Protesters flooded Jena for a second time this past Monday, but some of these marchers did not come seeking justice or in the spirit of equality. Many came to spread a message of hate. Two sides showed up to voice their opinions. The first, from Learned, Miss., is a self-described “pro-majority” group called the Nationalist Movement, which sought to show disdain for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the “Jena Six.” The second was members of the New Black Panther Party, who came to oppose the Nationalist Movement’s message.Both are identified as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and their collective yet opposing messages of hate and violence reverberated through Jena, a far cry from the 20,000-strong message of justice and peace the city saw this past year.
The confrontation currently waged in Jena is not easily solvable. This board so is disgusted that we feel called to pen another editorial about racial intolerance in Jena. With the nation’s eye once again turned toward this state, we should not have to reiterate the problems with this state’s refusal to shake off the manacles of its recently segregated past.
Inevitably, the situation has arisen again.
We find the message being spewed by the Nationalist Movement to be one of pure hate, and we are repulsed by the racist ideology being promoted by the organization. However, it is the most hateful speech that we as a majority agree the First Amendment was intended to protect. For those reasons we cannot help but acknowledge their right to stand in Jena and say the hateful things they said.
There is no doubt that the Black Panthers and all other counterprotestors’ rights to march are equally deserved.
But that does not make the words said or the actions taken by either group acceptable.
It is tempting to say Monday’s events in Jena are worse than their presences on the Internet or on other days because they occurred on a day commemorating the legacy of King, a man who spent his life in pursuit of the dream of equality.
Such a temptation would be incorrect. The views of the Nationalist Movement are morally inobjectionable and wholly inappropriate any day of the year, not just on the day our country has set aside for remembering King.
We must not delude ourselves by thinking a solution will be reached by silencing the critics. However hateful their speech may be, all Americans have the right to free speech. Instead we must understand that we have to teach this group from Learned, Miss., the errors of their hateful ways. Only then can real progress in Jena can be made.
King himself said it best: “Darkness cannot bury darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot bury hate; only love can do that.”
This board looks forward to the day when intolerance is buried with the love of humankind.
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