Placeholder Vs Justice

Maria A. Tisdale

April 3, 2012

English 113

Professor Norman

Placeholder versus Justice

Have you ever lived in a "hood?" Ever been homeless or stressed trying to figure out how you would be able to pay for a residence? Do you know what it feels like to wonder how you are going to pay for school in order to make a decent living for yourself? If you have never struggled, how can you judge someone's actions based off their struggles?

Ladies and gentleman of the jury, my defendant Chance Haze is not the evil, heartless, murderous man the prosecutors are trying to convince you into believing he is. The prosecutor correctly told you at the age of 11, Chance went to a Juvenile Correction facility for murder. Would it make Chance look less evil if you knew that the murder he was previously convicted for, although connected to, he did not actually commit? One day walking from school, Chance's girlfriend Silver and her best friend Missy were attacked by the older cousin of their school bully Chena. Silver and Missy were both stubborn females, who believed in standing up for themselves; but Silver the nice person her mom raised her to be, also believed in defending people who could not stand up for themselves (pg.#16). Chena's Cousin was recently released from juvenile and was very crazy and homicidal and eventually ended up stabbing a teacher that came to disperse the gathering of pumped up students. He then, beat up Missy, beat up Silver and when he was close to cutting Silver, Chance interfered and hit him with a brick. The fight ended up in an alley, where Chena's cousin was stabbed and killed to death. It appeared that Chance killed him, seeing as though he was the only other person in the alley and he walked out with the knife in his hand. In all actuality, the person who killed Chena was a 9 year old illegal immigrant from Spain, named Hollis. Chance had often looked out for Hollis, providing him with medical care when he caught pneumonia, so Hollis couldn't let Chena harm Chance, and Chance couldn't let Hollis go to jail for murder (pg.#24). It's this particular relationship in fact, being his "brother's keeper," which has landed Chance in this court room.

America's judicial system often sends people to jail with the intentions that the person will come out rehabilitated and will be a productive member of society. Ironically, it is often very hard for the former convict to find a decent paying job that is legal, due to their conviction. After a while, in some cases the convict reverts to his or her old ways in order to provide a living for themselves. When Chance was released from jail, he ended up joining forces with Hollis, and becoming dominant forces in the drug-dealing business. Chance