#3 Argument: Chapter 7-Chapter 9

Just Mercy

Welcome back readers! Today I wanted to focus my attention more on the argumentative side of Just Mercy. What is Stevenson actually arguing about throughout the entirety of his book. I chose to do this one today because he gave many examples I'll be able to explain in the chapters I just read. 

The purpose of this book could be to just go through cases he's been through, it could just be writing about his most interesting cases, or, it could be arguing the rights of different races, showing the flaws in the justice system, proving that cases like his can still happen today. This book is more than just a story, it has a deeper meaning. Stevenson wants to show people the racism within the justice system. At one point in chapter eight, he slides in the comment, "no African Americans were allowed inside the courthouse(158)." He makes a point to mention this because the trial was for a young African American boy where he was surrounded by fifteen hundred white people. Why didn't they allow any African Americans in the courtroom though? It seems very wrong and even suspicious to do such a thing. I think this is one of the arguments Stevenson is making against the racist justice system. 

In another instance a page earlier on in chapter eight, Stevenson comes in with another example. He wrote, "in an earlier era, if you were thirteen or fourteen when you committed a crime, you would find yourself in the adult system with a lengthy sentence only if the crime was unusually high profile-- or committed by a black child against a white person in the South(157)." In this sentence, he adds on committed by a black person. He makes sure people know that it's not the same for black people. That's why it's another example of him proving that the justice system is racist. Taking the difference of a white child committing a crime and a black child committing a crime against a white person. He goes on to give an example, when two boys were thirteen and fourteen, they got wrongly convicted of rape and were sentenced to death. He doesn't say it directly; however, the paragraph foreshadows the truth, that it would've been a different sentence if it had of been two white boys. This is what he's arguing throughout the whole book. Stevenson doesn't just show but proves there's racism in our justice system. 

I also want to talk about four people Stevenson talked about. Trina, Ian, Antonio, and George. Trina accidently started a fire, killing two boys. The mother of the boys insisted it wasn't an accident. She was fourteen at the time and got condemned to life in prison. Her background in mental health and family life wasn't so good either. This case was disgusting because she didn't mean to do it and she was so young, only to die in prison. Even the judge was saddened by this case. She was later raped by a guard in prison and had son. I think it's terrible that they wouldn't even allow her to see her son. 

She was not white. 

Trina Garnett

The second child he mentioned was Ian. He shot a women through the jaw in an armed robbery. He was thirteen years old at the time and didn't work alone. Normally it's fifteen years in prison; however, the lawyer missed two things that got him life with no parole. He was sent into solitary confinement because he was so young and small. That was terrible on his mental health. When reading this, I felt so bad for this boy. He felt bad as well, and called the women he shot. He apologized and she actually ended up attempting to get him a reduced sentence. I think this is one of the most heart-warming stories I've read yet. 

He was not white.

Ian Manuel

The next boy was named Antonio Nunez who was associated with gang violence. He shot at some cops in a fake kidnaping. He wanted to be a police officer when he grew up. At fourteen years old he was sentenced to life when nobody was injured. This is normally not allowed until they are at least sixteen but that was for murder and this was for kidnaping so they did it anyway. I didn't like reading this story just due to the fact it made me so frustrated that the justice system could basically do whatever they wanted. 

He was not white.

Antonio Nunez

The last kid he talked about was George Stinney. Reading this story made me wanna cry. This poor boy got accused of murdering two girls who went to pick flowers. The only reason he was an option was because he was the last person to see them. They asked him to pick flowers. He was sentenced to death. After his death a older man confessed on his death bed. This story was so sad. He was only fourteen and he didn't even do it. He was wrongly executed and I feel like more stories like this should come out. 

He was not white. 

George Stinney

I wanted to make sure to talk about each of those cases and give my thoughts on them. They really impacted how I saw the justice system. I want it to do the same to you. 

Thank you for reading my blog, I know this one was a bit longer!

Works Cited

"Antonio Nuñez." Equal Justice Initiative, eji.org/cases/antonio-nunez/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

"Court Acknowledges Wrongful Execution of 14-Year Old George Stinney." Equal Justice Initiative, 19 Dec. 2014, eji.org/news/george-stinney-exonerated/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

"Ian Manuel." Equal Justice Initiative, eji.org/cases/ian-manuel/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

Stevenson, Bryan. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. New York, Spiegel & Grau, 2014.

"Trina Garnett." Equal Justice Initiative, eji.org/cases/trina-garnett/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.