Taking Exception to Exceptionalism

Paper Summary:

The paper argues that the Supreme Court, which is supposed to be the last refuge and protector of those Americans who are "different," has actually failed the American people in the past. The writer brings examples of court cases in which minorities or outsiders did not receive fair treatment. The paper finally suggests that the theory of exceptionalism should be modified to better serve the American public.

From the Paper:

"The Scottsboro trials, more than any other event, crystallized black support for the radical political movements. The facts of the case are these. In Alabama, nine young men ranging from 13 to 21 were accused of raping two white women (Ruby Bates and Victoria Price) on a freight train near Paint Rock, Alabama. hose arrested and accused were Charlie Weems, Ozie Powell, Clarence Norris, Olen Montgomery, Willie Roberson, Haywood Patterson, Andy and Roy Wright, Eugene Williams (Goodman, 1995). They were tried without adequate counsel and hastily convicted on the basis of shallow evidence. All but Roy Wright were sentenced to death."

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