In 2005, a horrible hurricane named Katrina destroyed most of Louisiana. The federal government was needed to provide aid, but was slow and insufficient in its response. Once again, the federal government is slow to respond to another disaster which has hit Louisiana, in the form of racial injustice.

For those who have not heard of the events that have taken place in Jena, La., here’s a brief review. In August 2006, after asking permission from his school principal, a black student at Jena High School attempted to sit under an oak tree that was a frequent hangout for white students. The next day nooses appeared hanging from the tree in an effort to ward off any black students from sitting under it.

Three white students were suspended for committing the act of prejudice but none were criminally prosecuted. Due to the racial tension, fights broke out between the black and white students in the subsequent weeks. One of the fights resulted in a white boy being knocked unconscious. The six young black men involved in this fight were arrested and originally charged with attempted second-degree murder. None of the white students involved in that fight or past fights have been arrested or charged with any crime.

The fact that a black student can’t sit under a “certain” tree without permission shows the blatant racism which still lives on in Jena, La. This same bigoted attitude fueled local officials to only target the black students involved in the fight and attempt to charge them with the excessive crime of second-degree murder. This racially prejudiced environment makes it impossible for a fair trial to take place in Jena. When unlawful discrimination is institutionalized and obstructing justice, it is up to the federal government to intervene and guarantee that regional customs or ideologies do not result in unfair actions.

The national government has fought for civil rights in the past. For instance, in 1957 nine black students were prevented from enrolling at Little Rock Central High School, a racially segregated school. After the U.S. Supreme Court declared all laws establishing racially segregated schools to be unconstitutional, the U.S. Justice Department requested an injunction to ensure that the nine students were able to safely enroll at Little Rock Central High School.

The United States claims to be “the land of the free,” but with these recent events, I find it hard to believe. The U.S. Justice Department hasn’t even made a statement regarding the discrimination in Jena, La. Precedent provides ample support for an injunction to be made. This case needs to be taken to a higher federal court, where local bigotry will not play a role in the trial. Without this injunction, it is very possible that the six young men will be sentenced unjustly, which could result in up to 15 years in prison. The federal government is neglecting Louisiana now, as it did in 2005.

Civil rights in this country have come a long way, but acts like this remind us how far we have to go. Mychal Bell, the last young man still imprisoned, should be set free and also should be compensated for the year he spent in jail unjustly. None of the black students should be charged with a crime unless all parties (which includes the white students) involved in the transgressions are held accountable for their actions. And if these students are to be put on trial and sentenced, then all the students involved should be given a fair trial and receive relatively identical sentences. The U.S. Justice Department should use the events in Jena, La., as an example, to show that this type of deliberate, public and institutional racism will not be tolerated in a civilized, industrial “free” country. When this happens then America will deserve, and have earned, the title of “the land of the free.”