kyleetan's Blog

Maybe Fox will post this on community pages this time to warn consumers.

In September, I put a Playstation 3 game system and two video games on layaway at the K-Mart on Lake Mary Blvd! All together was almost 700 dollars. I picked this up on Friday night last week. I got home, of course, the boys were thrilled and opened it up right away. Problem came when we opened the Spiderman 3 video game.

THERE WAS NOTHING INSIDE OF IT!!

So Monday morning, I call K-Mart to make sure I can return or exchange this and to know if I need anything besides the receipt and the case. After being hung up on twice, I finally got transfered to the store manager. I told her the situation, to which she replied, I am sorry mam, without a disc, I cannot exchange this!!

Oh my god, I was in complete shock. I told her I had to open it to find out if there was anything inside of it. She had the nerve to tell me I should have opened it inside the store!!!!! Who in the world would suggest that people open the merchandise inside the store so close the the holidays. Who is going to open a gift for someone else? I literally could not believe she said that...The store Manager of all people...

I had just spent almost 700 hundred dollars, why would I want to try and steal 39.99. C'mon... She told me I would be surprised what people try to do. She sort of accused me of trying to scam them over 40 dollars and of course, suggested I open the merchandise inside the store, of course it was my fault I didn't do that!!!

I am here typing this today in hopes people will think before shopping at k-mart. Granted, it is only 40 dollars, but more of the point behind it.

I am curious if anyone else has had this issue with any store, not just k-mart. I know Wal-mart will exchange it for the same video game.

If you had a problem similar to this, what did you do? I managed to get the information to corporate, and the game distributor, but have not had any luck yet.

Please let people know, if anything, maybe I can supress their money making for screwing people over through the holidays!!

In September, I put a Playstation 3 game system and two video games on layaway at the K-Mart on Lake Mary Blvd! All together was almost 700 dollars. I picked this up on Friday night last week. I got home, of course, the boys were thrilled and opened it up right away. Problem came when we opened the Spiderman 3 video game.

THERE WAS NOTHING INSIDE OF IT!!

So Monday morning, I call K-Mart to make sure I can return or exchange this and to know if I need anything besides the receipt and the case. After being hung up on twice, I finally got transfered to the store manager. I told her the situation, to which she replied, I am sorry mam, without a disc, I cannot exchange this!!

Oh my god, I was in complete shock. I told her I had to open it to find out if there was anything inside of it. She had the nerve to tell me I should have opened it inside the store!!!!! Who in the world would suggest that people open the merchandise inside the store so close the the holidays. Who is going to open a gift for someone else? I literally could not believe she said that...The store Manager of all people...

I had just spent almost 700 hundred dollars, why would I want to try and steal 39.99. C'mon... She told me I would be surprised what people try to do. She sort of accused me of trying to scam them over 40 dollars and of course, suggested I open the merchandise inside the store, of course it was my fault I didn't do that!!!

I am here typing this today in hopes people will think before shopping at k-mart. Granted, it is only 40 dollars, but more of the point behind it.

I am curious if anyone else has had this issue with any store, not just k-mart. I know Wal-mart will exchange it for the same video game.

If you had a problem similar to this, what did you do? I managed to get the information to corporate, and the game distributor, but have not had any luck yet.

Please let people know, if anything, maybe I can supress their money making for screwing people over through the holidays!!

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight...

spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

EarthLink's networks stop talking to my cell phone once I downgraded my minutes. It kept saying Network not responding, and service cannot be used.  So I called them about a month ago and asked them to just cancel my contract since it is up in April anyways, and asked for them to waive the early termination fee of 175.00 since it was their issue, not mine.  They denied me, and I spoke to a supervisor, or the customer service guy did, denied me again, and I flipped out...I have had issues with EarthLink since I got with them a year and a half ago.  Non-stop issues of over billing etc.  Finally they told me I would not be charged anything, I confirmed by asking again, and then I received a confirmation number.  This was all about a month ago.  Well Sunday Oct.. 7th, I had a charge show up on my bank account for 176.38.  I called them up upset of course because they drained my account seeing how I was not expecting it.  They told me I was denied twice for them to waive the fees.  They said they would submit another request to waive the fees.  That was it.  I filed a complaint through BBB, and I contacted my bank for fraudulent charges seeing how they did not have permission to charge that.  They are going to investigate it.

Apparently they have had this issue for years now!

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Conte
nt?oid=oid%3A9868&comments=yes#lastcomment

Have any of you had similar issues with very large companies?  You can bet that I will get my money back.  I have already emailed the vice president of Earthlink and Tom Sussi!!!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

By Karen Kerrigan

WASHINGTON —  Congress faces a looming deadline of Nov. 1: The day the Internet tax moratorium expires.

If it doesn't extend or make permanent this moratorium, state and local governments will be free to impose taxes on Internet access, products or services purchased online and discriminatory fees that treat those purchases differently from other types of sales.

State and local government officials have been eyeing such tax possibilities for years. There's an endless list of ways officials can tax the Internet including the taxing of email, downloads and a whole host of other transactions, services and emerging tools yet to come.

“New taxes on Internet access amounts to turning the information superhighway into a high-priced toll road,” said Monica McGuire of the National Association of Manufacturers regarding the potential new costs to manufacturers, their suppliers and consumers.

The original Internet Tax Freedom Act of 1998 created the tax-free moratorium, which Congress extended two times. Legislation introduced in both Houses this year — S. 156 and H.R. 743 – by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., respectively, would make the ban permanent.

What’s the hold up?

Well, state and local governments and their allies are putting pressure on Congress to let the moratorium expire, while other special interests are utilizing the legislation as a vehicle for their own pet causes.

Regarding state and local governments, they argue that the moratorium and possible permanent ban on Internet taxes robs them of revenue sources to fund their programs. Such a permanent extension would “make it difficult for states and localities to continue to secure revenues needed to fund health care, education, public safety and other critical services,” according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Critics of this argument respond that state and localities are hardly hurting for money.

In recent analysis, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council Chief Economist Raymond Keating finds that there has been no revenue shortage flowing to state and local governments as Internet usage has been rapidly expanding.

He cites U.S. Census Bureau data showing that state and local government revenues increased from $1.4 trillion in 1995 to $2.5 trillion in 2005 – a 78 percent increase, compared to inflation registering 22 percent over the same period.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation argues that the Internet tax status should be resolved at the federal level in that “the cost, speed, and availability of Internet access should be a national priority.” The foundation also says the tax is a “key enabler of commerce, education, government services and civic participation” with high speed Internet access being “a fundamental building block for increasing productivity and growth in the national digital economy.” The group comes down on the side of making the current moratorium permanent.

In passing the first and subsequent Internet tax moratoriums, the overwhelming consensus in Congress was that investment in, and access to the Internet remained a critical national priority given its relative infancy, and its potential for enabling innovation and business, as well as empowering individuals.

So, has the Internet matured? Now that it’s a staple in homes and businesses nationwide, is it time to tax it just like everything else?

Hardly, say supporters of making the moratorium a permanent ban.

“Consider what an Internet tax is actually taxing,” writes Walter McCormick, president and CEO of United States Telecom Association, in a recent piece for The Hill, a daily Congressional newspaper. It is taxing “access to information, to knowledge, to a voice in the democratic process, and to economic opportunity.”

Indeed, as small business owners and entrepreneurs well know the Internet has been an extraordinary tool that has allowed them to innovate, expand into new markets, increase productivity and integrate greater efficiencies into all aspects of business operations.

In fact, broadband deployment is hardly complete and experts say we have only hit the tip of the iceberg in terms of innovative Internet services. According to tax ban supporters, maintaining the current regulatory framework – that is, making permanent the Internet tax moratorium, would keep costs low for providing Internet access, foster investment in broadband infrastructure and continue to encourage innovation in Internet-based products and services.

"The moratorium has served us well and the Internet is now an integral part of everyday life. Americans across the country utilize the Internet for communication, commerce, business, education and research,” said Rep. Eshoo in May 2007 testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

"Now is not the time to reverse course and kill GoldenGoose.com. It's more critical now than at any time since the moratorium was established to protect the Internet from new taxes and fees,” she added.

The permanent Internet tax ban that Eshoo supports looks less likely by every legislative hour, yet another extension appears to be in the cards. The bill would also clarify the intent of Congress regarding the definition of “Internet access” (for example, some states are taxing DSL services) and grandfather back in those states who taxed access prior to the 1998 legislation. These nine or so states continue to fight the grandfather clause tooth and nail, and up to this point have won their battles.

You can join the fight to help defend the Internet from duplicative, discriminatory and duplicative taxes. Click here to take action with the Don’t Tax Our Web coalition, or you can do nothing and get taxed when you click after November 1, 2007.

Karen Kerrigan is president & CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, a research and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. that works to protect small business and promote entrepreneurship. She is also founder of Women Entrepreneurs, Inc. , an association helping women business owners succeed through education, networking and advocacy. Kerrigan can be reached at kkerrigan@sbecouncil.org .

C'mon, this is getting rediculous... Tell me what you think!

 I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed.

Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food.

But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.
 
Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table... everywhere.

Then some of the birds turned mean:

 
They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket.

 
And others birds were boisterous and loud:

They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.

After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore.

I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone.

 
I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.
Soon, the back yard was like it used to be......

quiet, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.

Now let's see....... our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, free education and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen.

Then the illegal's came by the tens of thousands. 

 
Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services;

small apartments are housing 5 families:

you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor:

 your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English:

Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box;

I have to press "one" to hear my bank talk to me in English,

and people waving flags other than "Old Glory" are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.

Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.
 
If you agree, tell me what you think.........

Watching television more than two hours a day early in life can lead to attention problems later in adolescence, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The roughly 40 percent increase in attention problems among heavy TV viewers was observed in both boys and girls, and was independent of whether a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder was made prior to adolescence.

The link was established by a long-term study of the habits and behaviors of more than 1,000 children born in Dunedin, New Zealand, between April 1972 and March 1973.

The children aged 5 to 11 watched an average of 2.05 hours of weekday television. From age 13 to 15, time spent in front of the tube rose to an average of 3.1 hours a day.

"Those who watched more than two hours, and particularly those who watched more than three hours, of television per day during childhood had above-average symptoms of attention problems in adolescence," Carl Landhuis of the University of Otago in Dunedin wrote in his report, published in the journal Pediatrics.

Young children who watched a lot of television were more likely to continue the habit as they got older, but even if they did not the damage was done, the report said.

"This suggests that the effects of childhood viewing on attention may be long lasting," Landhuis wrote.

Landhuis offered several possible explanations for the association.

One was that the rapid scene changes common to many TV programs may overstimulate the developing brain of a young child, and could make reality seem boring by comparison.

"Hence, children who watch a lot of television may become less tolerant of slower-paced and more mundane tasks, such as school work," he wrote.

It was also possible that TV viewing may supplant other activities that promote concentration, such as reading, games, sports and play, he said. The lack of participation inherent in TV watching might also condition children when it comes to other activities.

The study was not proof that TV viewing causes attention problems, Landhuis said, because it may be that children prone to attention problems may be drawn to watching television.

"However, our results show that the net effect of television seems to be adverse," he wrote.

Previous studies have linked the sedentary habit of TV watching among children to obesity and diabetes, and another study in the same journal cited the poor nutritional content of the overwhelming majority of food products advertised on the top-rated U.S. children's television shows.

Up to 98 percent of the TV ads promoting food products that were directed at children aged 2 through 11 "were high in either fat, sugar, or sodium," wrote Lisa Powell of the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Do you think this might be why intelligence has gone so far downhill over the past years? Please comment your thoughts here!!!

I have had this for quite a while, and it is my favorite since.  Its funny seeing how I am an engineer, let me know what you think...

Three guys, a Canadian farmer, Osama bin Laden, and an
American engineer are working together one day.

They come across a lantern and a Genie pops out of it.
"I will give each of you one wish, which is three
Wishes says the Genie.

The Canadian says, "I am a farmer, my dad was a
Farmer, and my son will also farm. I want the land to
Be forever fertile in Canada."

Pooooof! With the blink of the Genie's eye, the land
In Canada was forever made fertile for farming.

Osama bin Ladin was amazed, so he said, "I want a wall
Around Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran so that no infidels,
Jews or Americans can come into our precious state."

Pooooof! Again, with the blink of the Genie's eye,
There was a huge wall around those countries..

The American engineer asks, "I am very curious. Please
Tell me more about this wall".
The Genie explains, "Well, it's about 5000 feet high,
500 feet thick and completely surrounds the country.
Nothing can get in or out, it's virtually
Impenetrable."

The American engineer says, "Fill it with water."
Pooooof!

Here is a REAL INTERVIEW with an illegal Mexican at a protest march in Texas . 

Below is a good example of a discussion with a master of circular logic. Don't be logical, don't  respect the truth or your adversary, just say what you think makes a new case when the previous case gets too difficult to defend.
Jim Moore reporting for a Houston TV station on the streets of downtown Houston on May 1, 2006:

Jim: Juan, I see that you and thousands of other protesters are marching in
the streets to demonstrate for your cause. Exactly what is your cause and
what do you expect to accomplish by this protest?

Juan: We want our rights. We will show you how powerful we are. We will bring Houston to its knees!

Jim: What rights?

Juan: Our right to live here...legally. Our right to get all the benefits you get.

Jim: When did you come to the United States ?

Juan: Six years ago. I crossed over the border at night with s even other friends.

Jim: Why did you come?

Juan: For work. I can earn as much in a month as I could in a year in
Mexico . Besides, I get free health care, our Mexican children can go to
school free, if I lose my job I will get Welfare, and someday I will have
the Social Security. Nothing like that in Mexico !

Jim: Did you feel badly about breaking our immigration laws when you came?

Juan: No! Why should I feel bad? I have a right to be here. I have a right
to amnesty. I paid lots of money for my Social Security and Green Cards.

Jim: How did you acquire those documents?

Juan: From a guy in Dallas . He charged me a lot of money too.

Jim: Did you know that those documents were forged?

Juan: It is of no matter. I have a right to be here and work.

Jim: What is the "right" you speak of?

Juan: The right of all Aliens. It is found in your Constitution. Read it!

Jim: I have read it, but I do not remember it saying anything about rights for Aliens.

Juan: It is in that part where it says that all men have Alien rights, like
the right to pursue happiness. I wasn't happy in Mexico , so I came here.

 Jim: I think you are referring to the declaration of Independence and that document speaks to unalienable rights .. Not Alien rights.

Juan: Whatever.

 Jim: Since you are demanding to become an American citizen, why then are you carrying a Mexican Flag?

Juan: Because I am Mexican.

Jim: But you said you want to be given amnesty ... to become a US citizen.

Juan: No. This is not what we want. This is our country, a part of Mexico that you Gringos stole from us.   We want it returned to its rightful owner.

Jim: Juan, you are standing in Texas . After wining the war with Mexico , Texas became a Republic, and later Texans voted to join the USA . It was not stolen from Mexico .

Juan: That is a Gringo lie. Texas was stolen. So was California , New Mexico and Arizona . It is just like all  the other stuff you Gringos steal, like oil and babies. You are a country of thieves.

Jim: Babies? You think we steal babies?

Juan: Sure. Like from Korea and Vietnam and China . I see them all over the place. You let all these foreigners in, but try to keep us Mexicans out. How is this fair?

Jim: So, you really don't want to become an American citizen then.

Juan: I just want my rights! Everyone has a right to live, work, and speak their native language wherever and  whenever they please. That's another thing we demand. All signs and official documents should be in Spanish. Teachers must teach in Spanish. Soon, more people here in Houston will speak Spanish than English. It is our right!

Jim: If I were to cross over the border into Mexico without proper documentation, what rights would I have there?

Juan: None. You would probably go to jail, but that's different.

Jim: How is it different? You said everyone has the right to live wherever they please.

Juan: You Gringos are a bunch of land grabbing thieves. Now you want Mexico too? Mexico has its rights. You Gringos have no rights in Mexico . Why would you want to go there anyway? There is no free medical service, schools, or welfare there for foreigners such as you. You cannot even own land in my country. Stay in the country of your birth.

Jim: I can see that there is no way that we can agree on this issue. Thank you for your comments.

Juan: Viva Mexico !

Pass this along to every American citizen in your address books and to every
representative in the state and federal government. If you choose to remain uninvolved, do not be amazed when you no longer have a nation to call your own nor anything you have worked for left since it will be "redistributed" to the activists while you are so peacefully staying out of the "fray".

Check history, it is full of nations/empires that disappeared when its citizens no longer held their core beliefs and values. One person CAN make a difference. One plus one plus one plus one plus one plus one........ 

The battle for our secure borders and immigration laws that actually mean something, however, hasn't even begun.

If this ticks YOU off... COMMENT!!!

Dear friend,

I just learned about a case of segregation-era oppression happening today in Jena, Louisiana. I signed onto ColorOfChange.org's campaign for justice in Jena, and wanted to invite you to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=1918-290228a>

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=1918-290228a>

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=1918-290228a>

Lake Tawokoni State Park rangers Mike McCord, left, and Freddie Gowin check out a giant spider web at the park.

"At first, it was so white it looked like fairyland," said Donna Garde, superintendent of the park about 45 miles east of Dallas. "Now it's filled with so many mosquitoes that it's turned a little brown. There are times you can literally hear the screech of millions of mosquitoes caught in those webs."

Spider experts say the web may have been constructed by social cobweb spiders, which work together, or could be the result of a mass dispersal in which the arachnids spin webs to spread out from one another.

"I've been hearing from entomologists from Ohio, Kansas, British Columbia -- all over the place," said Mike Quinn, an invertebrate biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department who first posted photos online.

Herbert A. "Joe" Pase, a Texas Forest Service entomologist, said the massive web is very unusual.

"From what I'm hearing it could be a once-in-a-lifetime event," he said.

But John Jackman, a professor and extension entomologist for Texas A&M University, said he hears reports of similar webs every couple of years.

"There are a lot of folks that don't realize spiders do that," said Jackman, author of "A Field Guide to the Spiders and Scorpions of Texas."

"Until we get some samples sent to us, we really won't know what species of spider we're talking about," Jackman said.

Garde invited the entomologists out to the park to get a firsthand look at the giant web.

"Somebody needs to come out that's an expert. I would love to see some entomology intern come out and study this," she said.

Park rangers said they expect the web to last until fall, when the spiders will start dying off.

UGH!! so creepy, would you go near it?

Burma in Brief

The people of the Southeast Asian country of Burma are locked in one of the world's great freedom struggles. The country's military rulers, the State Peace and Development Council, have run the country with an iron fist for the past 15 years, after they assumed power from a 26-year socialist dictatorship. In 1988, students, professionals, and others launched a nationwide uprising aimed at bringing an end to authoritarian rule during which millions of people courageously marched on the streets, calling for freedom and democracy.

The military responded by gunning down thousands of demonstrators and imprisoning thousands more in one of Southeast Asia's most bloody episodes in recent history. The leader of the demonstrations, Min Ko Naing (pronounced Min Ko Nine), has been held behind bars ever since, where approximately 1,400 political prisoners remain. The most recognizable face of Burma, 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (pronounced Daw Aung Sawn Sue Chee), has been in and out of house arrest and prison since 1988. Presently, she is held under house arrest.

Worried that they could not hold on to power in 1988, the ruling generals announced they would hold a democratic election. Aung San Suu Kyi and many allies formed a political party, which they named the National League for Democracy (NLD). The party went on to win the election in a landslide victory in 1990, garnering an astounding 82% of the seats in parliament, even though many pro-democracy leaders were already imprisoned. Tragically, instead of permitting the electoral winners to assume office, the regime has maintained its grip on power ever since.

In 1996, students again organized major protests on the streets of Rangoon, with thousands conducting sit-down demonstrations at key traffic intersections. The regime responded again by force, brutally beating them with batons and water canons, and arresting hundreds. This time, a videographer managed to capture some of the events on camera, which were then shown on CNN and other news stations.

In May 2003, Burma again made international headlines when Aung San Suu Kyi, just released from house arrest a year earlier, was traveling on a speaking tour near Mandalay, Burma's second largest city. During her tour, approximately 600 members of her caravan were brutally attacked by the political arm of the regime, the Union Solidarity and Development Association. Up to 100 supporters were brutally beaten to death with blunt clubs, bamboo sticks, and spears, while Aung San Suu Kyi narrowly escaped assassination. She was held in prison and is now under total house arrest.

At the same time, many of Burma's ethnic groups, including the Karen, Shan, and others, have been waging armed freedom struggles against the regime, some for up to 50 years. The regime, intent on dominating the entire country, has responded with brutal force — raping, slaughtering, or forcibly displacing millions of ethnic peoples. Reports of some of the world's most horrific human rights abuses have been documented by governments and credible organizations in Burma's ethnic regions, yet these peoples never give up the struggle to protect their homelands and way of life.

The NLD, the true elected leaders of Burma, have called on citizens and governments around the world to put international pressure on Burma's regime. Our mission is to respond to this call — please contact us today or become a member to get involved. We are grassroots citizens just like you — and we need your help.

Go here to help or to just learn more:

http://www.uscampaignforburma.org/aboutuscb/mission
-structure.html

Injustice in Jena

Bill Quigley
Guest Contributor

In a small, still mostly segregated section of rural Louisiana, an all-white jury heard a series of white witnesses called by a white prosecutor testify in a courtroom overseen by a white judge in a trial of a fight at the local high school where a white student who had been making racial taunts was hit by black students.

The fight was the culmination of a series of racial incidents starting when whites responded to black students sitting under the "white tree" at their school by hanging three nooses from the tree. The white jury and white prosecutor and all white supporters of the white victim were all on one side of the courtroom. The black defendant, 17-year-old Mychal Bell, and his supporters were on the other.

The jury quickly convicted Bell of two felonies -- aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery. Bell, who was a 16-year-old sophomore football star at the time he was arrested, faces up to 22 years in prison. Five other black youths await similar trials on attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy charges.

Yes, you read that correctly.

You can see the rest here:

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2007/07/blac
k-nooses-hanging-from-white-tree.asp

I believe this thing has been a bit overexagerated as always when race is involved.  Whites doing blacks wrong.....Huge deal.  Blacks doing whites wrong...not such a huge deal.  This may or may not be an exception, i feel these boys are going to get a lot more than they deserve, but when is this race BLEEP going to stop? I say punish all students involved the same, set an example to the future.  Fair is going to be fair, and thats it!!!

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS?