Living Justice: Love, Freedom, and the Making of The Exonerated
by Jessica Blank, Erik Jensen
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Book Summary Information
Author: Erik Jensen, Jessica BlankEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2006-09-12
ISBN: 0743483464
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Atria
Book Reviews of Living Justice: Love, Freedom, and the Making of The Exonerated
Book Review: To Live Or Die, That Is The Question!
Summary: 3 Stars
This memoir (loosely-termed as such) is an account of an adventure in 2000 when these two young actors left Manhattan in a rented car to travel across the United States on a quest. They drove from Chicago to Florida and stopped at places in between, from Oregon to L. A. to interview some of those exonerated of murder charges.
Jessica had been in a movie for Court TV called 'The Exonerated' about prisoners falsely accused and who spent time on death row in prisons. It is the result of her friend, Erik Jensen from Minnessota,who agreed to make the trip and they nose dived into the darker side of our justice (or injustice) system and were told stories of gross conditions which were repulsive and overwhelming to the victims, before they could win their freedom after such a long interval between being accussed and released.
"The desire for revenge is powerful" on all levels. I've been against the death penalty for many years now because of the innocent "criminals" who are due to die for some crime someone else perpetrated. They discovered that 74% of Americans support capital punishment. If it doesn't happen here in East Tennessee, some decide to take matters in their own hands.
This book entails the creation of the play they wrote using actual cases they uncovered. It is 'a fascinating chronicle of political consciousness.' Instead of dwelling on statistics and legalese, they put a human face on stage so every person in the audience could can and understand what was at stake. This is the story of real people who had lost so much; they used the interviews they did with those abused by the inequities of the system to make a social comment in the form of a play. It took them three years to work through and it changed them forever. They called it a "crazy journey" but in the end discovered a common bonding. Involved in off-Broadway theater, they were drawn together by a chance meeting in a bar.
It is foolish to think that the system (any government service) functions in reality the way it does on paper. It is the propoganda and self praise on forms which win the awards, not what happens in real life. They discovered what I've known now for a long time (from personal experience) that mayors, lawyers, judges and the police are all human and make mistakes, act carelessly, and think of 'self' first and foremost.
It's not enough to pray that the leaders will do what's right and fair to all; we have to take action and speak up, ask questions and seek the truth. Relationships now prove to be more trouble than usual, but don't let this prevent you from staying emotionally present. Even if you are somewhat uncomfortable with holding your ground today, remember that this is truly one of your strengths. The source of your uneasiness may be guilt that is stirred up, whether or not it applies to the current situation. Speak the truth gently and be open to the possibility of positive transformation.
Mainly the leaders in whatever capacity should act ethically. Freedom isn't something which occurs simply because our leaders promise it; they will promise the sky if you foolishly believe them. Politicians never keep promises, but some younger ones will listen. Reach out to them.
Summary of Living Justice: Love, Freedom, and the Making of The Exonerated
In 2000, Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen embarked on a tour across America -- one that would give them a glimpse of the darker side of the justice system and, at the same time, reveal to them just how resilient the human spirit can be. They were a pair of young actors from New York who wanted to learn more about our country's exonerated -- men and women who had been sentenced to die for crimes they didn't commit, who spent anywhere from two to twenty-two years on death row, and who were freed amidst overwhelming evidence of their innocence. The result of their journey was The Exonerated, New York Times number one play of 2002, which was embraced by such acting luminaries as Ossie Davis, Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Glover, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, and Robin Williams.
Living Justice is Jessica and Erik's fascinating, behind-the-scenes account of the creation of their play. A tale of artistic expression and political awakening, innocence lost and wisdom won, this is above all a story about two people who fall in love while pursuing their passion and learn -- through the stories of the exonerated -- what freedom truly means.
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