评论
打印
Would you ever forgive a person who kills a member of your family?
你会原谅一个杀害了你家人的罪犯吗？
In September of 2019, Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was sentenced for murder, and then the brother of the victim forgave her.
在2019年9月，达拉斯警察安柏尔·盖格因谋杀被判刑，紧接着受害者的兄弟宽恕了她。
Brandt Jean was 18 years old, and I joined the rest of the country watching on television in awe at that act of grace.
当时布兰特·基恩18岁，而我和全国的观众在电视上见证了他这仁慈之举，并深感敬佩。
But I also worried. I worried that people who are African American like Brandt Jean are expected to forgive more often than other people.
但我也担心。我担心像布兰特·基恩这样的非裔美国人会比他人更频繁地被期望去原谅。
And I worried that a white police officer like Amber Guyger receives a lesser sentence than other people who commit wrongful killings.
我也担心像安柏尔·盖格这样的白人警员，比起犯下同样过失杀人罪的人会受到更轻的责罚。
But because I'm a law professor, I also worried about the law itself.
但因为我是一位法律学教授，我也担心法律本身。
The law leans so severely towards punishment these days that it's part of the problem.
目前法律如此严重地倾向于惩罚，这就是问题的一部分。
And that's what I want to talk about here.
而这便是我想在这里探讨的主题。
The powerful example of one individual's forgiveness makes me worry that
个人宽恕的有力案例让我担心
lawyers and officials too often overlook the tools that law itself creates to allow forgiveness,
律师和官员经常会忽略法律本身创造出来的允许宽恕的工具，
when the principle should be the cornerstone of a thriving society.
而这条原则本应该是一个繁荣社会的基石。
I worry that lawyers and officials do not adequately use the tools of forgiveness,
我担心律师和官员不能够合理地利用宽恕的工具，
by which I mean letting go of justified grievance. And those tools are many.
我的意思是放过了正当的申诉。那样的工具有很多。
They include pardons, commutations, expungement, bankruptcy for debt
其中包括赦免、减刑、消除犯罪记录、债务抵押，
and the discretion that's held by police and prosecutors and judges.
以及警方、检察官和法官的酌情权。
But I also worry, I worry a lot...
但我还是担心，我担心的事很多...
I worry that these tools, when used, replicate the disparities,
我担心这些工具，使用时会再现悬殊差距，
the inequities along the lines of race and class and other markers of advantage and disadvantage.
即由种族、阶级和其他各种划分优势、弱势的标记而导致的不平等。
Biases or privileged access are at work when United States presidents pardon people charged with crimes.
当美国总统赦免犯罪时，偏见和特权也在起作用。
Historically, white people are pardoned four times as often as members of minority groups for the same crime, same sentence.
历史记录显示，针对同样的罪行与惩罚，白人被豁免的概率是其他少数群体的四倍。
Forgiveness between individuals is supported by every religious tradition, every philosophic tradition.
人与人之间的宽恕是被所有宗教传统、所有哲学传所支持的。
And medical evidence now shows the health benefits of letting go of grievances and resentments.
而今医学证据显示，放下不满和仇恨对我们的健康有益。
As Nelson Mandela led South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy, he explained,
正如纳尔逊·曼德拉领导着南非从种族隔离走向民主时，他解释道，
"Resentment is like drinking a poison and hoping it will kill your enemies."
“仇恨就像是自己喝下毒药，却希望它能杀死你的敌人。”
Law can remove the penalties for those who apologize and seek forgiveness.
法律能够为愿意道歉并寻求宽恕者豁免刑罚。
For example, in 39 states in the United States and the District of Columbia,
比如，在美国的39个州以及哥伦比亚特区，
there are laws that allow medical professionals to apologize when something goes wrong
有法律允许医务工作者在出现问题时道歉，
and not fear that that statement could later be used against them in an action for damages.
而不用害怕道歉的内容在后续的损害诉讼中被用作指控他们的不利证据。
More actively, bankruptcy law offers debtors, under some conditions, the chance to start anew.
更主动的是破产法，在某些条件下会给负债人一个重新开始的机会。
Pardons and expungements sealing criminal records can, too.
赦免和消除犯罪记录亦如是。
I have been teaching law for almost 40 years, hard to believe,
不敢相信，我教了快40年的法律，
but recently, I realized that we don't teach law students about the tools of forgiveness that are within the legal system,
但最近，我才意识到，我们没有把法律体系内有关宽恕的工具教给法学生们，
and nor do law schools usually explore the potential for new avenues for forgiveness that law can adopt or assist.
法学院通常也不会探索法律能够采用或协助的潜在的宽恕新途径。
These are lost opportunities. These are lost obligations, even,
这些都是错失的机会，甚至可以说是错失的义务，
because the students that I teach will become prosecutors, judges, governors, presidents.
因为我教的学生将来会成为检察官、法官、州长、总统。
Barack Obama, my former student, used his power as the President of the United States to give pardons.
巴拉克·奥巴马就是我以前的学生，他曾用身为美国总统的特权给予特赦。
That released several hundred people from prison
那次从监狱里释放了数百人，
after the law changed to provide shorter sentences for the same drug crimes for which they had been convicted.
他们当初因毒品犯罪被定罪，而法律修改后，相对应的刑期已被缩短。
But if he hadn't used his pardon power, they would still be in prison.
如果他当时没有使用特赦权，那么这些人至今仍将身处狱中。
Legal tools of forgiveness should be used more, but not without reason and not with bias.
法律内宽恕的工具应当被更多使用，但必须要有理由，且不带偏见。
A "New Yorker" cartoon shows a judge with a big nose and a big mustache
《纽约客》杂志有幅漫画，一位大鼻子、大胡须的法官，
looking down at a defendant with the exact same nose and exact same mustache and says, "Obviously not guilty."
他向下看着的被告也有和他一模一样的鼻子和一模一样的胡须，然后法官说，“很明显，无罪。”
Forgiveness could undermine the commitment that law has to treat people the same under the same circumstances, to apply rules evenly.
宽恕有可能会动摇法律的承诺：在同样的情况下，一视同仁地对待所有人，公正地应用法律条例。
In this age of resentment, mass incarceration, widespread consumer debt,
在这个充满仇恨、大量监禁、消费债务泛滥的时代，
we need more forgiveness, but we need a philosophy of forgiveness. We need to forgive fairly.
我们需要更多的宽恕，但我们更需要宽恕的哲学。我们需要公平的宽恕。
Contrast the treatment globally of child soldiers with the treatment of juvenile offenders in the United States.
让我们将全世界儿童兵所受到的待遇和美国少年犯所受到的待遇对比。
International human rights condemn and punish adults who involve children in armed conflict as those most responsible,
国际人权条例会谴责并惩罚那些让孩童涉入武装冲突的成人，认为他们最该为此负责，
but treat the children themselves quite differently.
而对那些孩童本身的处置则大为不同。
The International Criminal Court, now with 122 member nations, convicted Thomas Lubanga, warlord in the Congo,
国际刑事法院现在有122个成员国，该法庭将刚果的军阀托马斯·卢班加定罪，
for enlisting, recruiting and deploying children, teens, as soldiers.
因其征募、招募和部署儿童和青少年从军。
Many nations commit to ensuring that people under the age of 15 do not become child soldiers,
许多国家致力于确保15岁以下的人不会成为儿童兵，
and most nations treat those who do become soldiers not as objects of punishment but as people deserving a fresh start.
而且大多数国家不会把那些已成为儿童兵的孩子作为惩罚对象，而是认为他们理应获得重新开始的机会。
Compare and contrast how the United States treats juvenile offenders,
与之比较美国是怎么惩罚少年犯的，
where we severely punish minors, often moving them to adult courts, even adult prisons.
我们会严厉惩罚未成年人，经常会把他们送上成人法庭，甚至成人的监狱。
And yet, like child soldiers, teens and children are drawn into violent activity in the United States when there are few options,
然而就像儿童兵一样，在美国，青少年和孩子被卷入暴力活动，是因为他们没有选择，
when they are threatened or when adults induce them with money or ideology.
他们受到威胁，或被成年人以金钱或意识形态引诱。
The rhetoric of innocence is resonant when we talk about child soldiers,
当我们谈论儿童兵时，关于他们的天真无邪的辞藻总会引起共鸣，
but not when we talk about teen gang members in the United States.
但是当我们谈论美国青少年帮派成员时却并非如此。
Yet in both settings, youth are caught in worlds that are made by adults,
但在两种情况下，年轻人都被困在成年人制造的世界，
and forgiveness can offer both accountability and fresh starts.
而宽恕能让他们担起责任，重新开始。
What if, instead, young people caught in criminal activity and violence
如果取而代之，因涉入犯罪活动和暴力而被逮捕的年轻人，
could have chances to accept responsibility while learning and rebuilding their lives and their own communities?
能有机会在学习与重建自己的生活与社区的过程中去承担责任，那会怎样？
Legal frameworks inviting youth to describe their conduct could also involve community members to hear and forgive.
能够让年轻人叙述自己所作所为的法律框架，也能让社区成员去倾听与原谅他们。
Called "restorative justice," such efforts emphasize accountability and service rather than punishment.
这被称为“修复式司法”，这些努力更强调的是责任和服务，而非责罚。
Many schools in the United States have turned to use restorative justice methods to resolve conflicts and to prevent them,
美国的许多学校已经开始使用修复式司法的方式来解决矛盾和防止冲突，
and to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.
从而瓦解从学校到监狱的路径。
Some American high schools have replaced automatic suspensions with opportunities for victims to narrate their experiences
有些美国高中已经取消了自动停学措施，而是给受害者机会讲述他们的遭遇，
and for offenders to take responsibility for their actions.
也让加害者有机会为他们的行为负责。
As they describe their experiences and feelings about a theft or hateful graffiti or a verbal or physical assault,
当他们在描述自己有关盗窃、仇恨涂鸦、言语或肢体攻击的经历和感受时，
the victims and offenders often express strong emotions.
受害者和加害者经常会情绪激动。
And other members of the community take turns describing the impact of the offense on them.
接着，其他的社区成员会轮流描述这些罪行对他们的影响。
The leader is often a student peer, who is trained to deescalate the conflict
谈话的领导者通常是同龄学生，他们受过如何缓和冲突的训练，
and orchestrate a conversation about what the offender can do that would help the victim.
并且能组织对话，探讨加害者能做些什么才能帮助受害者。
Together, they come to an agreement about how to move forward,
他们一同达成如何前进的共识，
what the wrongdoer can do to repair the injury and what all could do to better avoid future conflicts.
做错事的人知道该做些什么去弥补伤害，而大家可以知道要怎样才能避免未来的冲突。
Consider this example, recently in a publication.
比如说最近发布的这个案例。
A young woman named Mercedes M. transferred, in California,
一名来自加州、名叫梅赛德斯·M的年轻女性，
from one high school to another after she was so repeatedly suspended in her old high school for getting into fights.
由于在她原来的高中经常打架，而被多次停学，不得不转校。
And here in her new high school, two other young women accused her of lying and called her the b-word.
在她就读的新高中里，另外两名女生指责她撒谎，并用脏话骂她。
A counselor came over and talked to her and earned enough trust
一位辅导员过来与她交谈，并取得了她的信任，
that she acknowledged she had stolen the shoes of one of the other classmates.
她承认她偷了其中一位同学的鞋子。
Turns out, the three of them had known each other for a long time,
真相是，她们三个相识已久，
and they didn't know any other way to deal with each other other than to fight.
但是除了打架外，她们不知道如何与彼此相处。
The facilitator invited them to participate in a circle, a confidential conversation about what happened, and they agreed.
于是协调人邀请她们参加一次交流会，在保密环境下讨论所发生的事情，而她们同意参加。
And initially, each of them expressed a lot of emotion. And then Mercedes apologized.
起初，她们每个人都情绪激动。接着，梅赛德斯道歉了。
And she said she had stolen the shoes, but she did so because she wanted to sell them and take the money to pay for a drug test
她说她确实偷了鞋子，但她这样做是因为想卖掉它们，然后把钱用来支付妈妈的药检费。
so that her mother could show she was clean and try to regain custody of two younger children who were then in state protective care.
这样她的妈妈就能证明清白，她就可能重新获得两个年幼孩子的监护权，他们此时正在接受政府保护机构的看护。
The other girls heard this, saw Mercedes crying and they hugged her.
另外两个女孩听完这些，看到梅赛德斯的眼泪，她们拥抱了她。
They did not ask her to return what she'd stolen, but they did say they wanted a restart.
她们没有叫她归还偷走的东西，而是说她们想要重新开始。
They wanted a reason they could trust her.
她们想要重新信任她的理由。
Later, Mercedes explained that she was sure she would have been suspended if they hadn't had this process.
后来，梅赛德斯解释说，如果没有这次交流，她一定又会被停学。
And her high school has reduced suspensions by more than half through the use of this kind of restorative justice method.
她的高中用这种修复式司法的方式已经将停学人数减少了一半。
Restorative justice alternatives involve offenders and victims in communicating in ways that an adversarial and defensive process does not allow,
修复式司法的选项让加害者和受害者能有更多机会去沟通，而这些沟通方式在诉讼和辩护程序中是不允许的，
and it's become the go-to method in places like the District of Columbia juvenile justice system and innovations like Los Angeles's Teen Court.
而它在诸如哥伦比亚特区未成年人司法系统的地方，以及类似洛杉矶青少年法庭的创新中已然成了一个首选方法。
If tuned to fairness, forgiveness methods like bankruptcy would be available not only for the for-profit college that goes belly-up
如果为了追求公平，类似破产法的宽恕方法不仅可以用于濒临破产的盈利性大学，
but also for the students stuck with the loans; pardons would not be given to campaign contributors;
也可以适用于那些因贷款陷入困境的学生；赦免令不应该只给予那些选举支持者；
and black men would no longer have 20 percent longer criminal sentences than do white men, due to how judges exercise discretion.
黑人的刑期也不再会比白人长20%，而这些是由于法官行使自由裁定权所致。
Forgiveness across the board is one way to avoid such biases.
广泛的宽恕是避免这类偏见的一种方式。
Sometimes, a society just needs a reset when it comes to punishment and debt.
有时，当涉及到责罚和债务时，社会需要的只是重启。
The Bible calls for periodic forgiveness of debts and freeing prisoners, and it recently helped to inspire a global movement.
《圣经》呼吁要定期解除债务，释放囚犯，而它最近启发了一场全球性运动。
Jubilee 2000 joined Pope John Paul II and rock star Bono and over 60 nations
教皇约翰·保罗二世与摇滚巨星波诺，还有超过60个国家参与的Jubilee 2000，
in an effort to seek the cancellation and succeed in canceling the debt of developing countries,
他们致力于呼吁取消发展中国家的债务，并取得了成功。
amounting to over 100 billion dollars of debt canceled, resulting in measurable reduction in poverty.
最终，总计超过1000亿美元的债务被取消，使世界上贫困人口显著减少。
In a similar spirit, there are people who are copying the techniques of commercial debt collectors
本着同样的理念，有人借鉴了那些商业买债公司的技巧，
who purchase debt for pennies on the dollar and then seek to enforce it.
这些公司花费几美分就能购买1美元的债务，然后通过追债获利。
Late-night television host John Oliver partnered with a nonprofit group called RIP Medical Debt,
深夜电视节目主持人约翰·奥利弗与一家叫RIP Medical Debt的非盈利组织合作，
and for only 60,000 dollars, they purchased 15 million dollars' worth of medical debt, and then they forgave it.
只花了六万美元，他们就购买了价值1500万美元的医疗债务，接着，他们将这些债务一笔勾销。
That allowed nearly 9,000 people to have a restart in their lives.
那使得近9000人可以重新开始他们的生活。
This kind of precedent should trigger and encourage more such actions.
这种先例应能引起和鼓励更多这样的行动。
It's time for a reset, given mass incarceration, medical and consumer debt and given indigent criminal defendants who are charged and put in debt
是时候重启了，想想大量的监禁，医疗和消费债务，还有那些因受到指控而深陷债务的穷困被告们，
because they're expected to pay for their own probation officers and their own electronic monitors.
因为他们要支付自己的缓刑官，以及自己的电子监控器。
Forgiving violations of law or promises to pay back loans does pose risks.
宽恕违法行为或者待偿的借贷，确实有风险。
Forgiveness may encourage more violations. Economists even have a name for it. They call it "moral hazard."
宽恕可能会鼓励更多的犯罪。经济学家们甚至为此起了名，他们称之为“道德风险”。
Should there be amnesty for immigration violations?
违反移民法规的人可以得到赦免吗？
Should a president offer pardons to protect himself or to induce lawbreaking?
总统应该提出特赦来保护他自己，或是促使违法行为吗？
These are tough questions for our time. But escalating resentments hold their own dangers.
这些都是我们时代的难题。但是不断升级的仇恨也有其自身的危害。
So does attributing blame to individuals for circumstances largely outside their own control.
把不在其自身掌控范围的责任归咎于个人也同样有其危害。
To ask how law may forgive is not to deny the fact of wrongdoing.
寻求法律上的宽恕并不是在否认犯罪事实。
Rather, it's to widen the lens to enable glimpses of the larger patterns
而是在拓展视野，能让我们窥见大局，
and to enable new choices that can go forward if we can wipe the slate clean. Thank you.
从而找到走向未来的新选择，前提就是我们能既往不咎。谢谢。
