Jackson Free Press

As a transplanted native of Jackson, with family still there, I have been following the story of Edgar Ray Killen's upcoming trial. I was delighted to see that Mississippians such as Donna Ladd, Eric Stringfellow and the Jackson Human Relations Council are talking about a truth and reconciliation process, an idea I support wholeheartedly.

I have been studying the Truth and Reconciliation Commission process that occurred in South Africa following the end of apartheid and other ideas of restorative justice. I think these would be valuable to keep in mind as we try to build a collective future together.

From the comments I hear and read, I understand that people need justice and closure concerning this horrible incident that happened in 1964. The usual idea of justice in our culture is a retributive justice, which is based on punishing a wrongdoer, the old wisdom of "an eye for an eye."

There is another conception of justice—restorative justice—which has the healing of the whole community as its goal. This process, like South Africa's TRC, can create healing and closure for victims, perpetrators and community members. This is the vision advocated by Jesus, who advised us to move beyond the old ways of an eye for an eye, and love our enemies.

The most serious challenge that was raised against the South African TRC was whether there could be true justice in the absence of any punishment. Wasn't this just allowing criminals to get off scot-free? Archbishop Desmond Tutu, chairman of the South African TRC, responded to this question in his book "No Future Without Forgiveness." Tutu notes that in the Commission's public hearings, people often ended up confessing painfully dark secrets in front of family, friends and community members. This could be difficult and embarrassing for the confessor who didn't really get off scot-free.

Furthermore, amnesty was granted only to those who assumed guilt for their crime, thereby encouraging people to take responsibility for their actions. In some cases, victims were awarded assistance or reparation, and in others, perpetrators opted to do service to the community they had harmed. All of these strategies were focused on moving forward, building positive relationships, rather than looking backward and meting out punishment. So on the question of justice, Tutu asserts that justice is being served "when efforts are being made to work for healing, for forgiving and for reconciliation."

Our other goal in using a restorative process would be to get the truth out. This is crucial because it helps us to understand: What happened? What went wrong? How can we prevent this kind of thing from happening again? The process in South Africa facilitated the discovery of the truth, by offering amnesty to people who were deemed to have made a full disclosure of the facts. This incentive toward the truth contrasts with a criminal trial which creates an incentive for some people to hide or distort the truth.

I believe that if people in Mississippi wanted to pursue this truth and reconciliation path, they would find support from people all over the world who have experience in these processes, folks in South Africa who would have insights to share, folks in Greensboro, N.C., who have set up their own TRC. There are folks who live to support communities in talking about difficult issues, helping people on opposing sides figure out how to live in peace together. And there are folks who want to give money so that these sorts of things can happen. So while doing this in Mississippi will not be easy, it is doable.

This brings me to one last reason why I think it's a good idea. On my visits to Mississippi and in my reading of people's comments on the JFP's Web site, I hear some people saying they are apprehensive about the media attention that the Killen trial is generating. I guess the people of Philadelphia, Miss. and around the state are tired of having their home place relentlessly associated with racial violence. I believe that a truth and reconciliation process would do a lot to reverse public perception. I would love to hear of my home state being known for something so positive, a forward-looking and bold response to this wrenching episode that has haunted us for too long.

Just like in South Africa, if this process happens, it's going to be controversial. There are going to be people upset about participants being treated too harshly or too leniently. There will be many who question how we can speak of reconciliation when so many racial and economic injustices still exist. This is certainly a legitimate concern and one that should not be forgotten. Despite these complexities, we owe it to ourselves and to each other to invent collective strategies to move forward in peace and fellowship.

I sincerely hope my comments will be received as an honest expression of my care and concern. I am inspired by what I see as an opportunity for cultivating peace and justice in Mississippi.

Lucy Perry was born and raised in Jackson, and visits Mississippi at least once each year to attend the Neshoba County Fair. She lives in California, where she is a freelance technical consultant, and is studying compassion, dialogue and conflict resolution in the hopes of contributing to a more peaceful world. She submitted this column after reading a discussion at jacksonfreepress.com.

Previous Comments

ID

69732

Comment

Great article. I for one would like to get more information on this type of activity. Specifics on reparations and types of 'community service' would be interesting. As would what kind of community this shapes in the ensuing decades.

Author

kate

Date

2005-03-05T21:23:46-06:00