I was unfamiliar with the story of Emmett Till until hearing Plater Robinson speak of his death.  I knew that brutal acts such as this took place in the South, but hearing all the details, circumstances, and different points of view made the story of Till’s death very vivid.  The idea of people killing another human being in that way, let alone a 14 year old child, is a scary and depressing thought.  This was a child who had stepped into a vastly different world from the one he was used to.  He made one mistake and was not allowed a second chance.  Most likely, thoughts of prior mistakes and second chances, even in social situations, never crossed the minds of Roy Bryant or J.W. Milam.
     It has always been beyond my belief that people could commit such acts of unfathomable cruelty over race.  I’ve often found myself criticizing those that committed the cruel acts as well as those who turned their backs and allowed such things to happen.  In my eyes, the people who had seemingly nonchalant attitudes about these types of situations were often committing crimes just as horrible as those who actually practiced the violence.  Robinson made a strong point though, I have never thought about how I would have reacted if I had lived in the 1950’s and ‘60s.  I know how I would have reacted today, and know that I would have wanted to react in the same way during that time.  However, the pull of society and the “norm” is great, and to be one of the few whites who stood up for true justice and humanity would have been very difficult.  This is one reason why those who did stand up deserve much acclaim.