“Jena,” a new song from John Mellencamp

6 comments

1. Mellencamp,Springsten and the like need to remember that they are musicians and nobody gives a crap about what they think polically. This is the most inciting piece of junk I have seen since the KKK. What about that poor white kid that these cowards beat up? Wheres his song, wheres the outrage from the white community about this HATE CRIME against a white child?

2. Well you see there’s this thing called white supremacy, which I would guess you’re pretty familiar with. What’s inciting is when white kids hang noose from a tree in the school yard as a threat to African American students at the school; when the DA threatens threatens to ruin the lives of African American youth and then lays attempted murder charges against teenagers who beat somebody up; and when white people, who live every minute of their lives in the US with race privileges, fly off the handle when that privilege is pointed out.

3. I have a question. Would there been this much B.S. if it was six blacks kids beat up a white kids. I THINK NOT.

4. i was just doing a little research on how to contact reed walters and i found this blog…i wanted to leave a comment bc i have been dying to say a few things with regards this whole case..i grew up in the sleepy little town of jena la..i am filled with a mix of emotions as i think about the life that i could have had, had i stayed in jena…but then i think about having to raise 2 little girls in that mess and i realize that leaving was probably the best thing that ever happened to me…i wanted to find out as much as i could about this case and about that sorry excuse for a human, reed walters…and as i type this my blood just boils..i always thought that people of his status were supposed to be fair and just and not take matters into their own hands..the fact that he thought that charges these 6 young men with the harshest of charges and that he thought that this was a fair set of charges just blows my mind…it was a school yard fight…who cares if it was black boys beating up a white boy..would have pushed for the same set of charges if it was white boys beating up black or even if it was a girl fight? i think that it would have been very different had either of those been the case…and it makes me sick…by the way what happened to the students who hung the nooses? why werent they charged with hate crimes? did they get any kind of punishment aside from the school suspension..thats like a slap on the hand..what good did that do? maybe i am just rambling but this is outrageous..i always thought that i would like to take my children to the place that i grew up, but not now and probably not ever…not that everyone there is bad, i am sure that there are plenty of decent people still there but this kind of tension is going to tear the place apart…i pray to god that never happens, but i fear that it will…and furthermore, i respect john mellencamp for trying to show his support for the boys in this case, but it is so hard not to take offense to the accusation that there are nooses all over the city of jena..i know that there is tension in the town but to go that far crosses a line that should not be crossed..and i know that he has put out a statement that he was only using jena as an example of what “he thinks” is going on all across the south, but it is too personal..i dont agree with the accusations in the song at all as a reflection of everyday life in jena..its just not right..

5. I was raised in small town about 45 miles from Jena. All my school life there was nothing but racial fights at the school that I went to. The fights were instigated by both the white guys as well as the black guys. Everybody has a right to their own beliefs and what they stand for. Just because the nooses where hung in the tree did it give the 6 black boys the right to beat down one white boy? Because we all have different beliefs is what makes the world go around. Not everyone can be alike. I personally think that way the 6 black boys handled the situation was wrong and they deserve punishment. Would all this hoopla be going on if it was 6 white guys beat down one black boy? I think not. I think that the white boys would get just punishment and there would be no one famous or rich stand up for them and write a song about them. I don’t think there would be walk outs or marches demanding their freedom. I think it would be the opposite, I think that Rev. Jesse Jackson would be coming down from his high and mighty seat in Washington demanding that justice be done if the roles where reversed. I don’t think he would be demanding the release of the white boys if the roles where reversed.

6. Who wrote this song? Just a literally comment! Very well done Mr. Mellencamp! Never really gotten into your music, however, this was very well done. Personally, I don’t think it is the act I think it is the outcome.

   This school yard disagreement has gotten out of control. Yes, a child was injuried yet, we seem to forget the implications behind a simple jesture. I could not phatom the DA stating there was no chargable offense at the on-slaught of this situation, when the ‘nooses’ were hung. That was a hate crime.

   Up North as close as Missouri we have people loosing their jobs because of such actions. Spray painting anti-semetic symbols and racial slurs bring in the Feds.

   I don’t think people understand the significance and the meaning of the words you have penned. Being a ‘woman of colour’ I find this lyrics, the music and meaning beautiful. Need a real recording!

   Thank you!