In this talk, Marlon Peterson takes a stand against violence and the justice system. Our society is not set up to give people equal opportunity. He emphasizes that he is a human being who made terrible mistakes in his younger life and worked hard to turn his life around. Because of how his mistakes have changed him, Peterson been influencing others and warning them off a life of crime and using guns, in hopes that children going through similar struggles do not repeat his mistakes. He shows his audience how violence is a result of many underlying traumas in the lives of others. Peterson says, “Criminal justice reform is human justice. Am I not human? When we invest in resources that amplify the relevancy of people in communities... we can literally create the communities that we want.” (5:16)
Peterson’s talk primarily makes use of pathos and ethos. His stories about his past experiences makes him more believable to viewers he should know what he is talking about if he has been through it first hand. There is also strong pathos in his speech, as his words about regrets and traumas make the audience feel empathetic with his struggles, and feel a sense of happiness when he speaks about his progress in life. “It was during those years in prison that a series of letters redeemed me, helped me move beyond the darkness and the guilt associated with the worst moment of my young life. It gave me a sense that I was useful… She had wrote that she saw me as a hero. I remember reading that, and I remember crying when I read those words.” (2:45) There is violence apparent all over the world, so common that it becomes a human trait to be violent. Unjust treatment in people's environment just makes people feel like they are irrelevant and unimportant. In America, there is little opportunity for people to correct their ways. Instead, the first resort is to send people to jail and invest in law enforcement. The jail mentality clouds other judgments and causes them to forget that everyone is human. Many say America has some of the worst jails. People who are imprisoned to correct their mistakes constantly live in fear of being raped, beaten, or even killed. We overlook this because “they did the crime, so they have to do the time.” But doing time in such a harmful environment often does not help people to turn their lives around. Better jails means the justice system can give people another chance to atone for what they’ve done and another chance at the American Dream. If we can give everyone else a second chance, why not them? Everyone deserves a chance at a better life but the way things are, people are more likely to keep living lives of crime after being imprisoned because they were not offered the same guidance, kindness, and opportunities as others who have not made the same mistakes. I liked this Ted Talk because Peterson shines light on some of the flaws within the justice system. It's too common to see people put into jail for mistakes, when it's hard to know right from wrong after living in bad conditions, and not given a proper chance to right their wrongs. Parents always warn us about how jail will completely ruin our lives, and it's true. It’s too difficult for people to redeem themselves when they are human just like the rest of us, and deserve the same chances. |