Exceptional A black man's day in court Right & Wrong by Paul McFarland Can You Not See? writing prompt entry Artwork by supergold at FanArtReview.com

"Can you not see the difference between right and wrong?" the judge said to the convicted felon, as he handed down the sentence. The soon to be incarcerated man replied, "Judge, when I was a boy, I was raised in a family where physical abuse was almost an everyday occurrence. My best friend, who lived just down the street, was brought up in a happy household. At that time in my life, I thought I knew the difference between right and wrong. It wasn't long after I started school that I could see the color of my skin made a difference in how I was treated. Even though I was quite young, it appeared that there was a right way and a wrong way to treat people, depending on the color of their skin. When my schooling was over and I was searching for a job, it became clear that my work ethic and honesty counted for less than my position on the socio-economic scale. Right and wrong stood out in sharp relief in my effort to find employment. When I married, I could only find a place to live in the colored section of town. When my kids started their education, they attended an all-black school. My blue collar never fit in with the white ones at social events. My view of what was right and what was wrong was becoming blurred. That night, when a white man broke into our house with a gun, I did not take the time to evaluate what was right or wrong. Was it wrong that I had a concealed weapon on my person? Was it wrong that this intruder shot and killed my wife? Was it wrong that I shot and killed this intruder before he killed my children and myself? Is it wrong that my children will now have to go into foster care? Would the outcome of this trial have been different if I was white and the intruder had been black? Judge, right and wrong don't mean jack shit in the justice system in this country" Looking down on this man, the judge replied, "I'm citing you for contempt of court in addition to your twenty-year sentence. Court is adjourned." Writing Prompt Create a story, using the question, Can You Not See? 1500 words or less, using any genre you prefer. Author Notes Seventy-five years ago in south eastern United States

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