http://www.ted.com/playlists/165/life_in_and_after_prison
Scroll down to Bryan Stevenson's talk: "We need to talk about an injustice."
You don't have to agree with everything he says but you will get a lot out of this talk from this lawyer who speaks beautifully. I look forward to reading your responses to his talk. I know that Ana will have a lot to say!
Well, right now, I’m asking myself what and where I should begin to finish this assignment. Because of my own thought about the word “Father”, my emotion is being shuffled that makes me cannot focus on my writing anymore.
ReplyDeleteI’m very admired of Angela’s working, which has brought the preparation for girls to enter in their womanhood, the inspiration to create their own lives. Furthermore, the most incredible thing that she has done for her girls is bringing their father into their lives. What a sweet job! I couldn’t prevent myself from laughing when she was talking about her girls and their imagination and creation. Dance! Girls have their own way to express themselves, and it usually work most of the time. Father dances with his daughter in every important moment in her life such as the sixteenth birthday, graduation day, and wedding day. I think, with girls, every moment that they can be at their father side will become wonderful whether it’s a special day or not.
I loved the conversation between the girls when a girl said that her father couldn’t come to the next dance. He was very brave of admitting the bad news that a lot of people can’t easily do. Another girl said, “Can he just get out for a day?” She made me laugh and made me think. I laughed because of her naivety; I thought about her empathy. With adults, the very first question when we hear that news is why he or she is put in jail. These girls didn’t care about it; they only cared about their friend’s feeling, so their solution was bringing the dance into jail. The world will be more beautiful if everyone can think that way. And we can’t deny that girls make our world sweeter.
The fathers who were in jail and who could have a dance with their daughters should thank for their sweeties, also Angela’s motivation, and the sheriff’s compassion. It showed that the society hasn’t given up on them. They received the change to be close with their family, to connect with their daughters, and to return themselves. This dance was the best thing that society in general could do for the girls who were separated with their fathers. It wasn’t their fault for their fathers’ being in jail. It was also the socialization for the fathers who wanted to be near their daughters. Let return yourself and come back with your family.
Because fathers nowadays seem to be very busy with their works, their business, the daughters feel that their fathers are far away even they live in the same house. Fathers have not only been locked in jail; they have also been locked in their own busy lives. Children need their fathers, and society can’t help them if they don’t firstly help themselves. Yes, the barbed wire and the metal door can’t separate the fatherly love, but the souls that lack of caring can do.
In Vietnam, people think that daughter was her father’s girlfriend in the previous life, and in this life she can be his daughter and been received his love for all her whole life. The first time I heard this theory, I thought, “Wow, dad must have had a lot of girlfriends in his previous lives since he now has five daughters already.” We, daughters, should thank for being loved by the most wonderful men in this world, our fathers.
Thao,
DeleteI think you listened to the wrong talk. However, after reading your response, I feel compelled to listen to the talk that you listened to!
Holly, i'm really sorry about my mistake. Had i carefully read your instruction, i could have listened the correct talk. Actually, i need to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist any way.
DeleteHolly, do i have to redo this assignment or not?
If your answer is "No", you will make my day become wonderful. :) (P-L-E-A-S-E)
Had you carefully read the instructions, not only could you have listened to the correct talk but you actually would have listened to the correct talk.
DeleteI would still like you to listen to it (when you get a chance--if that's not today, it's okay); however, you do not have to respond to it unless you feel compelled to do so.
Honestly, I listened to it already right after I saw your comment. And still honestly, i'm a lazy student, you know? :) I'm too lazy to write another respond (this week)
DeleteThank you for empathizing with me.
First, I would like to say that I loved this speech! Is according with everything that I truly believe. For instance, the fact that 1 of 3 black man between the age of 18 to 30 is in prison or in probation is not a coincidence. Is a proof that the U.S. did not solved the problem of its racial and ethnic issues. As happened in Brazil, when the slavery finished, a huge amount of people did not have where to go or in what to work. In that time, a big social inequality started the reasons why these people are more likely to commit certain crimes such as robbery or drug trafficking. Also, is one of the reasons why a white judge is more likely to condemn a black offender. Strengthen the punishment is just the easier way to close the eyes and to not care about the real causes that makes people commit crimes. Is much easier to execute somebody or put this person for a lifetime in prison than try to understand why he or she did commit a crime. What kind of opportunities he did not have? What kind of treatment have been the society giving to him? Including people and treating the poor as an equal is much more difficult than decreasing the age limit for prosecution. But as Bryan promised his grandmother, as human beings, we have to do what is right even when is not easy.
ReplyDeleteParaphrasing him, a society can be measured how developed is by looking how they treat their poor, their condemned, their incarcerated. And this is so true. When people talks about stronger laws, disrespect for constitutional guarantees and for the due process, they do not really realize that they can be the next ones to be judge. Everybody is always so sure that they will never commit a crime that they do not give to other individuals the same treatment that they think should have be given to them. In my judgment, people should be conscious about two things: anyone can be the next one to be judge and nobody is immune to commit crimes.
The first measure to be taken in the U.S., in my opinion, is ending the death penalty. The homicides rates in any Western Europe country is at least 5 times lower than the U.S. and none of them have death sentence. The possibility of a capital punishment does not necessarily declined the crime. In contrast, once black and Latinos are more vulnerable to be condemned to death, this system just highlight an inequality that no longer should prevail.
It's really a thoughtful talk. Honestly, it's not easy for me to catch up with his speaking speed; however, I agree that he talked beautifully with full energy and beliefs. Actually, in our world, it's impossible to say that there is no discrimination or injustice. This life is not always fair. I trust that as an international student in the U.S, most of us can feel the discrimination still happens here in some situations, but some people try to hide or ignore it. This is not totally bad because it possibly reduce conflict among people. However, if people can truly love each other or can be willing to understand and help each other, this world is going to be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteBack to this talk, I’m really touched by two points he mentioned in his speech. The first one is 3 promises he made with his grandmother. Naturally, I think that his grandmother wanted him to make those promises because she knew the fact that as an African-American, he is supposed to well-prepare for facing obstacles in his life ahead maybe created by his origin or his color. He can suffer discrimination or tolerate injustice in his future, and possibly it leads him to do something wrong. Fortunately, because of the wonderful education he received from his family, he grew up and became a human right lawyer who struggles for equality and protests the poor especially children with his compassion and love. The second point mentioned in his talk I very like is that he believes the fact that the opposite of poverty is not wealth, but the opposite of poverty is justice. Personally, I completely agree with this opinion. We are living in the world people usually forget that we are in the community where we are supposed to help and care mutually. Even though there are some points in his talk do not really convince me, I admire his attitude and his bravery to fight for a better life and also a better world.
This have been one of the most impressive talk that I have ever heard in my life. In our world or mostly in my country, the law in not applicable, and less the thinking of the people. In Venezuela we don’t have police officer or even a government, so most of you'll need to feel grateful to have a really beautiful country were the law is the first need in your community. this man says something that's is true, "when we think about law, we don’t have to think about punishment because law is for making your life easier and better not for making you feel fear" this is a really bad problem between the rich and the poor people because the racial problem that we have seen in court is really worrying because 1 of 10 prisoner or in probation are poor African American. So the law is something really necessary in our community and the good practicing of it makes a country really special. Community is all of us, if you take something that don’t belong to you, you are not only affecting this man you are affecting all the community. However, when the law is effective this people would understand how you are going to affect yourself and the community. Poor people need to be integrate in the community and be well educated for not breaking the law and for having a better community and life.
ReplyDeleteHearing this speech I was delighted about the fact that there are still people that fight for injustice and inequality not being comfortably in their own skin without looking to the other's problems. History has shown us that in the periods in which there was a great rate of discrimination, such as the holocaust, it resulted in serious lost for the world. The solution for those problems passed by recognizing that every single person in this world is unique, but also deserves to be treated equally. During my years at the University, I learned that one of the primary purpose of the law is to reintegrate people into society, so it doesn't make sense to me as it doesn't make to the author a legal system that still condemn people to death penalty as well as condemn children to live in prison without parole. If anyone has the right to kill, it shouldn't be allowed to have a legal system that practices a "different" kind of murder. How about the possibility of killing an innocent person? It isn't justice if we accept taking the risk to kill someone that didn't deserve it.Are the children condemn to spend the entire life in prison lost forever without the possibility to correct their deviant behavior? I can't take this position.
ReplyDeleteI specially liked what he said about the poverty. He mentioned that the opposite of poverty is not wealth in some places but justice, which means that your judgment that should be fair will be the result of a social condition. How can we call something justice if we judged people according to their social condition and color of skin? It doesn't happen to be that most of the people who are in the death row are black and I agree that the judgement's standards are distorted. It is shocking to admit that a person who is guilty but have money is tried differently that a person who is innocent but poor. This is not justice and never will be.
It is needed more people who have the courage to stand up and fight against a system that should be based in the equality of all its member.
"The opposite of poverty is not wealth, the opposite of poverty is justice." said Bryan Stevenson. This words that seem to be very meaningful make me fall in a deep void. Indeed, if we think about what causes poverty, the answer of the opposite of poverty won't be wealth undoubtedly. There is a point that impress me the most. He said that one out of nine people who have been executed is innocent. In Taiwan, death penalty has been being discussed by people for a long time. most people think that death penalty should exist, but in Taiwan history, a few people who had been executed were identified that they were innocent. That's why though more than 82% of Taiwan people think that death penalty should exist, but there are still a few associations or institutions that are against death penalty. This situation makes me rethink about one thing, is death penalty really necessary? like the speaker said, do we deserve to kill? before seeing this video, I always thought that the murders should be responsible for the things they done and for the victim's family, so they should be executed by the society; but what if there is a better way to solve this problem? I fall in a deep thinking. In addition, many things mentioned in the talk show that discrimination is still a serious problem in the U.S society, like 1 of 3 black man between the age of 18 to 30 is in prison or in probation is not a coincidence. And you are 11 times more likely to get death penalty if the victim is white than if the victim is black , 22 times more likely to get it if the defendant is black and the victim is white. These words literally prove that racial and ethic problem have not been solve in this country. I think racial and ethic issue somehow will be the causes of poverty or the problems of society. However, actually I had never thought about the topic like this, so it is kind of unfamiliar for me. I wish I can absorb more knowledge from my adorable classmates.
ReplyDeleteIt is inspiring what this lawyer is doing for young people who are experiencing segregation, discrimination and injustice. However, I couldn’t find myself convinced by his presentation. I might believe that there is discrimination and injustice somehow everywhere in the world due to legislate rules that do not suit all society’s categories, but in US I think that USA is the place where you can find caring people who fight for justice and human’s right more than anywhere else . It breaks my hurt whenever I see American citizen homeless on street in cold night and when I drive by a poor neighborhood which is dominantly lived by color skin people. USA for almost most of people on our planet is the dream land where all dream to reach there and having a better life. Therefore, I wonder why a strange who migrate to US can earn a good life for his or her family and some citizens can’t make and instead putting all the blame on government’s injustice. In country where all jobs and ways to earn decent life are under control companies and rich people who do not care about anything just their business and how to make more money. Therefore, I can’t find excuse for any American citizens who cannot have a decent life on his or her own country. Life is all about the choices you make, so if you want to have better life even if came from poor and bad place, you can make your way to success by having good education and by thinking of consequences of any action before doing the action.
ReplyDeleteThis is some amazing speech, Shaima! I nominate you for the next president of the USA! But tell me, from the lecture that we heard, are your ideas about crime and injustice in the US conservative or liberal?
DeleteFirst of all, sorry for not finishing the assignment on time. Secondly, I am so thankful to get to know about TED talks. All the talks from there are so amazing and inspiring. About this talk of Bryan Stevenson, I loved how he started the speech by talking about his memory with his family, and how he talked about the conversation with his grandma about alcohol. After hearing him said that he has never touched a drop of alcohol, even though his cousin told him that the talk with the grandma was not that serious, I could feel that he is a very strong person, with bold identity and kind heart. He talked about people like him are facing with discrimination in different ways. That might be the reason why he took his grandma's advice seriously and didn't drink alcohol. He wanted to be a good person, he wanted to be successful so that he can help other people like him. I like the way he can be inspired by normal people around him, and be energized from smallest things. It's right when he said that the legal system in America is more to punish people than to educate them. Some people, especially the young ones, sometimes do not understand what they are doing. They do bad things for some reasons. The judge just states them criminal and put them in jail. They ruin their whole life just for 1 mistake. That's not the best way to solve the problem.And it seems like everything that he is doing is bringing hope to people.
ReplyDeleteafter listening this speech more than three times yesterday, I can not understand how my classmates are all able to write these long paragraphs. However is true that Bryan Stevenson speaks beautifully and makes some very good points as the pourcentage of black people in prison, jail, or even probation, on another the difference of judiciaire sentence according to the color of your skin is not a good arguments according to me. I think that people should accept their life as it is instead of complaining about the past history. in addition the number of black people in jail nowadays makes sense because they were marginalize until recent year so they were not able to attend school to pretend to a better life instead of criminal life.
ReplyDelete