Blog Post #5: Final Thoughts - Just Mercy

Hello readers and welcome back to my last and final blog post pertaining to the novel Just Mercy written by Bryan Stevenson. It has certainly been a long journey, and I am sad it is coming to an end. Reading and writing these blog posts have become part of my weekly schedule, that I will miss. 

Bryan Stevenson

In the last blog post, I expressed my emotion regarding the living conditions at the Tutwiler Women's Prison, along with sharing more information about Walter McMillian's case, and how he was officially free from all charges. Although he was free physically, and permanently off the death row, mentally he was still in a very poor and confused state of mind. In the last few chapters, Stevenson discusses Walter's mental state, along with his own, which was crucial to their character development throughout the novel.

When I finished the novel, I was blown away. I couldn't stop thinking about what Walter had gone through, along with the other children and adults Stevenson had mentioned and tried to help in his story. I was amazed by Stevenson's admiration and knowledge he provided to his clients and treated them as equals. He never acted above them or gave them a hard time. He truly wanted to help and save them, out of the goodness of his own heart (the whole reason he became an attorney!). Stevenson thrived at his job because of his determination and will to succeed. Not to say he was successful in every case, he did all he could in most of them. 

In the most recent chapters, we learned more about Walter's life after his release. Stevenson explains how Walter has his own tree logging business and how he has been attempting to make a living for himself. An accident on the job site left him in bad shape and confused in the hospital. He even had a period of time where he was so delirious he thought he was going back on death row. He was in a PTSD state of mind. After he recovered, he decided to pursue another business by selling old used junk like car parts, scrap metal, and more. He worked hard nonetheless.

In Chapter 14, we learn the story of a young boy named Joe Sullivan. He along with two other men robbed an elderly woman's house. Later that day, the women had her house broken into again, and she was raped and abused. She couldn't identify anyone on the scene, and only came up with the fact her rapist was Black. The Police had destroyed the DNA samples along with the Rape Kit they had used. Because Joe physically had no proof or evidence he didn't commit the crime, he was convicted and sentenced to life in an adult prison. When he was in prison, he had a very tough time: he was raped repeatedly and attempted suicide. When Stevenson and Joe finally met, they bonded immediately. Joe asked Stevenson childish questions and Stevenson realized how innocent and lonely the young boy really was. He regularly writes to Stevenson through the mail. At the end of the Chapter, Joe recited a poem he wrote, and they shared a very sweet moment together.

Joe Sullivan

I could easily be writing and summarizing this book for hours, but I think what is important to mention is a crucial statement that Stevenson said, that really stuck with me through the end of this novel. On Page 289, Stevenson expressed, "We are all broken by something. We have all hurt someone and have been hurt. We all share the condition of brokeness even if our brokenness is not equivalent". After I read that, I knew I wanted to mention it here. It made me truly think of how broken I am. But what really got me was that my brokeness cannot be compared to others. Everyone is at a different level, and you shouldn't compare yourself. By denying your brokenness, is almost like denying your own humanity. Stevenson discusses his personal experience of struggling with inequality, poverty, and injustice. He realizes that being close to all of that illuminates his own brokenness. Being broken isn't always a bad thing either, it is what makes you, you. 

I enjoyed reading the Epilogue at the end of the novel, but was saddened by the first line: "Walter died on September 11, 2013" (Stevenson, 311). Unfortunately, his dementia took over and he was awfully disorientated his last two years of life. Stevenson had spoken at Walter's funeral, and this was a very emotional part for me. Walter had taught Stevenson many things in his career that will stick with him forever. One of the most important things was that Walter had made him understand why we have to reform a system of criminal justice that continues to treat people better if they are rich and guilty, than if they are poor and innocent. "A system that denies the poor the legal help they need, that makes wealth and status more important than culpability, must be changed" (Stevenson, 313). In addition, Walter's case taught him that the death penalty is not about whether people deserve to die for the crimes they commit.

 The real question of capital punishment in the long-run of things is, "Do we deserve to kill?" (313). 

Walter & Stevenson

I hope you all enjoyed my blog posts these past few weeks, and I really did enjoy this novel. It was beyond great, and extremely eye-opening. I will be watching the movie this weekend. :)

-Cailey

Works Cited

Bryan Stevenson – Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. Roosevelt House, 16 Dec. 2014, www.roosevelthouse.hunter.cuny.edu/events/bryan-stevenson-just-mercy-story-justice-redemption/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2021.

Stevenson, Bryan. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. 2019 ed., New York, Spiegel & Grau, 2019.

Walter McMillian. Equal Justice Initiative, eji.org/cases/walter-mcmillian/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2021.

Young Offenders Locked Up for Life (Joe Sullivan). The New York Times, 8 Nov. 2009, roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/young-offenders-locked-up-for-life/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2021.