Last month, an unexpected courtroom scene took place. Eighteen year old Brandt Jean, brother of Botham Jean, stepped down from the witness stand to embrace Amber Guyers, the woman who killed his brother [1]. One late night earlier this year, Guyers walked into the apartment of Botham Jean, thinking it was her own. Alarmed at Jean’s presence, Guyers shot him twice, killing him in his own home. In what some are calling a racially motivated act of violence, this courtroom moment of mercy soothed tensions—if but for a moment [2]. In an America where 71% of Blacks and 56% of Whites feel that race relations are generally bad, a courtroom scene like this is uncommon. [3]. But moments like the forgiving embrace between Jean and Guyer do not have to be few and far between.
Whether personally affected or a concerned citizen, issues like heightened racial tensions, foreign wars, and differing social beliefs impact us all. Though marches, rallys, and strong denunciation of social concerns have a place, cultivating a culture of mercy is key to moving forward in our society. Beyond civil discourse, Americans need to get proximate-- on both sides.
In the case of Amber Guyers, some claim it as a win for forgiveness, while others claim it as another instance of a white cop getting off easy. While neither interpretation is mutually exclusive, this moving courtroom scene encapsulates something Arthur Brooks, former president of the American Enterprise Institute, makes very clear- that in order to make progress in this country, we need to “love our enemies” [4]. Some assert undeserved leniency when the judge came down from the stand and gave Ms. Guyers her own personal bible, telling her that she “ [hasn’t] done so much that you can’t be forgiven” [5]. But regardless, it was an act of mercy and as Iyanla Vanzant said, “The judge hugging this woman brings humanity to the legal system, which is what’s missing.” [6]. But how can we love our enemies when their beliefs are morally repugnant and our very principles are tied to our political leanings? In his 2019 BYU Commencement speech, Brooks succinctly identifies the problem our nation is facing not as anger, but contempt.[7]
In an other healing moment, Hawk Newsome, a leader in the Black Lives Matter community, accepted an invitation to speak at a Trump Rally in Washington, D.C. While one might raise their eyebrows skeptically at how this could possibly turn out well, Newsome started his brief discourse with a simple phrase- “I am an American.” The crowd went wild with cheers. Newsome himself admitted that he was going to tell off the group but felt impressed to just “ make them understand who you are.” [8]. This experience highlights a moment when people who would normally block, mute, or unfriend one another stood united. Though the crowd did not suddenly agree on policy or presidential candidate, they stood together on the common ground they did hold. Newsome ended with Trump’s familiar motto, but added an important pluralist addition: “If we really want to make America great, we do it together!” [9]
In our policies, more than ever we need to honestly seek to understand our “enemies.” It will never be easy, but listening with love is the only way to heal our historical hurts and come. At the level of the individual, the justice system, and the government, seeking to understand with compassion is the key to improving our societies. At the end of the day, we are all human beings. We are all Americans who want a better world, but recognizing bias is hard and healing from the racial injustices of the past will take kindness and understanding on both sides. Brashly shaming those who don’t have bad intentions but are unintentionally racist only pushes people to accept the label they’ve been given.
At the end of her trial, justice was (somewhat) served as Amber Guyers was sentenced to ten years in prison for fatally killing Jean Botham. Though an inadequate sentence for many and further fueling the police brutality debate, there is a silver lining. But introducing more compassion into our legal system for all races and checking our biases in favor of compassionate understanding does not endanger the fabric of a just society; rather, it enhances it. Systemic change does not happen overnight, but rather with each earnest attempt to understand our enemies.
[3] https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/04/09/race-in-america-2019/
[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/03/books/review/arthur-c-brooks-love-your-enemies.html
[5] https://www.foxnews.com/us/judges-embrace-of-convicted-murder-amber-guyger-in-courtroom-causes-stir
[7] https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/arthur-c-brooks/more-love-less-contempt/