JUST MERCY
Just Mercy was brought out in 2019 and it is about black Judicial Politics in Alabama in the 80's and 90's. The Story begins in 1989 where a man called Walter Mcmillian played by Jamie Fox is on death row for a murder he says he didnt commit. Lots of people say they are innocent on death row but the difference here is that there is next to no evidence. Bryan Stevenson is drafted in as the attorney of all those at the time who are on death row. As I write this I cannot believe that the death penalty is still a thing. The death penalty still exist in 7 of America's 52 states, one of which is California not used as much but it is still there. Thankfully Stevenson is very perseverant because at first walter does not trust Stevenson and thinks that he is just going to get his hopes up like the last person and then just drop him and give up. He does not know how far Stevenson will go for justice.
I can remember 1989 I was 11, that's the year I started high school now I can't remember my high school years in great deal I remember they were better than my junior ones. The point is though that I can remember it, in fact it is the year that my husband was born. It is less than 40 years ago. I have to be honest I thought that by this time oververt herd racism was a thing of the past. Nonetheless I have realised that racism is not a thing of the past not even today. In fact the systems that were in place during the slavery plantation days, when many white families owned black slaves still exist in some way today.
That is why only 31 years ago this even happened in America, sadly if we dig a bit deeper and not too deep we will see injustices all around us that are still a reality due to these systems which were perhaps not invented but were fortified in 17-18th century.
The whole conviction of Jonny D as he is known to his friends and community hinges on the testimony of a white convicted felon. Despite the case against Walter being so flimsy. It seems that the very fact that he is black and coming from a black neighbourhood is enough to convict him. No-one wants to re-visit this case. It was a quick conviction with the testimony of someone and they want to leave it there.
Ryan Myers is manipulated into giving the testimony in exchange for a lighter sentence .
You would think that it would be easy to get this conviction overturned but actually Stevenson goes through so many trials whilst he fights for Walter. A number of times he has a run in with the law because they are out to get him, not that he has done something wrong at all. His car is searched and two officers steal the documents that he has to help him with the case are stolen by the police. He is strip searched before he can see his client and they try to hang a conviction of perjury.
I would put forward that the reason that he gets treated with such contempt and disrespect is because he is a black attorney and what's more he is trying to represent black men on death row.
Quite frankly the story brought me to tears especially when some of the men were clearly innocent
There is a scene which really stands out to me. When Stevenson is coming into the prison there is a field at the front and all the men are in white uniforms tilling or working on the ground. For me it was a very moving scene, it was reminiscent of other movies I have seen where Afro slaves are working the cotton fields. It could be that they were going for that imagery but it was certainly very powerful.
The movie and other movies since have made me realise that our world is a corrupt place and we cannot always trust the authorities that are meant to fight for justice for us or are meant to even look out for us.
Now I am not saying that all authorities are corrupt or are out to get you. One needs discernment in this world.
At this point I can make the point that I am a believer and so I don't automatically trust the authorities, or shall I say I don't take things at face value. Recent times has shown me this more and more. We need the guidance of the holy spirit more each day for every decision we make. So when we face something where there are authorities like social services, justice system, the police, doctors, lawyers, the council etc I used to assume they would fight my corner, that's what they are there for right?
In recent years I have realised that these systems are not always fair, in fact they are there for those at the top to benefit. Yes they are meant to benefit the people that need the services but I have seen that this is not always the case. Therefore we need discernment from the holy spirit when we are working out what cause of action to take.
I have also learnt that we often need to fight for those things that we are entitled to or in order to see justice. I have learnt from working with others and even in my own life that if you just go with the flow of life and just let lift happen to you then you could end up in a really difficult position.
I know there are many of you out there who are not believers and to be frank I actually do not how you live, how you make decisions without guidance. It is amazing to have the someone who tells me which way to go. I suppose many of you trust in the authorities but as you can see from this film we cannot always trust them.
I would love to think that what happens in this movie would not happen today but to be honest I am not so sure that would be true. There are still so many injustices in the world and particularly around what are considered to be minor ethnicities in places like England and America.
Just last year there was the George Floyd incident which shocked the world and woke us up to the fact that racism is alive and kicking. Since then I have seen a number of videos where I have seen senseless racist violence by the American police, one is a young boy who is manhandled and accosted by 6 officers yes you read that right 6 officers, the second is a disabled man in a wheelchair who is beaten up by officers and the last one is an unarmed man who is shot when he is not posing a threat.
Now the videos have died down but this issue has not gone away. I have heard stories of kindergarden teachers who were asked to age some white and black children they ended up being the same age but the black children were aged older and consequently would receive harsher treatment. It seems we are conditioned to think that black people are criminals or at least to be afraid of them. This needs to change but we also as white need to recognise that we have been conditioned to think this way.
My heart is sad that we are not all treated the same and although I would shout that everyone should be treated the same and I don't think of colour at all, that is because nothing has happened in my life which has led me to. Nonetheless I realise that is not the same for my friends from other ethnicities particularly a black ethnicity. I have started to hear about story upon story where they have had to fight harder than their white counterparts for the same opportunities, or where they simply have not had the same opportunities. I think really in this day and age but this thing of racism is so deeply engrained in our culture and history that those of us who are white do not even recognise our own thoughts and attitudes. I am aware here that I need to be careful as I am white writing this but I am just sharing my recent journey to realising that this oppression has never gone away and it is not going to anytime soon until we start recognising that there is a problem and those of who are white need to start examining ourselves closely our thoughts and attitudes.
I have become aware of a phrase called White Supremacy, there are things that I will never experience. There are things that I will never notice because I am white.
HARRIET TUBMAN
MISS VIRGINIA
I watched yet another film recently called Miss Virginia
MORE COMING
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