#5: Relevance/Final Thoughts: Chapter 13-Chapter 16

 Just Mercy

Welcome back readers! I've finally finished reading the book and I loved it. Unfortunately this means this is my last blog post. I wanted to touch on the relevance of this book and similar issues that are going on in present times. Then, I wanted to commence my final thoughts on the book and issues and questions it has raised. 

In chapter fourteen, there was one sentence that could relate to a whole lot of crimes committed today. The line was, "they didn't have to kill him"(267). It was talking about Stevenson's grandparents, where his grandfather was murdered at eighty-six years old over a black and white tv robbery. He described this as a senseless murder. This made me think of the recent event of George Floyd. He was held down, knee on his neck in a cruel and unusual arrest. He was killed. This also senseless murder sparked outrage around the United States. It was indeed a senseless murder. Floyd attempted to ask the officer on top of me to get off because he was unable to breathe; however, the officer stayed put. The New York Times states in an article, "video shows officers taking a series of actions that violated the policies of the Minneapolis Police Department and turned fatal, leaving Mr. Floyd unable to breathe, even as he and onlookers called out for help(Hill)." A tragic death that left people saying, they didn't have to kill him. An act of unnecessary aggression, just like in Stevenson's grandfathers murder. Stevenson talks about many more cases he had, where you can find similar or the same things happening in present times.  

George Floyd

The next thing I wanted to do was discuss the book as a whole and give my final thoughts on it. Throughout the book, many past and present issues were pressed on. The most talked about issues were racial problems in the justice system, children being tried as adults, and mentally ill people being condemned to die. Reading this book made me question, how many more people have been falsely imprisoned due to their racial background? Actually, it made me question a lot more than one thing. My viewpoints on certain subjects were swayed. I supported the death penalty fully before reading this book. Now, after reading about people who were on death row and some innocent people whom were killed on it, really made me rethink some things. I'm not going to lie, I still do support the death penalty; however, if the person is mentally ill or doesn't have a fair trial then it's wrong. I know, that's uncontrollable about who chooses their fate but I can't not support the death penalty when it deserves to be given. The book honestly got me conflicted with my own thoughts, which honestly amazes me. To have one singular book have me have to re-think something I've believed in my whole life, it just proves to be an amazing story. 

This book also had me questioning the morality of people. While reading Walter's case, I just couldn't understand how the people in the police force, especially officer Tate, could just stand back and watch an innocent mans life be taken from it. I know he was able to be saved, but what about all the others they put away over a made up story. Not everyone can be saved and Stevenson made that clear as he talked of a few clients he had who actually had been executed. McMillian was discriminated against. How many others were there? Who held the same fate, yet nobody was able to save them in time? It makes me mad thinking about how the justice system gets away with all of it. Stevenson said officer Tate stayed for over 25 years in the same position even after falsely accusing McMillian and almost killing him. He knew from the beginning that McMillian was innocent. It's just disgusting. Like I said in my very first blog post, the judicial system will find one person and do everything they can to prove them guilty. Seeing as from when I first watched the Ted Bundy documentary, where I was hesitant to believe that's true, to the point where the same thing happened in the McMillian case. I thought Bundy was just saying that to try and crawl his way out; but, now I see that wasn't the case. What else is being hidden from the public eye? Who's going to bring it into light? 

So, there we have it, my final blog post. The book was so insightful, while being intriguing and fun to read at the same time. The only thing I wish Stevenson put in there was if the real murderer for the McMillian case was caught. But overall, I would recommend this book to everyone. It can teach you and make you question things you thought you knew, and that's what makes a good book. Farwell readers!!

Works Cited

"George Floyd: What Happened in the Final Moments of His Life." BCC News, 16 July 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52861726. Accessed 1 Apr. 2021.

Hill, Evan. "How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody." New York Times, 18 Mar. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html. Accessed 1 Apr. 2021.

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