Question

Finally, I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.

–Just Mercy,
Bryan Stevenson

Based on the excerpts, which statement best describes a similarity between Stevenson’s and Gould’s purposes?

Both men want to evoke empathy for people who have been wrongly convicted and imprisoned.
Both men want to offer a means for evaluating whether the legal system is functioning properly.
Both men want to convince the audience that law enforcement can correct past mistakes.
Both men want to provide a history of legal injustice in the United States.

Answer 1

Both men want to offer a means for evaluating whether the legal system is functioning properly.

Stevenson’s line measures a society’s commitment to justice by how it treats the marginalized—framing treatment of the accused and incarcerated as a test of the legal system—so the shared purpose is providing a yardstick for assessing legal fairness.