drawings on my cell wall. Matter of fact, according to Harpers.org, a Black man has a better chance of going to jail with no prior jail time than a White man. But that’s common knowledge now, no matter what prosecutors say.
Then, there’s Lindsay Lohan. She had a career as promising as Shai Leboeuf. However, she blew that after getting busted for drugs several times. She even chased down someone in her car, endangering countless citizens and injuring one.
However, what are her consequences? A slap on the wrist, and her FOURTH rehab stint in less than a year. You mean the fact that she endangered citizens and could’ve killed someone does not warrant attempted murder ala the Jena 6?
What kills me more is the fact that they DROPPED the charges after she entered rehab a fourth time. This is getting ridiculous. I guarantee that anyone on the campus cannot do the same and not face jail time.unless you buy off the prosecutors so they can do some “positive” reinforcement for the upcoming elections.
Wait.who cares about the Jena 6? It took nearly 6 months for Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III to get involved. Yet, the NAACP leaped to Vick’s defense the moment after it happened. The NAACP is also becoming a joke, only defending the most popular people. I may be wrong, but that’s all I’m seeing.
Since Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton got off, shouldn’t the Jena 6? If it had been a Black boy that was jumped, we would have heard something along the lines of “gang-related” material. The stigma needs to stop. And people wonder why N.W.A. said “F___ tha Police”.
Darryl D. Smith is a graduate student from Monroe.