The Jena 6: Barkers and Richard

Most people would find Richard Barrett's attitude shocking. "I call myself a nationalist. No pink power in San Francisco. No black power in Atlanta. No brown power in San Antonio. Just red, white and blue power," he says. "I think only one of the Jena 6's parents is actually married. I believe all

the rest are illegitimate. Why would I use words like negro or colored? It seems to me to be respectful. I favor majority rule, not minority tyranny."

 

About the recent situation in Jena, he says, "There have been some complaints that it was an all-white jury. Well, colored folks didn't show up for jury duty. What about the nooses? We have a First Amendment which gives you freedom of speech." He also says he believes in de-integrating the schools. "You can sing your songs, we'll sing ours. You have your studies. We have ours."

 

Richard crept into Jena during the "Free the Jena 6" rally in town and befriended the Barker family, who invited him to join them in their home for dinner. "There was a man to come, and he said that he was a lawyer from Mississippi," Kelli Barker recalls. "He came, and we just kind of made him feel at home. At no time did he really tell us he wa

s a white supremacist. He took information that he got from my supper table and around my living room and put it on the Internet and made it look like we were racist." She was shocked when she found out the truth about Richard. "It was a blow to us because we invited him into our home."

 

"I was the only one there voicing support for Justin and his folks," Richard claims. "The one being taken advantage of now, of course, is Justin Barker." He continues, "The real haters, the real killers, the real criminals, the real traitors in this country, we saw them at Jena ... I'm wondering if maybe we shouldn't take these people who are conspiring, like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, and put them on trial. That's what Jena is doing to the Al Sharptons. God bless Jena. God bless America."

 

Of the boys of the Jena 6, Richard says, "If I had the Jena 6 right here, I'd say very simply, ‘Get down on your knees, and thank the Lord above that you live in the United States of America.'" 

Dr. Phil addresses Mr. Barrett. "You said that your feelings about hanging the nooses was a positive thing, that you applaud them and that you would defend them for it," he says. "Why do you say it's a positive thing to incite and insult an entire race of people for whom that is an icon of hatred, and murder and oppression?"

Mr. Barrett starts to address other issues, and says, "Let's ask why did those people put up those nooses?"

Dr. Phil cuts him off. "Let me tell you, the white people are not standing behind you, the African-American people are not standing behind you, nobody is standing behind you because what you are spewing is hatred." Getting worked up, he continues, "You talked your way into their home. You sat down and ate their food and then you took their pictures and plastered them up to advance your own ridiculous agenda!"