Analysis of Chapters 11-13
Welcome back readers!
The next three chapters of Just Mercy finally wrap up Walter's case, when he is pronounced a free man by the judge. This is a bittersweet ending, seeing as his wife Minnie has decided to leave him due to the fact that he did indeed have an affair, but Walter manages to see the positive in that he is free once again and can now move forward as a better man.
A quote that I found particularly powerful was a line that Stevenson said to the judge right before he made his ruling. Stevenson told him,
After this happy ending, Stevenson decided to bring in a new case that relates to current events involving the recent movement to cut funding for Planned Parenthood. He tells the story of Marsha Colbey, the devoted yet impoverished mother of six, who became unintentionally pregnant with her seventh child at age forty-three. She could not afford prenatal care, and therefore had no clue that she had a placental abruption, which led to her child being stillborn. Upon seeing that Marsha was pregnant but suddenly had no baby, her neighbor accused her of killing the child, and Marsha was sentenced to life in prison without sufficient evidence saying that she was guilty.
This heartbreaking story brings up a common issue in America today: the lack of proper care for pregnant women due to cost or accessibility. This would have made a huge difference in Marsha's case, and I am sure that other women have suffered the pain of delivering a stillborn baby because they were unable to get the help they need.
In February 2019, President Trump made the official order to stop organizations that support abortions from receiving federal funding, such as Title X (the federal family planning program) which could potentially take millions of dollars away from Planned Parenthood (Belluck). This occurs because Planned Parenthood operates about 40% of the clinics that are used by Title X, and this in turn would leave many impoverished women without proper care (Belluck).
This change will be devastating for women who, just like Marsha, are unable to afford proper care. Planned Parenthood has been the target of lots of hate due to their reputation of providing abortions, but they do so much more than that, such as providing contraception options and offering STI screenings. It is important to see this issue for what it will do for the people who rely on it, rather than for one small aspect of what Planned Parenthood does for those in need.
If we are to learn anything from this case, it is that we should support those in need and see it from their perspective so that they don't have to endure what Marsha was forced to. I am always following the issue of Planned Parenthood and the Trump administration, and it makes me furious that our country would allow for the defunding of such a quality and necessary program. Every woman should have access to the care she needs, no matter her wealth or background, so that situations like Marsha's don't occur.
The next three chapters of Just Mercy finally wrap up Walter's case, when he is pronounced a free man by the judge. This is a bittersweet ending, seeing as his wife Minnie has decided to leave him due to the fact that he did indeed have an affair, but Walter manages to see the positive in that he is free once again and can now move forward as a better man.
A quote that I found particularly powerful was a line that Stevenson said to the judge right before he made his ruling. Stevenson told him,
"'Your Honor, I just want to say this before we adjourn. It was far too easy to convict this wrongly accused man for murder and send him to death row for something he didn't do and much too hard to win his freedom after proving his innocence. We have serious problems and important work that must be done in this state"' (225).
As a reader, I loved seeing Stevenson finally give a biased judge a piece of his mind, and chastise him for the wrongdoings that he as allowed. It truly shows what a morally sound person Stevenson is, and that he isn't afraid to stand up for what he believes in and persevere through any roadblock that comes his way. I found him to be very inspirational over the course of this book.
After this happy ending, Stevenson decided to bring in a new case that relates to current events involving the recent movement to cut funding for Planned Parenthood. He tells the story of Marsha Colbey, the devoted yet impoverished mother of six, who became unintentionally pregnant with her seventh child at age forty-three. She could not afford prenatal care, and therefore had no clue that she had a placental abruption, which led to her child being stillborn. Upon seeing that Marsha was pregnant but suddenly had no baby, her neighbor accused her of killing the child, and Marsha was sentenced to life in prison without sufficient evidence saying that she was guilty.
This heartbreaking story brings up a common issue in America today: the lack of proper care for pregnant women due to cost or accessibility. This would have made a huge difference in Marsha's case, and I am sure that other women have suffered the pain of delivering a stillborn baby because they were unable to get the help they need.
In February 2019, President Trump made the official order to stop organizations that support abortions from receiving federal funding, such as Title X (the federal family planning program) which could potentially take millions of dollars away from Planned Parenthood (Belluck). This occurs because Planned Parenthood operates about 40% of the clinics that are used by Title X, and this in turn would leave many impoverished women without proper care (Belluck).
This change will be devastating for women who, just like Marsha, are unable to afford proper care. Planned Parenthood has been the target of lots of hate due to their reputation of providing abortions, but they do so much more than that, such as providing contraception options and offering STI screenings. It is important to see this issue for what it will do for the people who rely on it, rather than for one small aspect of what Planned Parenthood does for those in need.
If we are to learn anything from this case, it is that we should support those in need and see it from their perspective so that they don't have to endure what Marsha was forced to. I am always following the issue of Planned Parenthood and the Trump administration, and it makes me furious that our country would allow for the defunding of such a quality and necessary program. Every woman should have access to the care she needs, no matter her wealth or background, so that situations like Marsha's don't occur.
Works Cited
Belluck, Pam. "Trump Administration Blocks Funds for Planned Parenthood and Others over Abortion Referrals." The New York Times, 22 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/health/trump-defunds-planned-parenthood.html. Accessed 28 Mar. 2019.
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this, I did not know about Trump's new order for the federal government to stop funding organizations such as Planned Parenthood. I agree with you in that everyone woman should have access to the care they need. Do you think if Trump heard about Marsha's story and similar ones, it would have stopped him from passing that new order?
Maxine Asmussen
Hi Maxine,
DeleteI would like to hope that Trump's mind would have been changed but unfortunately, based on his past history of insensitivity, I think there are few things that would have made a difference when he made this decision.
Katie
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI can agree that the quote that you referenced above is one of great importance. No other country that I know of has their imprisonment system so backwards, where they want more people in prison and make it more difficult to get them out. One might say the justice system is more unjust than just.
Good discussion of a contemporary connection. How do you feel about Stevenson's organization of the book, incorporating all of the other stories rather than just sticking to the main one about Walter?
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. LaClair,
DeleteThank you! I found Stevenson's inclusion of other stories to be vital to providing evidence for all aspects of the injustice in America's legal system. It made the book not only more interesting for the reader but more influential because of the sheer number of different cases he was able to incorporate, and how they each made a different claim.
Katie