Forgiveness & Unity Are Not Layaway Plans for Justice or Accountability
Forgiveness and justice are not the same.
Forgiveness and justice are not the same.
Forgiveness and justice are not the same.
Forgiveness is weaponized and used to manipulate people into believing that those who give it are better than the one on the receiving end. However, let’s get real about the manipulative use of forgiveness when it comes to matters of justice.
A sentence and verdict were given to the murderer of Brotham Jean. During the sentencing, his brother expressed forgiveness and offered a hug to the murderer. The judge offered her a Bible. The Bailiff consoled her during the sentencing. When interviewed, some of the jurors stated that because his family was so forgiving and because the victim was a forgiving person that they believed that the 10-year sentence was enough because Brotham would not have wanted a long sentence.
Forgiveness is a personal decision that ultimately is meant to be healing for the victim or those impacted by the assailant. Justice, on the other hand, is for the perpetrator. Justice and forgiveness aren’t meant to be intertwined. Otherwise, our prison system wouldn’t be filled with non-violent criminals. Justice is meant to be a form of currency in which a person pays their debt back to society.
The definition of forgiveness that I subscribe to is as follows:
“Forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. … Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean condoning or excusing offenses.”
Yet, why are minorities, women, and those who have been inflicted by physical, social, emotional, and other egregious crimes often pressured to give forgiveness?
Forgiveness is the emotional tax paid by victims so that the assailants can justify saving their hard-earned privilege for a future emergency and unity is a lofty idea to escape accountability.
Pleading for unity instead of pleading guilty and being held accountable is a cry that I won’t entertain.
This emotional tax of forgiveness and unity can be seen in lots of cases. The entire Civil Rights Movement is wrought with moments and declarations of mercy, even when apologies and justice were scarce. There have been countless trials when women have been raped where judges and jurors provide leniency to offenders under the guise of forgiveness.
In trying to process my feelings about the Brotham Jean trial, I awoke to the news on Sunday morning that Joshua Brown was murdered. He’s the only witness who stepped up to testify during this trial, and days after his testimony, he’s killed.
I’m not sure what will happen with the case of the murderer of Brotham Jean. I’m even more uncertain if we will ever get answers for Joshua, but what I do know is that no one should be advising anyone that they “have to forgive.” That’s not your lane. Our lane is finding the perpetrators and bringing them to justice and not at the expense of forgiveness.
Lyrical Lesson:
“It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under.”
~Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, “The Message”
In other words, the justice system is a jungle wrought with dead ends and dangers. I’m not sure how we keep up the fight. But systems asking for forgiveness without accountability is definitely not the answer.
