Kansas Dad has assigned this book in his college courses. He recommended it when I wanted to cover some modern issues in First Son's government course. It's a powerful condemnation of our justice system, pointing out many ways in which some groups of people consistently do not receive equal treatment under the law.
Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice. Finally, I've come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned. (pp. 17-18)
Mr. Stevenson often defends people who claim to be innocent, who face an uphill battle to prove their innocence, in a country where we should all be innocent until proven guilty. But he also defends those who are guilty, but have not been treated justly. Sometimes, our laws are good and must be enforced equally. Sometimes, our sentencing laws deserve to be repealed or modified.
So many of us have become afraid and angry. We've become so fearful and vengeful that we've thrown away children, discarded the disabled, and sanctioned the imprisonment of the sick and the weak--not because they are a threat to public safety or beyond rehabilitation but because we think it makes us seem tough, less broken. I thought of the victims of violent crime and the survivors of murdered loved ones, and how we've pressured them to recycle their pain and anguish and give it back to the offenders we prosecute. I thought of the many ways we've legalized vengeful and cruel punishments, how we've allowed our victimization to justify the victimization of others. We've submitted to the harsh instinct to crush those among us whose brokenness is most visible. (p. 290)
Some of the most powerful stories in the book are those in which the author feels intimidated or fearful. He is a lawyer, but he's also a black man, and often, more often than most of us would care to admit, he is presumed threatening. In one instance, a judge and prosecutor encounter him in a court room and assume he is the defendant. Their behavior toward him is deprecating and generally disrespectful.
Of course innocent mistakes occur, but the accumulated insults and indignations caused by racial presumptions are destructive in ways that are hard to measure. Constantly being suspected, accused, watched, doubted, distrusted, presumed guilty, and even feared is a burden borne by people of color that can't be understood or confronted without a deeper conversation about our history of racial injustice. (pp. 300-301)
Though Mr. Stevenson points out many instances where our laws and our justice system are flawed, he asks much more important questions than whether we treat people fairly. He asks if we treat people mercifully. I think this concept is so important for Christians.
I told the congregation [at Walter's funeral] that Walter's case had taught me that the death penalty is not about whether people deserve to die for the crimes they commit. The real question of capital punishment in this country is, Do we deserve to kill?
Finally and most importantly, I told those gathered in the church that Walter had taught me that mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given. Mercy is most empowering, liberating, and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving. The people who haven't earned it, who haven't even sought it, are the most meaningful recipients of our compassion. (pp. 313-314)
If we see Christ in all people, even those who are criminals, who have in some cases committed terrible crimes, how should we behave towards them? What should be our response as individuals, and what should we be asking of our lawmakers and judges? This book will be a great addition to our modern government course.
I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. Kansas Dad purchased our copy.
