TOM ROBINSON

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A White Woman, Teresa Klein, Called the Police on a Black Child She Falsely Said Groped Her

The woman, who has become known as “Cornerstore Caroline,” claimed that a boy had touched her behind. She apologized after a video showed she was wrong.

A white woman calls the police on a black child after claiming that a young black boy touched her behind in a Brooklyn Deli. The white woman calls police on 9 year old boy and says “The son grabbed my a*s and she decided to yell at me”referring to the mother of the son.Ms. Klein, 53, returned to the store on Friday afternoon to buy cigarettes and to watch a playback of the deli’s security camera footage. Playing on a  flat-screen television, the video showed the child turning to someone behind him and his backpack brushing Ms. Klein’s backside as she leaned over the counter. She ended up apologizing to the child still she denied the fact that  she harbored racist feelings towards the boy, but complained the mother was behaving aggressively when she claimed the boy touched her. This incident is something that will traumatize the young boy for the rest of his life, afraid of going to jail for a crime the didn't even do. This is similar to the novel TKAM because a white woman, just like mayella ewell accused a black boy of groping her.(mayella also accused  tom of raping her) The only difference is that there was evidence that showed the boy didn't grope the woman, however in TKAM there is no evidence presented. The reason for these accusations is because of the color of the men skin and their racist minds.

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He spent 27 years wrongly convicted of murder. He wants to spend the rest encouraging inmates to read

The first book John Bunn fell in love with, curled up in his cell at a maximum-security prison in upstate New York, was Sister Souljah's novel "The Coldest Winter Ever."

John Bunn was arrested and imprisoned as an adolescent in NYC. He spent 17 years in jail for a crime that he didn't commit and a further decade on parole. Bunn 14 years old and out of school for the summer, was playing basketball on a typical day, then was called by the police to come into the station. He was taken to Brooklyns 77th precint, put in a room and was handcuffed to a pole. The police wouldn't let him go until he gave the police the answer they wanted. The police also told Bunn that they already ‘handled’ his co-defendant. That they had beat him up and slammed his head into a wall. Bunn knew the co-defendant they were referring to, from on his own block. The police accused the two boys of killing an off-duty police officer. Although Bunn kept telling them that he had no knowledge of that. However, the police didn't believe him. Bunn formally was charged with robbery and murder. he was sent to a juvenile detention where he says the staff members there were very abusive and violent. The trial lasted one day, and both teenage boys were plead guilty. Bunn was unable to communicate with his family. This is similar to TKAM because The events Bunn experienced were similar to the ones that Tom experienced. He was falsely accused of raping a young white woman, while Bunn was falsely accused of killing an off-duty cop with his friend. Both of these men were treated unfairly and horribly. Bunn was beat and abused in juvenile detention, while Tom was treated as if he werent a human being. He also was  shot to death trying to escape

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the WORST day of my life...

I had seen four cars pull up in front of the jail and a group of white men stepped out of their car they were driving in and approached Atticus. I was terrified, why were these men here? What did they want? I was afraid that I was no longer safe. I seen three kids hiding behind a bush, i wondered if they were Atticus’s chillun. I overheard a man telling Atticus to move out of their way. In that moment I had then realized what was happening, these men were here for me. They wanted to kill me, they were there to try and hang me I reckon. But Atticus didn’t budge, he stayed right where he was. I was grateful to have Atticus pursuing my case, it was nice to know such a fine man. And he had some of the nicest chillun.

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Pray for me...

It’s been almost an hour and the jury still hasn’t came out of that room. I wonder what it is that they are talking about in there. Cause it sure has been quite some time. Mr. Finch had done a good job at convincing the jury that there is no evidence that I could have raped Miss Mayella--that I was innocent and I hoped that the jury would see me as that as well. But again, I was black and she was white so chances are they would take her word over mine regardless of the evidence and the situation. But I could only hope for the best. I don’t know why that man was asking me those questions as if I’d laid a hand on that girl. My left arm is useless I got it caught in Dolphus Raymond’s cotton gin back when I was a little boy. So how could I have possibly bruised that poor little girls face. It was revealed in court by Atticus that Mayella was getting’ beaten by her father. I feel sorry for her...although the way she accused me was wrong. She’s a good girl who is just missing her sense of values. She was raised by a man who beats his own daughter. I don’t blame her, she’s lost. But she ain’t lost enough to forget what happened to her and accusing me of raping her and hitting her sure wasn’t one of them. I knew I was a dead man the minute Mayella opened her mouth and started screaming. The white community would support the white woman against the black man no matter what. If only they knew the truth, if only this town saw pass the color of my skin and saw the kind of heart I had, and knew that I would never commit such a crime like this.

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Sense Of Justice

Mr.Gilmer: Were you so scared that sh'd hurt you,you ran, a big buck like you?

Tom: No suh. I's scared I'd be in court, just like I am now"

Mr.Gilmer: Scared of arrest, scared you'd have to face up to what you did?"

Tom: No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didnt do

This quote is a back and forth conversation between cross examiner-- Horace Gilmer and the defendant Tom Robinson. Which is taken place in a courtroom during Tom's trial. The reason Tom says he ran from the scene is because he was afraid he would end up going to court if he was stay where the event was being taken place. He knew that as a black man he would be called to go to court for something he didn't do. But the white folks didn't care as long as the black man ended up being taken away for life. Tom is beginning to understand the courts sense of justice. he understands that the way he is being treated the way he is and the reason he was called to trial in the first place was because he was a black man. Whites at the time were always prejudice and treated blacks cruel like they were outsiders. This quote is significant because it shows the sense of justice from a black persons point of view. This portrays how wrongful society is. A person shouldn't be afraid to go to jail unless they have committed a crime and is scared to face the repercussions of their actions not because their afraid they'd have to face something they didn't do. And the fact that Tom was means that there is a serious problem with the way the justice system works in courtrooms and it needs to be resolved. This tells us that Tom is aware and observant of how Maycomb works.

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THE END...

I did not plan on living in a jail cell for the rest of my life, for something that I didn’t do. I didn’t want to die and I knew that was the only thing left to happen. I needed to see my family, I missed Helen and the children badly. I missed her home cooked food that I would wake up to every morning, the children’s laughter and smiles, and just watching them grow everyday. I then knew I had had to come up with a plan and I had to do it  quick. The first thing I would do  when they take me outside was lose grip of the guards and just run. Run as fast as I can until they lost sight of me. The only thing was I had a disadvantage because of my arm but it was worth it. If i wanted to see my family this is what I had to do. There’s a fence right outside of the jail.. That I would climb over to escape. That’s exactly how I’m gonna do it, I know that there’s a lot of things that I’m risking doing this but it’s worth a shot. yes I’m aware of the consequences that will happen if I do this, but I need to take matters into my own hands, Im tired of white men deciding fate for me...in advance goodbye. 

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Guilty...Guilty...Guilty...

Just like that, the jury had made their decision. ‘Guilty. Guilty. Guilty’ was what they said. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right. I didn’t deserve this. They handcuffed me and began to take me away...back to my cell was where I was headed, to rot. My lawyer Atticus had done everything he could to try and prevent me from going to jail. It was clear that I was innocent there was no evidence that I could have raped that girl..NONE. How could she sit there and just lie like that..under oath? It just wasn’t right. Before I left with the two guards Atticus whispered to me that he would get me out, but the only way that he could do it was if I held my head up high and had some fate/faith. But even I knew that wasn't true. Nothing could stop me from being put inside those bars. A negro like me there just ain't no way. I knew he was just telling me what I wanted to hear, I respected Mr. Finch and was thankful for everything that he did for me but getting me out of jail was not one of them. The only thing that I needed help with was for my family to be protected and for them to know that their husband/ father loved them. I walked away with my head low, disappointed and ashamed, not because of my unfair trial, but for my wife and children. Knowing that my family and all African Americans will continue to be  treated like this makes me angry...I knew that this was the end.

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Today’s The Day

Today is the day I go to court to find out if I'm guilty or innocent. I know that I’m innocent but others dont know that and they don’t believe I am because im black. The black man is always doing something wrong. The black man’s words being told against a white woman’s, of course she automatically has the advantage, I wish the world didn't work this way it just isn't right. I'm a good person and everything that I’ve done for that young lady had nothing to do with me causing any harm. She brought that upon herself. And I hope Atticus’ is able to prove that, and prove it well. I can’t spend another minute in that cell, they’ll kill me before I even step my foot in there again. I'm scared,  so scared I feel helpless oh my...why did it have to come to this. If I go to jail then my family would have no money and eventually they’ll be living out on the streets. I pray that the jury would see past the color of my skin and that they’d see me for what i really am...innocent.

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Getting By...

I was told that Reverend Sykes was collecting money from the people in the church to help support my wife and my chillun since I’m here on trial, unable to provide for them on my own. I feel bad that I'm not able to support my wife and chillun, they deserve a father present in their lives and instead I’m going to be an absence to them. I appreciate Reverend Sykes looking out for me and my family, making sure we get the support that we need but it was wrong of him to take money like that from those people. I mean everyone is struggling this time around and everything that we have is bare. There are many other ways to go about certain things and that certainly wasn’t one of them. It was nice of him but I could have done that if I wasn’t stuck in this jail cell. I’m the man of my family and they deserve to know that I’m here for them and that I care. It hurts knowing that it’s possible that you’ll never be able to see your family again. But as long as my family is safe and supported Im happy. It was nice of Mr. Sykes to help out my family, I remember being in that position. I felt the same way for Ms. Mayella..sorry. The only difference is that I was wrongly accused and taken advantage of because of my skin color. But trust me, I know that feeling when you just want to do something good out of your heart and it was nice of Reverend to do it.

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The only good one

I have to stay positive and “keep my head up’ Mr. Finch tells me. I know Atticus will do me right. He’s a good man. What white man you know would want to help out a black man like me, ‘specially at this time. Mr. Finch is fair and square, no one but Atticus sees me as an equal. He treats me fairly and even puts his life on the line to protect me from being lynched by group of men. I truly wish that I could repay this man for all the good that he’s done for me, but I have nothing to offer sadly. Winning this trial would mean so much for me and my family, I just hope Atticus performs his very best on this uh case and I know he will, because a good man. He believes me when I say that I’m innocent. He knew that I was only being kind and that I would do no such crime as rape. I would never treat no woman that way, that’s no way to treat a woman. I could never do no such thing, ‘specially with the beautiful, caring wife I have at home and my chillun. I mean how could I? I'm not physically capable of hurting her. I helped Mayella. I felt bad for her, it looked like she didn't have anybody around to help so I did. That’s all to it. Anyways I can only hope for the grace of god to bless me and this family.

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I lost my time and my life, and I almost lost my mind, too. I'ts not fair. They put me in jail without reason

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Night Before Trial

It’s like hell up in here in this jail cell. It’s cold and they treat me like I’m some nobody. I miss my children and my wife, Helen. My trial is tomorrow and I can’t wait to see what the verdict will be. Hopefully, they plead me not guilty. Hopefully, they see some innocence in me. Miss Mayella just ain’t right man. I don’t know why she chose to pick on me. I was just being nice and doing my duty as a male and helping her out around the house. I hate that she turned it around into something completely different. Why’d she have to grab me by the legs and hug me? Why’d she freak out and turn it around on me. All those times I helped her with the chores in the house, she accuses me of rape? I was just trying to be kind, I didn’t mean to cause no harm to no one. That daddy of hers would blame anyone, especially me. The black man attacking her daughter. I didn’t do anything. Yet, the black man is always blame, why not Bob Ewell her drunken father who beats her every chance he gets. People in Maycomb think I'm guilty because of my race and the color of my skin, automatically in this town that gives me menacing intentions. But of course that's not true, I had good intentions to simply help that poor girl out. I just want to see my family and my kids, my kids need to know the truth and know that Iḿ innocent.