What does the content mean?
Thomas Jefferson once said that “ All men are created equal ” and people are massively using this phrase. However, this statement is not true as some people are smarter than others, some people have access to resources more than others and some people have more opportunities than others. But there is an institution called court which does not discriminate between anyone ranging from the stupid man to an Einstein.
This virtue is followed by every court no matter the hierarchy within the structure of the geographical location. An analogy can be drawn between court and human institutions as they have their faults but in courts all men are created equal.
Why did I choose this content?
This chapter consists of one of my favorite quotes from the book. “ But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal - there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. It can be the Supreme Court of the United States or the humblest J.P. court in the land, or this honourable court which you serve. Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal.”
The author tries to narrate that no matter how smart you are, where you come from, what your social class is, etc., everyone is (supposedly!) equal in a court of law–defendants have the same rights and are innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, in a court of law there is supposed to be no division among status and no difference based on the color of your skin. This spoke to me deeply because it reflected the injustice that was going on in my native country Nepal at the time. Despite several trials, a man accused of raping a child was not proven guilty by the court because he came from an affluent family and had links to high-ranking government officials.
Even after days of prolonged street protests, the lawsuit is still pending. As a result, I agreed with the author's interpretation of events since I also think that courts should uphold the principle that everyone is created equal in the eyes of the law, even if that equality does not extend to status or riches. Even while all men are born equal, they are not necessarily treated equally in court, as the court's inability to find the accused guilty showed.
In the book Atticus says “ Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury ”. This was shown to be accurate since the jurors' opinions may have been influenced whether they admitted it or not because the accused had a strong background.
Reading this chapter gave me hope to believe in the fairness of the courts and the jury system even though the case is still pending trial. I have faith that the court and the judicial system in my nation won't let petty considerations influence their judgment. This alluded to Aristotle's well-known statement that “ Law is reason, free from passion ”. I decided to share this content because I want the reader to share my ideology that everyone should be treated equally under the law. And it would be sinful to not condemn a person accused of raping a helpless girl child, just as it is sinful “ To kill a Mockingbird ”.