Carole Knits

october zinnia
october zinnia
martinis with a view
martinis with a view
gettysburg fence for
gettysburg fence for
germinate shawl on rocks
germinate shawl on rocks
field of flags 2
field of flags 2
color affection with edge
color affection with edge
cedar leaf shawlette 2
cedar leaf shawlette 2
3_27_2014
3_27_2014
3_18_13
3_18_13
2_24_2014
2_24_2014
1_11_13
1_11_13
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits
  • Home
  • Carole Julius Photography
You are here: Home / Books / Read With Us: Just Mercy Book Discussion Week 3

Read With Us: Just Mercy Book Discussion Week 3

November 19, 2019 By Carole

Hello and welcome to the 3rd week of our book discussion of Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. The coverage for this week is for chapters 12 through 16 and the epilogue. As Kym and Bonny have both explained, please join the discussion by leaving a comment here on the blog. I’ll be responding to your comments directly IN the comments, so please do check back once in a while to see how the discussion is going. Please feel free to respond to other commenters as well. We realize that this is not the most ideal discussion format and that it’s somewhat cumbersome and a little awkward but it’s the most reasonable way we could think of for our beta test and it has worked out okay the last two weeks.

So. Welcome! Let’s pretend that it’s Friday night and you’re all gathered in my living room enjoying Friday Night Snacks as we begin to discuss . . .

The book focuses primarily on the case of Walter McMillian but there are other cases presented as well, most dealing with women and juveniles. Which of those other cases were memorable for you and why? What emotions did they bring up for you? Were there any moments of satisfaction?

The title of Chapter 15 is Broken and Stevenson writes quite a bit about how we are all broken by something. The things that break us and hurt us may be different but our shared brokenness connects us. He further theorizes that hiding the most broken among us by locking them away in prison only serves to reinforce the cycle and that perhaps instead we should acknowledge our brokenness: if we owned up to our weaknesses, our deficits, our biases, our fears . . . maybe we would look harder for solutions to caring for the disabled, the abused, the neglected, and the traumatized. I had a notion that if we acknowledged our brokenness we could no longer take pride in mass incarceration, in executing people, in our deliberate indifference to the most vulnerable. If you’re comfortable, share the ways that you or those around you are broken and discuss how being vulnerable about the things that have hurt us can make the world better for everyone.

This final question is my big bold question, the one that might make some people really uncomfortable but I’m going to put it out there anyway. Stevenson concludes that there are four periods in American history that have shaped our approach to race relations and justice: slavery, the period following the collapse of Reconstruction until World War II, Jim Crow, and now mass incarceration which shows us statistically that while people of color make up 30% of the population of our country, they account for 60% of those imprisoned. What do you think about the statement that mass incarceration is the new Jim Crow? Can you think of ways that we can work against this and bring about change?

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailRead With Us: The Fall Book Announcement Default ThumbnailRead With Us: Some Discussion Details Default ThumbnailRead With Us: Fever Discussion Default ThumbnailRead With Us: Wild Game Discussion Time
« Self Talk Matters
Watercolor Wednesday »

Filed Under: Books, Read With Us

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    November 19, 2019 at 7:10 am

    I was really struck by the cases of the children, particularly the boy (whose name escapes me now) who shot his abusive stepfather. I was also appalled to learn about the harsh sentences that are still legal to impose on minors in my home state. Science has shown that the brain, and specifically the part of the brain that controls executive function and decision making, isn’t fully developed until one’s early 20s. To me, this means that we cannot treat children like adults and we can’t hold them responsible for making poor decisions the same way we do adults.

    As for your bold statement, I’d say Stevenson is making a very strong argument, but I’d say it doesn’t go far enough. While mass incarceration of people of color is a huge issue and one that needs to be addressed, I’d say the bigger issue is that of systemic white supremacy. It’s at the heart of the problem and of so many others, so while we can try to fix the issues within the criminal justice system, I don’t think we can completely fix them unless we also address the underlying structure that allows the inequalities to exist. How do we do that? I’m not sure, but I know it’s going to take a lot of us working together and admitting to some hard truths, particularly those of us who benefit from the system.

    • Carole says

      November 19, 2019 at 12:58 pm

      Replying to Sarah:
      I agree, it was the children’s stories that really bothered me, too. The story of Joe, the young man in the wheelchair who got stuck in the holding cage, was just awful. I like the Stevenson points out that many of those juveniles matured into adults who were confused about their behavior and why they had done what they had and that’s a distinction not often seen with adult prisoners.
      I love you for saying we need to go even further than dealing with mass incarceration and we need to deal with white supremacy and recognize that it’s the heart of the problem.

  2. Kat says

    November 19, 2019 at 7:47 am

    Like Sarah, I was most profoundly struck by the cases involving children. I was horrified that children are placed in facilities with adults. Likewise, I was struck by the ease at which we incarcerate those with mental deficiencies. And, finally – the case of the prisoner who had been a victim of the foster care system. I mean from putting their belongs in a trash bag (this is a common practice in all states) to horrific treatment in what should be safe places – these kids have no hope in life.

    And, for your bold statement… I say AMEN! Anyone who thinks that we are an equal society need look no further than those statistics. We have just replaced Jim Crow with incarceration. And, we (whites) think we are not racist, not bigoted, and are entirely fair – after all, these are criminals. (and I truly hope my sarcasm comes through clearly!) It would be an eye-opening thing for whites to experience just a bit of what BiPOC experience on a daily basis. Just a bit, because I don’t believe we could take more than that.

    This book opened my eyes to so many things.

    • Carole says

      November 19, 2019 at 1:05 pm

      Replying to Kat:
      I agree with you on all your points. White people think that they aren’t racist because they aren’t running around in KKK hoods and lynching black people but the reality is racism is much more systemic than those extremes. Have we stopped doing that stuff? I suppose we have. But have we stopped being racist? Have we dismantled white supremacy? Absolutely not.

  3. Bonny says

    November 19, 2019 at 8:48 am

    I was particularly struck by the children’s cases and those of the mentally ill. Charlie, the 14-year-old that shot his mother’s drunken boyfriend after he beat her into unconsciousness, and was charged with murder, and Trina Garnett, a mentally ill woman who had served 38 years in prison in PA are two examples of people that are unable to make reasoned decisions and speak for themselves. That does not mean they should be excused for their actions, but intervention and mental health treatment could go a long way towards mitigating the injustice of lifelong incarceration without parole.

    In answer to your third question, I think Sarah has made an excellent point that I don’t think I can improve upon. Incarceration may sound like a solution, but we have to admit the problems with it — prejudice, bias, fear, and different standards for people of color. I think that mass incarceration is one symptom of systemic white supremacy. It is very difficult to change, especially with an overtly racist, intolerant, prejudiced president promoting these views, but it took us generations to get to this point and will take generations of working together to improve. We can (and must) all learn to be better and do better, bit by bit.

    • Carole says

      November 19, 2019 at 1:07 pm

      In reply to Bonny:
      Our treatment of the mentally ill is deplorable and when we don’t know what to do with people with those problems we all too readily lock them away. They do not belong in prison. You and Sarah are spot on with your thoughts on mass incarceration and the underlying problem of white supremacy. I know recognizing it is part of the solution but I’m wondering what else I can do, particularly in my town where we are sorely lacking in diversity.

  4. eileen says

    November 19, 2019 at 9:35 am

    I think your question should make us all uncomfortable, change comes with some and often times a lot of discomfort…then, often it is real change. Jim Crow is alive and practiced in the US! Oh, we may not hear about actual ‘lynching’, a tactic used to terrorize Black communities for those who stepped out of the blatent racist social structure designed by white culture. Jim Crow can be seen in voter suppression, red lining, the Judicial System, educational system, and the work place!
    I have chosen to call out racism, especially in my small world of knitting and quilting groups. I try to call it out in a respectful manner, not an ‘in your face’ manner, usually by asking a question. I choose not to isolate myself from people with racist views, how else will they ever hear other views. Racist are not born racist, racism is taught! We all have some racist (fear), beliefs regarding different cultures, religions, people who look different than “me”. This is not to be hidden behind though, but examined and worked through, it’s difficult, uncomfortable, and often times painful to look in a mirror.

    • Carole says

      November 19, 2019 at 1:10 pm

      Replying to Eileen:
      It does my heart good to hear that you have chosen to call out racism in a way that raises awareness without alienating people. Those are hard situations to be in and hard conversations to have! I recently had one with my nephew and was just at a loss for words when I tried to explain that racism only applies to people of color and white people just can’t be victims of it.

  5. Mary says

    November 19, 2019 at 11:49 am

    Great questions, Carole – and I am nodding my head in complete agreement with the answers already provided. I do love that I have the privilege of hanging out with so many smart – and well-spoken! – women!!

    • Carole says

      November 19, 2019 at 1:09 pm

      Replying to Mary:
      Yes, Mary, we are indeed lucky to be surrounded by women who understand, push us to think harder, and challenge us to do something.

  6. Bonny says

    November 19, 2019 at 2:04 pm

    I just read this NPR article: https://www.npr.org/2019/11/18/780539163/u-n-expert-faults-u-s-for-inhuman-treatment-and-high-incarceration-of-children

    TL; DR: The U.S. has the highest child incarceration rate IN THE WORLD. (Uppercase mine)

  7. Suzanne says

    November 19, 2019 at 5:49 pm

    Ah darn, I read the book and forgot all about the discussion of it. I was distracted by a few health issues and family issues. I am now following the other blogs so I don’t miss out again.

    I found the book very hard to read, the stories were so sad and made me mad at the treatment people received. I learned a lot about the justice system and didn’t realize the way minors were treated. I am glad that there are lawyers like Bryan out there that are doing everything they can to help those that are wrongly incarcerated. It seems like some prosecutors just want to close a case and they don’t care who they put in prison as long as it makes them look good for solving a case.

    • Carole says

      November 19, 2019 at 8:39 pm

      Replying to Suzanne:
      I agree that it was difficult to read but I also think we have to look at the difficult things if we’re going to change them. Like you I’m glad that there are people like Bryan who are so invested in making changes and I think we have to do whatever we can to support them.

  8. Jane says

    November 19, 2019 at 8:27 pm

    I would agree with this author that these four periods that have shaped race relations and the so-called criminal justice system in this country. I wonder if white supremacy and silence in the face of an unjust system are THE common threads that wind through all four of these times. Speaking up, speaking out and making our opinions known to elected officials is one small way to make a difference. At any rate, this is my opinion and I enjoy hearing from everyone.

    • Carole says

      November 19, 2019 at 8:41 pm

      Replying to Jane:
      I do think white supremacy is the common thread and I’m glad that you brought up elected officials. Changing who we put in the seats to make the decisions is one thing we can all do.

Archives

carole AT caroleknits DOT net
my read shelf:
Carole's book recommendations, liked quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists (read shelf)

2021 Reading Challenge

2021 Reading Challenge
Carole has read 15 books toward her goal of 75 books.
hide
15 of 75 (20%)
view books

carolejuliusphoto

Flower haul, day 2. #flowersaremagical #containerg Flower haul, day 2. #flowersaremagical #containergardening #timetoplant #givemealltheplants
It was a good day for plant shopping, my annual tr It was a good day for plant shopping, my annual tradition with my gardening bestie @doemack87 . I think we even left some plants behind … maybe. 🤣 #plantshopping #containergardening #plantsgalore #flowersaremagical
Pizza perfection tonight! Margherita for me and pe Pizza perfection tonight! Margherita for me and pepperoni for him. I’m loving our @oonihq pizza oven. #oonipizzaoven #ooni #margheritapizza #pepperonipizza #homemadeisbest #imadeitmyself #summernights
Fred has assured me that there is no pea under tha Fred has assured me that there is no pea under that pile of quilts. #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecat #princessandthepea #pileofquilts
First al fresco breakfast of the season, air fryer First al fresco breakfast of the season, air fryer hash browns with avocado and crispy fried eggs. Delicious! And so nice to enjoy under the pergola. #breakfastalfresco #inmybackyard #airfryerhashbrown
Fridays on the deck are the best Fridays of all. # Fridays on the deck are the best Fridays of all. #fridaynightsnacks #martinitime #cheeseandcrackers #happyhourathome #itsspringbutfeelslikesummer
Ranunculus season is short, gotta enjoy these beau Ranunculus season is short, gotta enjoy these beauties while we can. #ranunculus #flowersaremagical #springblooms #crossstreetflowerfarm
Two kitties in a basket! #fredandgeorge #siameseca Two kitties in a basket! #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecorner #siamesecats
It’s Friday night, friends. Time for snacks. Ooo It’s Friday night, friends. Time for snacks. Ooof, what a week. #fridaynightsnacks #cheeseandcrackers #martinitime #thosenapkinsthough #iwishiwasaunicornsoicouldstabpeoplewithmyhead #fuckyouscotus
Egg in the hole for breakfast this Saturday mornin Egg in the hole for breakfast this Saturday morning. So delicious with @paindavignoncafe bread and local eggs. #saturdaymorningvibes #egginthehole #itswhatsforbreakfast #localfood #eatlocal
In this week’s adventures with the Ooni, we have In this week’s adventures with the Ooni, we have expanded to pepperoni. It’s quite good! @ooni.it #oonipizzaoven #homemadeisbest #pepperonipizza #pizzafriday #fridaynightsnacks
Hoppy Spring! #happyspring #happyeaster #easterdec Hoppy Spring! #happyspring #happyeaster #easterdecor #daffodilbouquet
My first pizza in our new @ooni.it pizza oven. The My first pizza in our new @ooni.it pizza oven. There’s room for improvement but it’s still very very tasty. #fridaynightsnacks #pizzafriday #oonipizzaoven #neopolitanpizza #margaritapizza #imadeitmyself #homemadeisbest #martinitime
The squill is blooming, it must be spring! #squill The squill is blooming, it must be spring! #squill #scilla #springishere #flowersaremagical
I’ve been making sourdough bread for over 2 year I’ve been making sourdough bread for over 2 years now (I started before the pandemic, ironically enough) and this might just be one of my best loaves. The dough was sluggish yesterday and not ready to be proofed when I went to bed so I stuck the plastic bucket in the fridge and hoped for the best. Turns out the overnight bulk fermentation resulted in a beautiful, bouncy dough. I can’t wait to cut into it and check out the crumb but it’s still cooling down. #sourdoughbread #imadeitmyself #homemadeisbest #breadbaker
Happy Spring, friends! #springishere #snowdrops #o Happy Spring, friends! #springishere #snowdrops #ostara #flowersaremagical #inmygardentoday
And just like that … Friday Night Snacks are bac And just like that … Friday Night Snacks are back outside. #fridaynightsnacks #cheeseandcrackers #falsespring #outdoordining #martinitime #cocktailsonthedeck #itslikeweneverleft
Sláinte! #happystpatricksday #cruditè #minishepa Sláinte! #happystpatricksday #cruditè #minishepardspie #everybodysirishonstpatricksday
Oh heyyyyy #siamesecats #fredandgeorge #siamesecat Oh heyyyyy #siamesecats #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecorner #blueeyedcat #littermatesforlife
Happy FriYay, friends. The world is heavy and thin Happy FriYay, friends. The world is heavy and things feel uncertain, it’s okay to take a respite and enjoy some drinks and snacks to wind down the week. #fridaynightsnacks #cocktailsathome #martinitime #respitefromtheworld #cheeseandcrackers
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Categories

ABC Along Adventures of Dale and Carole Birthdays Bloggers Books Charity Knitting Contests Eye Candy Friday Feeling Crafty Fiber Festivals Food Good, Bad, Ugly Hmmm Knitting Knitting Olympics Macro Monday Memes Monday On My Mind Movies One Little Word Photography Project Spectrum Quilting Random Read With Us Reenacting Run For Your Life Saturday Posts Selfies Show & Tell Sock Knitting Spinning Sunday Funnies Swaps Ten on Tuesday Thankfulness That's Life Think Write Thursday Three Things Throwback Thursday Thursday Things Uncategorized Vacations Wordless Words in the Wild

Copyright 2014 Carole Knits · Log in