Recently, Tom Robinson has been accused of raping Bob Ewell’s daughter, Mayella. So far, Atticus Finch is defending him through the trial. Since Tom is black, there is a much higher chance he will be sentenced to death. In this editorial I will be talking about why it is unfair.
I’ve witnessed things from this trial. It is tearing families apart. Sunday night I witnessed a father looking like he was in danger to his two kids. His daughter even kicked one man who looked like he was causing their father to be in danger. This trial is all people in Maycomb can talk about these days. This man is being committed for a crime he either didn’t or did not commit. People want him to die for it.
People of Maycomb argue that Tom, in fact, did rape Mayella. You can argue that since she accused him, she must be telling the truth. You can argue that she doesn’t need evidence to support her accusation.
Despite her accusation, there is a big possibility that Tom is telling the truth and he, in fact, did not rape her. You can’t just assume he committed a crime with little to no evidence, but you also can’t say he didn’t do it because sometimes there isn’t a lot of evidence.
It’s not fair that Tom is the one who is being accused despite him being innocent. He is rotting in an awful environment for a crime he may or may not have committed. I’ve seen the mess this has caused. I’ve seen so much hate. I witnessed what looked like a group of men gang up on Atticus Finch since he has a different opinion from the rest of them.
My solution? Clear Tom’s name, or find him guilty. Go to the trial, find the evidence, and prove something. This will hopefully stop the division in Maycomb.
So what would you do? Prove Tom as a rapist, or as an innocent man? Would you want to spend jail time for your entire life, for a crime you didn’t commit?