To Kill a Mockingbird

The other day I was watching “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The movie is 50 years old. I was amazed of how the writer was able to capture the prejudgment on multiple levels. The characters in the movie displayed a variety of responses to the Tom Robinson who was being charged for raping and beating a woman due to him being black. The courtroom setting was divided between the blacks and whites. The whites sat on the main floor and the blacks sat in the balcony of the courtroom. The division between whites, blacks and their roles in 1962 was distinct throughout the movie. Atticus Finch the lawyer who was defending Tom Robinson, and widow-father of two children. He believed all humans are to be treated with respect and have equal rights, which caused a separation of him from certain whites. He maintained his integrity through the movie; even when he was spit on by the woman’s father who claimed she was raped and beaten by Tom Robinson. He showed his children too never allow others negative behavior to change theirs.

The movie continues with allowing the audience to view another level of prejudice by involving a character called “Boo.” Although he is unseen for the majority of the movie, he is known to exist through the movie by giving gifts to the children in the holes of a tree. The children curiosity of the man they named “Boo” caused great commotion between them and “Boo’s” brother. The personalities of the two brothers represent the differences between “good” and “evil.” “Boo’s brother was an angry individual who makes it impossible for “Boo” to leave the presents for the children by filling the holes in the tree with cement. “Boo’s” behavior was seen by the towns people and the children to be unusual because he was not seen during the day, nor did he communicate to anyone. And yet, at the end when the children needed to be protect it was the person the town’s people considered unusual who was there to save them. The movie made it apparent there are many levels of bias from the color of a person or culture to someone’s behavior merely being different. “To Kill a Mockingbird” defined the characters with “good being the Mockingbird’s” and “evil being those who brought harm to those who were the Mockingbirds.” (Just a note: A year after the movie came out Martin Luther did the march for freedom.)

As I was watching the movie I began to compare the bias then and now. And thought about when the media writes the racial differences at times showing the prejudice still consist; that perhaps things really have not changed when we think about then and now. We are still struggling with the concept we are all equal. I am wondering how long it will take or even if it is possible for us to get to a point where we judge individuals based on them as a person and not culture-lifestyle or not judge them at all. There is judgment on mental health, culture, lifestyles, religion, even age is judged. Most of the wars are due to prejudice; hatred which only brings no resolution just death. Are we learning anything from all those mistakes in judgment? It seems we continue the same path even knowing the consequences of our actions. We must come together as a universe united in order to create a place of peace for since God loves all equally, who are we to say or live our lives any differently. Isn’t it time for us too?