Bryan Stevenson, the author of Just Mercy, has many themes in his book. One of which is the importance of human life. He goes through many cases of which, in the end, he realizes that every human deserves empathy and mercy and a fair chance at living their lives. Throughout the novel there is one specific case that changes Stevenson’s perspective the most however. This case is the Walter McMillian case that demonstrates the unfairness that was tolerated for death row inmates. Stevenson expresses this theme throughout the book. Some examples are through the McMillian case, the mental patient case, the juvenile case, and his own experience. Stevenson becomes largely aware of all of the injustices, specifically all the racial injustices that occur within the prisons and specifically within death row. This injustice that occurs within death row is saddening to observe, especially when it comes down to ending one’s life. Stevenson reminds his audience that everyone makes mistakes and deserves mercy because no one is perfect, however every life has value. His most prevailing case of this is the Walter McMillian case. At this time in 1980s, Alabama has the fastest growing prison population. Stevenson therefore spends much of his time in Alabama for the defense of McMillian as he is accused of murder and an alleged drug lord and rapist. With the defense of Walter’s community on his side along with his connection with EJI (Equal Justice Initiative), Stevenson was determined to
Many are put onto death row without actually having a fighting chance to plead their case, provide the full story, and prove their innocence. Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer who fights for those who have been left for dead and aren’t given a second chance. Bryan Stevenson is a social justice activist, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and a clinical professor at New York University School of Law. He founded the Equal Justice Initiative in 1989. Stevenson has fought long and hard for those whose voices have been silenced because of their ethnicity and background. His views have been strongly influenced by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where the faithful attendees of the church had celebrated for 'standing up after having fallen down, ' showing Bryan that no matter how many times you are knocked down, you can always pick yourself back up and there will always be someone there to lend you a helping hand. Making Bryan want to be that helping hand, to be the on there when someone had no one else to turn to. These experiences informed his belief that "each person in our society is more than the worst thing they’ve ever done.” When Stevenson was sixteen, his grandfather, Clarence L. Golden, was stabbed to death in his Philadelphia home during a robbery.Bryan stevenson has dedicated himself to fighting poverty and challenging
In his memoir Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson shares his experiences with justice and mercy--or the lack there of; be these experiences his own, or the experiences of others which he has witnessed. Unfortunately, because of the color of their skin or their social standing, Stevenson and his clients are often treated with a justice rendered from mercy. An example of this is when the two police officers accosted Stevenson. Had they been calm and clearly expressed that there were concerns of burglary in the area, they could have peacefully come to the conclusion that Stevenson was no threat. Instead one of the officers immediately drew his gun which lead to a hostile treatment of Stevenson, a cruel violation of his rights, and, when the officers rummaged through his files, an unlawful breaking of attorney-client privilege.
Just Mercy: A Story of justice and redemption is written by one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. The book talks about vindicating potential of mercy. Bryan Stevenson is a gifted attorney. He founded the Equal Justice Initiative. The initiative is opened to defend the poor, falsie accused, and those trapped in the abyss of our justice system. The whole book covers Bryan’s journey as he met different people. There are several character mention in the books. Every character in this book has their own story, and the author does brilliant job portraying them. This book talks about Stevenson’s life’s work and the racial injustice in American life. Also, the book talks about mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America. It is about how easily people are condemned in this country.
Bryan Stevenson’s 2014 book, Just Mercy, is about “getting closer to mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America” (Stevenson, 2014, p.14). Stevenson focuses mainly on blatant racism and classism in the poor south by detailing a case he worked on during the 1980s. Throughout the book, Stevenson also analyzes the discrimination poor women, children, and mentally ill people face that often lands them on death row. The 2015 article “U.S. Education: Still Separate and
In his memoir Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson recounts the stories of several clients whose mental illness was ignored during their trial. Some had intellectual disabilities, others were dealing with the aftermath of severe trauma, but each one was changed in some way. Whether their reasoning had been altered or they simply did not understand what was happening, any crime they committed was closely tied to their mental state. Logically, a major detail like the defendant’s thought process and motivation behind the crime would have been discussed, but this was not the case. Any evidence of their illness was forgotten about or outright ignored by both the prosecution and the defense. When considering each crime with their mental illness in mind, sentencing the defendant to death row is needlessly cruel. Their avoidance of the topic shows a complete failure to understand how important it can be to an individual’s decision-making abilities.
There are always two sides to an argument, but different people have different opinions on which side is right and wrong; as a result, we can compare a debate or argument as of a coin, due to the fact that it has two sides. When it comes to the topic of judicial system in America, most of us will readily agree that it needs to be reformed. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of who will step forward and make changes to the court system. Whereas some are convinced that no one is going to do anything about it, others maintain that the government will be the savior by making the changes. In the introduction of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice And Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson -an American lawyer, social justice activist, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and a clinical professor at New York University School of Law- Stevenson emphasizes that people are not being treated fairly in the judicial system of America. The book was written to give readers a close up look on mass incarceration and extreme punishment given in America. Convincing the readers is not easy, except if the author uses strategic techniques such as ethos, pathos, and logos. It is even more tough if the topic is sensitive and debatable as this one. Stevenson used these three techniques in a variety of different ways to convince the readers.
Through every hero’s life, there comes many injustices towards him/her not only because they’re trying to make a difference but also due to their appearance, ideas, and their ambition for justice. Stevenson’s first run in with injustice was a night while was just sitting in his car, being pointed at with a gun with a white male in control of his life. As stated we get a point of view of how Stevenson felt due to this particular incident, “What I replayed the whole incident in my mind, what bothered me most was the mount when the officer drew his weapon and I thought about running” (42). When proceeding with a case, Stevenson had to go visit a felon, but when trying to enter a while male correctional officer that owned a truck with many disgraceful bumper stickers stopped him in his tracks. This man filled with tattoos with no source of empathy or sympathy initiates a confrontation with Stevenson due to the power he is given. Although Stevenson came to visit many times, this guard was new to him stating, “You’re going to go into that bathroom and take everything off it you expect to get into my prison”
A broken; crooked Justice System is a sad but unforgotten tale of our nation. “Just Mercy” tells the everyday motif of an innocent person wrongfully convicted to death until new DNA evidence has been brought up. Even the states that still sentence people to capital punishment have botched people’s lives and cleared them of all charges years after their execution. “Just Mercy,” personalizes the struggle and hardship minorities face every day while dealing with injustice in the story of one lawyer Bryan Stevenson.
The book "Just Mercy" is a book that Stevenson wrote aknowledging the Economical Injustice in a racial world and how american social and ethnicity can affect the American legal system. Being the author, narrator, and protagonist of the book, Stevenson was a poor African American male growing up in a rural community in Delaware. Post High school, Stevenson continued his studies at Harvard Law School. There he and friend, Eva Ansley birthed the Equal Justice Initiative. Stevenson worked as an activist and lawyer. He stood by victims that were wrongfully accused some to be men, women and children of all races. Stevensons passion and drive for his clients exuded well throughout the entire book.It often displays many challenges he faced. Through his perseverance and dedication he paved a way for many people within the cases that he took on.
The book “Just Mercy” written by Bryan Stevenson, examine and expose the inequality in our criminal justice system. The story begins with Mr. Stevenson doing an internship program in Georgia. The internship program required him to visit an inmate named Henry who is sentenced to the death. Mr Stevenson at the time of his internship was a confused grad student who was uncertain of his future. After his visit from meeting Henry he realized that our justice system judges people unfairly. Mr. Stevenson vows to protect the poor from being wrongly condemned.
In his memoir, Just Mercy, Stevenson uses various rhetorical strategies and to educate his readers about injustices within the criminal justice system and the importance of eliminating them. Through the experiences of his clients, Stevenson is about to investigate the root causes of the injustices of mass incarceration. He discovers the solution lies in shifting attitudes,between different American communities, away from hatred and fear to empathy and compassion for one another. By expanding individual perspectives, the national community can redirect energy toward healing the trauma and struggles of impoverished communities rather than exploiting them; A challenge that Stevenson believes is worth fighting for if it means a legacy of unity and understanding for future generations.
Written by Eastern alum, Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy follows the personal story of Stevenson and his journey to find mercy in unjust situations. The first two chapters focus on how this journey was commenced. Choosing to defend a man with a “bad reputation”, Stevenson seeks justice for Walter McMillian. Wrongly accused of murder, Stevenson dives deeply into the subject of minorities being blamed for crimes that were not of their doing. Using himself as an example, Bryan was wrongly interrogated by police due to neighborhood stealing as he was simply sitting in his parked car enjoying music. Moving onto the topic of prison, where the falsely accused people go, prisons are being exposed for their cruelty towards the inmates. Stevenson provides letters from current prisoners giving their own experiences in prison. Reports of abuse, solitary confinement and torture that sometimes end in death are happening
The justice system should be changed before we convict another innocent person. In the Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, written by Bryan, Stevenson points out that the United States is a country that serves an injustice to its people. Just Mercy is a nonfiction book
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson has influenced me most. Bryan Stevenson is a public interest lawyer and the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Throughout his career thus far, he has won relief for dozens of condemned prisoners. The book reveals the astonishingly unjust criminal justice system in the U.S. that perpetuates systemic racism and punishes those who suffer from poverty and mental illness with the death penalty. Moreover, it also recounts how Stevenson navigated a way to help the poor and the incarcerated find justice, healing and hope to rebuild their lives.
In the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, Stevenson talked about the society in the 18th century had filled with racism. Black people did not have the same right with white people, and the court was injustice and racist. The purpose of the book by Bryan Stevenson was to show people the injustice and inequality towards colored people that happened in the 18th century court. Stevenson tried to make people flashback to the time that racism had dominated the society and to warn people to cherish the equality of all people regard their races today. His main ideas was people should not be judged based on their race; however, people should take care of each other and be fair to each other. Stevenson