Unfair 1944 Case

This article is about a black man that was executed at age 14 in 1944, almost 70 years ago, trying to get out of prison. George Stinney was accused of killing two young white girls that were 7 and 11 years old. "Somebody that didn't kill someone is finally getting his day in court", says Frierson. Frierson personally knows Stinney and has dedicated his life to helping him. Next Tuesday Stinney’s lawyers plan on arguing to reopen the case. The 40’s was a very racist time and trials weren’t judged fairly. The case took place in a town called Alcolu in South Carolina and it didn’t even last over a day. Stinney was interrogated without a lawyer and little investigation took place.  Another factor that led to them wanting to reopen the case is that all evidence used in the old case against Stinney has disappeared.

This article very much resembles a book we have read in English this year. This case is similar to the book To Kill A Mockingbird. It is similar because the case in the book basically happened in real life. The book took place around the same time this case did. The black man was in trial for an assumption of assault on a white girl and was falsely executed for it. All because of the color of his skin. The same thing has happened to Stinney.

In my opinion I believe that it is a great thing that they are reopening this case. He was executed very unfairly and wasn’t even allowed a chance to defend his self. My only problem is the question of why it took so long for this man to have an opportunity to an equal case. This should’ve happened a long time ago. Stinney has spent his entire life in prison and there is nothing you can do to return the years he spent paying for something he didn’t do. The best they can do is allow Stinney to live the rest of his life as a free man, like he deserved to 70 years ago.

• How does the author support his claim? Use evidence from the selection to support your answer.

- The author supports his claim by using evidence that makes it clear that Stinney didn’t do anything to deserve what happened to him. He does this in paragraphs one and two. “Nearly all the evidence, including a confession that was central to the case against Stinney, has disappeared, along with the transcript of the trial.”, says Collins. This means that the little evidence used in the case in 1944 is gone, so there is no reason to hold Stinney in prison when there is no evidence and they can’t prove that he should stay in prison. Another piece of evidence in this article is: “The trial lasted less than a day in the tiny Southern mill town of Alcolu” (Collins). This shows that the case in 1944 was to quick for them to be sure that Stinney did what he was accused of and he should be given another chance.

Collins,Jeffery. “New trial sought for SC boy, 14, executed in 1944”. Yahoo, 21 Jan 2014. web. 24 Jan 2014, <http://news.yahoo.com/trial-sought-sc-boy-14-executed-1944-172035983.html>

Myers, Drew. “Keep the Dream Alive”. photograph. flickr. yahoo, 21 Jan 2008. web. 24 Jan 2014, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/14012681@N00/2211382500>