We need to talk about an injustice — Bryan Stevenson
In 12 Angry Men, a poor boy is being accused of a crime, and the jurors are shown using their personal bias toward stereotypes. This play is a good representation of the injustice Stevenson discusses.
He talks about how society constantly looks away from challenges involving poverty and injustice. I agree with this, as I constantly see people celebrating new technological and economic developments. The news praises these discoveries rather than discussing long-standing issues.
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Although the United States has progressed ever since slavery ended, Stevenson brings up how blacks are still being mistreated by the justice system, while privileged whites face a less severe punishment. This is true, as black stereotypes and racism remain a major issue today.
It is important to know that our society isn’t perfect. When Stevenson brought up these issues in court, people were angry at him. I think that these arguments are actually necessary to have these issues fixed. Sometimes, this “perfect society” has to be broken so that problems can be solved. A good example would be 12 Angry Men, where one juror was brave enough to fight back. Although it took hours and many arguments, the one juror was able to change the opinion of all the other jurors. By going through this extra effort, they saved the life of a boy.
Therefore, I think that arguments, like the one Stevenson got in, are important for our society to improve. We don’t have to pretend our world is perfect.
