A Time to Kill

When I met W-spouse she introduced me to the works of John Grisham. I have read most, if not all of his books. One of my favorites is A Time To Kill. This book was made in to a movie. This is a long read but I would like you to read it to understand what I need to say next. I copied this straight from Wikipedia.

Plot Summary:
Two white supremacists Billy (Nicky Katt) and James (Doug Hutchison) come across a 10-year-old black girl named Tonya (Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly) in rural Mississippi. They violently rape and beat Tonya and dump her in a nearby river after a failed attempt to hang her. She survives and the men are arrested. Word spreads of the brutal rape. Tonya's father, Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson), seeks out Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey), an easygoing white lawyer. Carl Lee is worried that the men may be acquitted, due to deep-seated racism in the Mississippi Delta area. Brigance admits the possibility. Hailey acquires an M16 rifle, goes to the county courthouse and opens fire, killing both rapists and unintentionally injuring Deputy Looney (Chris Cooper), with a ricochet. Carl Lee is soon arrested without resistance.
Brigance agrees to provide defense for Hailey for a much smaller amount of money than such a trial would usually require. He intends to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. The rape and subsequent revenge killing gain national media attention, and the Ku Klux Klan begins to organize in the area. A brother of one of the dead rapists, Freddie Lee Cobb (Kiefer Sutherland), calls Brigance and his family with death threats and organizes the formation of a Klan chapter in the county. The district attorney, Rufus Buckley (Kevin Spacey), decides to seek the death penalty. Presiding Judge Omar Noose (Patrick McGoohan) denies Jake a change of venue. Jake seeks help for his defense team from sleazy divorce lawyer and close friend Harry Rex Vonner (Oliver Platt). He seeks guidance from long-time liberal activist Lucien Wilbanks (Donald Sutherland), a once great civil rights lawyer who was disbarred for violence on a picket line. Jake's secretary, Ethel (Brenda Fricker), is wary of the racially explosive case.
Jake is approached by Ellen Roark (Sandra Bullock), a fiery liberal law student from Massachusetts who belongs to the ACLU. At first Jake is reluctant to accept Ellen's cooperation, but later agrees to let her help with the case. The trial begins amid much attention from the media and public. The Klan, which has a member inside the sheriff's department, burns a cross on Jake's lawn, causing an argument with Jake and his wife to the effect that if Jake had heeded Carl's warning this wouldn't had happened. The police evacuate Jake's family out the house. Jake and the police capture one of the Klan members, and find a case with a bomb inside it. Jake opens it and when it ticks down the time, Jake throws the case into the air, where it explodes. This motivates Jake to send his wife and young daughter away while the trial continues. As the trial begins, the KKK march down Canton's streets, meeting a large group of mostly black protesters at the courthouse. Chaos ensues outside the courthouse as the police lose control of the crowd. A black teenager kills the KKK Grand Dragon (Kurtwood Smith) with a Molotov cocktail, burning him to death.
Jake's attraction to Roark grows, and they nearly begin an affair before Jake regains his wits and goes home - to find that arsonists have burned down his house. The next morning, as the Mississippi National Guard is called in to take care of the rioting, Jake sits on the still-smoking steps of his house and meets with Harry Rex, who says it is time to quit the case. Jake refuses, saying that to quit now would make his sacrifices meaningless. When the jury secretly discusses the case in a restaurant, against the judge's instructions, all but one are leaning toward a guilty verdict, and Carl Lee's fate looks sealed. Soon after, Freddie Lee Cobb shoots at Jake as he exits the courthouse, but misses and hits a national guardsman policing the demonstrations, paralyzing him. That evening after leaving Jake's office, Roark is kidnapped by Klansmen; she is beaten, tied to a stake in the wilderness in her underwear, and left to die. She is saved by an informant called "Mickey Mouse", who is one of the Klansmen, Tim Nunley (John Diehl), working with Cobb.
Out of options, Jake goes to see Carl Lee in his jail cell and advises accepting a lesser guilty plea. Carl Lee refuses, telling Brigance that his views on justice and race are wrong, adding "our kids will never play together." The courthouse is packed to see the attorneys' closing arguments. Jake tells the jury to close their eyes and listen to a story. He describes, in slow and painful detail, the rape of a young 10-year-old girl, mirroring the story of Tonya's rape. He then asks the jury, in his final comment, to "now imagine she's white". This final burst of imagery challenges the very nature of the trial itself, raising the very real specter, within the racist culture of the community in which the crime took place, that the actions of Haley would not have been called to question before the court of law had the victim, the little girl, been white. Had it been so, it is implied that the father's motive in murdering the rapists would have been seen by the public as justified, and there would not have been any prosecution. The argument Jake Brigance then makes is that if the jury can at any time be compelled to spare the life of a white man for a vengeful murder like Carl Lee Haley's, then they must be able to do the same for a black man, as well.
Hours later, after deliberation, an African-American child runs out of the courthouse and screams "He's innocent!" Jubilation ensues amongst the supporters outside and the KKK, enraged, become violent again. Sheriff Ozzie Walls (Charles S. Dutton) arrests Freddie Lee, as well as his own racist deputy.
Later, Jake brings his wife and daughter to a family cookout at Carl Lee's house. Carl Lee is surprised and standoffish. Jake explains, "Just thought our kids could play together," and Carl Lee smiles at that.

I have watched this movie numerous times and the ending is what I would like to focus on. The closing arguments. Especially this......(Jake tells the jury to close their eyes and listen to a story. He describes, in slow and painful detail, the rape of a young 10-year-old girl, mirroring the story of Tonya's rape. He then asks the jury, in his final comment, to "now imagine she's white")

My daughter is in a bi-racial marriage. When her and my son-in-law, who I dearly love, first got together they were worried sick of my reaction. She didn't know me very well and he sure as heck didn't. I don't care who she is married to as long as he takes care of her, doesn't hit her or be mean to her and provides for her and their childrens security to the best of his ability. I was, and am still worried about the problems a bi-racial child may encounter in our cruel society. Hopefully with lots of love and teaching her the right way, and teaching her to walk with God, we can overcome some of those obstacles.
You always hear people say "I was brought up around black people" or "a lot of my friends are black". I have said it myself. I now see that as an insecurity in some people, trying to convince others that they aren't racist or don't like black people. I probably had the same excuse. I have had the unfortunate experience in the last few months to see first hand what racism is. I have had the unfortunate experience to see just what it must be like to drive through Wise County and be a black person. I have seen firsthand through his eyes what racial profiling is.
 I also work each and every day with Mexicans. Some of them crossed our borders illegally. They are now working here legal. I don't have a problem with that as long as everything is done according to the laws of the US and not manipulated in any way to cheat the system. I have listened to their horror stories of living in Mexico and the daily trials and struggles to make a dollar over there. To just feed their family in some places is a hourly fight.

I am not here for a pitty party or asking you to change the way you feel about either of these situations. I am mostly venting because I need to vent. I'm pissed. I'm hurt that people that we trust with our lives everyday can be so unjust and cruel. I do ask you to do something. Do exactly what Jake asked....The next time your in a situation that you feel uncomfortable with around a person that is not the same race that you are.....Close your eyes and imagine being them, imagine what they must walk through everyday just to go to work or to the store. Imagine being the only black person in the Dairy Queen and how uncomfortable that must feel. Imagine being that Mexican guy over in Mexico not knowing what you are going to eat today.

My life has been forever changed in the last year with the birth of two grandchildren. I will do whatever it takes to let both of them know, and to teach them how hurtful racism is and what it means to love each other no matter the race or color.

Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine.......