The film Just mercy offers a glaring contrast to the George Floyd murder case.
More than two decades separate the events shown in the Film Just Mercy from George Floyd’s murder. Yet despite the disconnection of time, when looked comparatively, the two events combine to create a crystal clear image.
George Floyd’s murder is still fresh in people’s minds, as the after-effects of his death continue to force America to deal with its race problem. Looting, riots, and protest have reshaped entire cities and created a perfect situation for change to take place.
Conversely, the events involving Walter Mcmillan that the movie Just Mercy are based on are far from thought. The movie was supposed to shed light on a horrible, forgotten situation. With the quarantine, the movie didn’t get a chance to do well at the box office and was soon forgotten about.
Just mercy is a reminder that America has two sides of its Judicial system that is separated by race. Within the first three minutes of the film, the theme is clear.
Black people are treated as guilty from the moment they are accused.
The main character of movie played by Jamie Foxx is surrounded by officers, aggressively pulled from his car, and talked to as if his guilt has already been proven minutes into the movie. That same theme prevails throughout the film as countless black men are shown being treated as less than simply because of the color of their skin.
George Floyd’s case is a reminder of that “other side of America” that Meek Mill raps about in his song. This other side is where the theme is, white people are treated innocent in spite of overwhelming evidence. For the last few years, African Americans have been put through numerous trauma of watching killers get away with murder on camera. Eric Garner, Philando Castle, and on and on of names of unarmed black people killed by the police with no convictions for the officers involved.
Just Mercy and George Floyd’s murder case are examples of a broken system working against it’s black and brown citizens.
In the movie, Mcmillan was just one of at least 3 men to have their convictions overturned. Geoge Floyd was just one of the many black people stopped by the police and over aggressively policed.
Consequently, George Floyd died that day, but had he survived such horrible treatment it would have surely continued. Hopefully, as a country, America can make sure that his death was not in vain. As neither should the years Walter Mcmillan spent his life in jail as an innocent man goes in vain. Both should be remembered and honored as a sacrifice for the greater good of this country. So that it may learn and grow from its mistakes as all great young countries must do to reach its full potential.
America’s full potential is true “justice for all”. I have written before about how the problem in America is more about a money problem than it is about race. That statement is evident in a quote from the movie. Brian Stevenson is speaking at a congressional hearing on the death penalty after freeing Walter Mcmillan. Stevenson is giving his closing arguments when he says.
“Wealth is not the opposite of poverty, Justice is the opposite of Poverty”.
What do you guys think about Just Mercy Vs the George Floyd Case?
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