“Higher Ground” is the introductory part of the novel, “Just Mercy,” written by Bryan Stevenson. It focuses on the life and achievements and journey of a young lawyer who helps appeal a murder conviction and who seeks sympathy in the quest of justice (Stevenson, p.3). It is about getting close to mass incarceration and how easily people are judged and condemned. African Americans are segregated and excluded; therefore, Bryan Stevenson advocates for reforms in the justice system of the US.
“Higher Ground” begins with the first person who visits a convict to inform him of his death penalty. He is so apprehensive since he does not fully understand what the death penalty works and thus is not sure what to say. Despite the lack of any background in law, Bryan applies to join a law school so that he can fight injustices and inequalities (Stevenson, p.3). He goes to Georgia for a practicum and is given the task of visiting one convict to comfort him that he would not die in the course of his conviction. He apologizes to the convict, Henry, who instead shows relief and gratitude for the news. They have some three hours chatting and sharing their experiences until Stevenson is restricted back by a guard.
On the other hand, Henry start to sing as he is taken away to thank the Lord. When he goes back to Harvard School of Law, Stevenson has a new purpose which is to study as much as he can the issue of death punishment and the relationship between laws and the other systems (Stevenson, p.5). He talks about his childhood in a rural area that was racially segregated. His parents worked in jobs that had low pays; therefore, they struggled financially. Stevenson says that the book aims at getting closer to confinement in the US. The imprisonment rate is so rapid especially for blacks who face death penalties and other harsh sentences. Instead of rehabilitating offenders, they are condemned to very unfair fates. Stevenson argues that each one of us deserves mercy and should not be defined by one wrong act committed.
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Incarceration has become common as numbers of prisoners increased gradually, making the US the country with the most prisoners in the world. The largest percentage of these people are usually black, who are oppressed and segregated. Justice systems are biased and rule in favor of the white at the expense of the blacks. This shows that the issue of racial discrimination is common in the US and it should be dealt with because everyone deserves equal treatment despite the color of their skin (Stevenson, p.9). Mercy has also been sought after in the contemporary justice aiming to deal with incarceration and decrease the numbers of persons who are imprisoned wrongly and those who receive unfair sentences.
The unfair treatment of blacks has contributed significantly to the high levels of poverty. In spite of their strength and determination, black families are excluded and marginalized, and they cannot unleash their potentials since they lack the opportunity, resources or platform to express themselves and show their abilities. This can be seen in Bryan’s life since his parents work for low wages and also his grandfather was killed by individuals who were trying to steal his television (Stevenson, p.11). This resulted in them living in poverty. Blacks, minorities and mentally ill people are mistreated and do not receive equal opportunities as the whites showing that racism still exists in the world today. Stevenson, however, fights for the equitable treatment of all people in the nation since he was a victim of racism (Stevenson, p.16). He is compassionate and defends several persons who are imprisoned imperfectly and advocates for the correction of justice systems so that they can accommodate every citizen in the world today.
Through Stevenson’s journey and experiences with the law, I imagine myself as a young person pursuing a course-career of becoming a lawyer at a respected university. I have almost finished my career; I join a service and up to a custodial of high security having a high feeling that I am wholly prepared. Unexpectedly, I come to realize that I have entered the facility alone, just like what Stevenson did, without any solicitor to help my client, who is a condemned person. In the same case as Stevenson, it is apparent that I will get nervous as still, I lack enough experience. However, when I get the required knowledge, I come to realize the vast injustices that exist in the judicial systems. This signifies that there exists a significant problems in not only in the justice system but the whole society as people will be subjected to inhuman acts and sentenced unjustly. This is precisely what happened to Stevenson, as described in “Higher Grounds.”
In the current justice system, especially in the United States, mercy is regularly hunted after as a method of forgiveness or ultimately due to fear, and thus, several confined individuals are unlawfully imprisoned or get unreasonable sentences for crimes that they never committed. Principally, the confined individuals pursuing mercy are typically racial minorities and this is a clear indication that the justice system is prejudiced against them and more so tends to favor the white people. Therefore, Stevenson through his experiences, advocates that mercy is essential in the current justice system for quite a number of those in prisons who are faultily condemned and even sentenced.
“Higher Ground,” is an interesting reading part of the novel, “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson. It fundamentally stresses on the criminal justice system experienced by confined individuals. In most cases, these people are wrongly and unfairly confined and ultimately sentenced to harsh penalties like the death row. What Stevenson does, is trying to help such individuals by advocating for their rights through fair treatment as well as judgments. Stevenson does this by narrating his story of how he came to study law, the challenges and experiences he got and how he met his first client when he had no experience in law. Through sharing his story, he uncovers some of the problems in the criminal justice system and thus the need for significant reforms in this field.
Works Cited
- Stevenson, Bryan. Just mercy: A story of justice and redemption. Spiegel & Grau, 2019.
