Quote:I'm not at all saying she persecuted Jews. I'm saying there were people who went along knowing what they were doing was beyond wrong. You speak of this woman as if she was THE victim in this. She was egregiously wrong in this situation twice. Once by inciting an obvious violent and unpredictable person (in reference to abuse) and then LYING to let a child murderer free. This is the person who pulls at your heart strings. You don't think the Till's mom gave testimony about finding the child during the trial? She listened to that and STILL didn't say a word? Is this the guilt you speak of that you want off her conscious?? She may not have been complicit initially but she became complicit when she helped a CHILD murderer go free.

 

The woman was in a way actually a victim.  While it is disturbing that a young black child lost his life, the fact of the matter is that the only crime she committed was perjury.  Who's to say that a young black man wasn't already "marked" in a town in the south in 1955?  Again we are talking about a different time and a different perspective.  Was he killed because of what she told her husband, or was he killed simply because he was a young black man in a southern town?

 

As painful as it might be to some, the actions taken by the perps at the time weren't considered "wrong" by the culture of those that lived there.  There is really no evidence that they attacked him because of what she "told her husband".  It's quite possible that they attacked him simply because he was a young black man.  It's also possible that she told her husband of the "assault" on her to avoid abuse.  The actions that they took were certainly violent and against the law.  When she had to testify, it's possible that she didn't tell the truth out of fear of further abuse or more importantly, a fear for her life.  Had she testified against the perps and in favor of the victim, she surely would have been killed.

 

It was a different time and a different "climate" back then.

 

I'm not discounting in any way the crime that was committed.  It was bad, unnecessary and despicable.  All that I'm saying is the woman only committed the crime of perjury when she gave her testimony... 50+ years ago.  There is no reason why an 80+ year old woman should be forced to go to prison.

 

Regarding her conscience and the burden that she's had to carry all of these years.  Put yourself in her shoes and imagine the mental toll that it takes on a person.  Me personally, I think that having and harboring that guilt for so many years is much worse than any prison would be.

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