Today we discussed the intro and chapter 1 for Just Mercy.
Hopefully, this served as a review for you. There are many ways that you can connect Just Mercy to the three paradigms and the three concepts that we looked at. Be able to explain and apply each of the following:
social construction of reality
sociological imagination
sociological mindfulness
For the book discussion, let me draw your attention to a few passages that I find particularly powerful:
Page 17: “In this book you will
learn the story of Walter’s case, which taught me about our system’s disturbing
indifference to inaccurate or unreliable verdicts, our comfort with bias, and
our tolerance of unfair prosecutions and convictions.Walter’s experience taught me how our system
traumatizes and victimizes people when we exercise our power to convict and
condemn irresponsibly-not just the accused but the also their families, their
communities, and even the victims of crime.But Walter’s case also taught me something else: that there is light
within this darkness.”
Page 17-18 – “Each of
us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done...the opposite of poverty is
not wealth… it’s justice….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… We
are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the
decency of a community, a state, a nation.
Fear and anger can make us vindictive and abusive, unjust and unfair,
until we all suffer from the absence of mercy and we condemn ourselves as much
as we victimize others. The closer we
get to mass incarceration and extreme levels of punishment, the more I believe
it is necessary to recognize that we all need mercy, we all need justice and –perhaps-
we all need some measure of unmerited grace.”
Recall that a sociological imagination is understanding that an individual's experience is shaped by where and when they live. If you have questions, please consult my post from yesterday and ask a student sitting near you. Today, I want you to use data to use a sociological imagination to understand your own life better. We will compare North Chicago to SHS/Lincolnshire. North Chicago is just 10 miles northwest of SHS.
Use your sociological imagination to analyze the three data sources below. Using your sociological imagination, create a hypothesis for each of the three data sources. Be sure to cite data to support your hypothesis.
2. Compare the community data from CMAP. Here are community snapshots for North Chicago and Lincolnshire. Hypothesize how the data might shape your experience, opportunities, and challenges if you lived in North Chicago as opposed to Lincolnshire.
3. How might this data reveal that some of the private troubles of different students are really public issues? 4. Please use a sociological imagination using this research from the Pew Research Center. How might this help you understand your own life better? Cite data.
What are the strengths of the U.S. justice system?
What are the challenges of the U.S. justice system?
Do you think that the U.S. should use capital punishment?
About the book:
A
powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion
call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and
influential lawyers of our time.
Bryan Stevenson was a
young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice
dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly
condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our
criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a
young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t
commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political
machinations, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of
mercy and justice forever.
JUST MERCY is at once
an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age,
a moving window into the
lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the
pursuit of justice.
As you read, look for connections to sociology.Annotate the book based on the guide
below.Just Mercy is a true story
and thus serves as a real-world example to which sociology concepts can be
applied.You will be required to apply
the sociology concepts in class to the stories in the book.
Alignment to
sociology by unit:
Unit 1: Thinking Sociologically
Introduction:
Higher Ground
Chapter 1:
Mockingbird Players
Meeting
Walter McMillan
Chapter 2:
Stand
The
dynamics of criminal justice.
Unit 2: Culture
Chapter 3:
Trials and Tribulations
Walter’s
Trial moved to a different county.
Chapter 4:
The Old Rugged Cross
Story
of Herbert Richardson; Veteran, mental illness & death penalty
Unit 3: Socialization
Chapter 5:
Of the Coming of John
Walter’s
trial has new testimony from Darnell Houston