Let's take a look. The film shows it. They should be punished, and that should be the end of it. But Jesse Jackson has in effect told them that they were just being boys, that their punishment was a result of racial prejudice, and that all they have to do is to go to a church and get that practiced helpless look on their face and say they are sorry. This kind of advice not only excuses bad behavior and destroys authority, it empowers the children.
Further violence is likely.
And, this certainly has the potential for adding to the already serious crime problems in the black community. With this kind of interference, how in the world can local authorities ever maintain discipline. These outsiders are looking for political advantages, and you don't discipline children with politics. The potential result is that disruptive students run amok, literally stealing the learning from the other children. If this sort of thing continues, those who really want an education leave the school system.