All criminals are evil and always deserve to be punished is an idea that many people are taught at a young age, but this idea is filled with bias. Naturally, everyone has biases, but there is always another side to all problems, people just need to listen. Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson is a tremendously, inspirational book about his experiences as a lawyer for people on death row. Many of the people he works with have been unfairly accused, mainly for the reason that they are all black. Bryan talks about many of the people he’s helped or attempted to help get off death row, but specifically the book talks about a man named Walter McMillian who has been falsely accused for a crime he didn’t commit. Although there are chapters that can be emotionally triggering, it is important to read in order to understand the Criminal Justice system and the reasons why it doesn’t work. Just Mercy teaches that justice is supposed to be used for creating a fair society, but instead it is used to silence the oppressed. Justice is used to silence the oppressed by using their weaknesses against them, forcing others through threats to provide fake evidence, and lie as long as all truth stays hidden.
Justice is used to silence the oppressed by using the weakness of others to hide the truth. Bryan Stevenson explains how Herbert–a felon Bryan is trying to get off of death row–was convicted only because he had been an easy target, and no one had the option to speak on his behalf. “The death penalty can be imposed fairly only after carefully considering all the reasons why death might not be the appropriate sentence, and that didn’t happen in Herbert’s case. I was increasingly becoming convinced that Herbert was facing execution because he had been an easy target. He was unaided and easily condemned by a system that was inattentive to the precise legal requirements of capital punishment” (Stevenson 79). Herbert committed a crime because he had had many traumatic experiences which resulted in Herbert suffering from a mental disability which led him to committing the crime. He did try to kill someone, but it doesn’t seem fair that he nor his family should suffer more trauma through his execution. He just needs help, and he can recover. Justice is used to silence the oppressed by abusing power to make choices about how the truth is shared.
Justice is used to silence the oppressed by threatening others to blame the oppressed. Bryan Stevenson talks to a man, named Ralph Myers about the truth behind Walters conviction–that Walter isn’t guilty; it’s all a lie. “He told us about being pressured by the sheriff and the ABI and threatened with the death penalty if he didn’t testify against Walter McMillian. He made accusations of official corruption, talked about his involvement in the Pittman murder, and revealed his earlier attempts to recant” (Stevenson 136). The sheriff and the ABI threatened Ralph with the death penalty, so in order to get out of it Ralph had to agree. Justice is used to silence the oppressed by making others fear for even their own lives just so the oppressed get blamed.
Justice is used to silence the oppressed by lying. Bryan Stevenson points out how the state only has one piece of evidence to support the claim that Walter is guilty. “The State had no physical evidence linking Mr. McMillian to this crime, the State had no motive, the State had no witness to the crime, the State had only the testimony of Ralph Myers” (Stevenson 168). There was no real evidence because Walter was never guilty. Justice is used to silence the oppressed by creating lies in order to maintain racial dominance.
Justice is used as an excuse to silence the oppressed by using the weaknesses of the oppressed to create lies, threatening others to put blame on the oppressed, and lie about evidence, even if the only evidence brought forth is the lie. Just Mercy teaches readers today that almost all ideas taught around what criminals are like and how they should be treated only show one way of thinking, but not truth. People should never make assumptions about someone for one action they made until considering the views of everyone affected by the act and the reasons they could’ve chosen to act that way.