ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Marlon Peterson - Human justice advocate
Marlon Peterson is a writer, youth development expert and human justice advocate.

Why you should listen

Marlon Peterson is the host of the podcast, Decarcerated, which highlights the journeys of resilience, redemption and success of formerly incarcerated people.

Since his release from prison in 2009, after serving 10 years, Peterson has spearheaded the creation of two youth development programs in New York City, How Our Lives Link Altogether (H.O.L.L.A!) and Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets (YO SOS). With a focus on gun violence prevention and youth advocacy, both programs have provided programming for hundreds of young people.

In 2015 Peterson left his full-time work in the nonprofit sector to create The Precedential Group, a social justice consultancy that works to address the trauma revolving around the intersections of race, gender, violence, police violence and community violence. His work through the Precedential Group has allowed him to provide support for organizations throughout the United States and Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

As a writer, advocate, program developer and public speaker Peterson has been recognized as a Soros Justice Fellow, Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar, Ebony Magazine Power 100 Honoree and TED Resident. His writings have appeared and been cited in The Nation, Gawker, The Atlantic, Huff Post, Black Press USA, Ebony and the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. He has contributed to Kiese Laymon's aaward-winning novel, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America and Love Lives Here, Too by former New York Times columnist, Sheila Rule.

Peterson is Brooklyn born and bred with a Trinidadian heart. He is a graduate of New York University and is currently working on his first Pulitzer, a memoir.

More profile about the speaker
Marlon Peterson | Speaker | TED.com
TED Residency

Marlon Peterson: Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform

馬龍彼得森: 難道我不是人嗎?對犯罪司法改革的疾聲呼籲

Filmed:
1,201,492 views

馬龍彼得森曾因他在 20 多歲所犯下的罪,遭到法院判刑入監 10 年,以及他口中所說的──被人們終生放棄。在坐牢期間,彼得森透過筆友師生計畫,在與布魯克林區的學生通信過程中,重新找回自己。在這場勇敢的演說裡,他提醒大家為何我們應該關懷那些被社會任意漠視與遺棄的人們。
- Human justice advocate
Marlon Peterson is a writer, youth development expert and human justice advocate. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
She wrote:
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她寫道:
00:14
"When I become成為 famous著名,
I will tell everyone大家
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「當我成名後,我將四處宣傳,
我認識一位名叫
馬龍·彼得森的英雄。」
00:17
that I know a hero英雄 named命名 Marlon馬龍 Peterson彼得森."
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00:20
Heroes英雄 rarely很少 look like me.
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我一點也不像英雄,
00:22
In fact事實,
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事實上,
我比較像垃圾。
00:24
I'm what garbage垃圾 looks容貌 like.
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00:26
No, not the most appealing吸引人的
way to open打開 a talk
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這種說法不適合演講開場,
或是用來開啟對話。
00:29
or start開始 a conversation會話,
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你們腦海中可能也想說,
00:30
and perhaps也許 you have some questions問題
going through通過 your head about that.
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00:34
Why would this man say
such這樣 a thing about himself他自己?
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這個人為何會這樣描述自己?
00:36
What does he mean?
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他到底想說甚麼?
一個被視為英雄的人物,
為何自稱垃圾?
00:38
How can someone有人 view視圖 him as a hero英雄
when he sees看到 himself他自己 as garbage垃圾?
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00:43
I believe we learn學習 more from questions問題
than we do from answers答案.
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我相信從問題學到的東西,
比從答案來得多,
因為當我們提出質疑時,
00:46
Because when we're questioning疑問 something,
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我們會成長,吸收更多新資訊,
00:48
we're invested投資 in taking服用 in
some sort分類 of new information信息,
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或者跟讓我們難受的無知奮戰,
00:52
or grappling擒拿 with some sort分類 of ignorance無知
that makes品牌 us feel uncomfortable不舒服.
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00:56
And that's why I'm here:
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這也是我站在這裡的原因,
00:58
to push us to question,
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鼓勵大家提出疑慮,
就算因此感到不愉快。
00:59
even when it makes品牌 us uncomfortable不舒服.
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01:02
My parents父母 are from Trinidad特立尼達 and Tobago多巴哥,
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我的雙親來自千里達共和國,
一個位於加勒比海最南端的島國,
01:05
the southernmost最南端 island in the Caribbean加勒比.
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千里達也是鋼鼓的發源地,
01:07
Trinidad特立尼達 is also home
to the only acoustic instrument儀器
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01:10
invented發明 in the 20th century世紀:
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鋼鼓是唯一
發明於 20 世紀的樂器。
01:12
the steel pan.
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01:14
Deriving派生 from the African非洲人 drums
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發源自非洲鼓,
住在千里達拉芬蒂市的貧窮居民,
01:16
and evolving進化 from the genius天才
of one of the ghettos貧民區 in Trinidad特立尼達,
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將它改良,
01:20
a city called Laventille拉芬蒂勒,
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01:21
and the disregard漠視
of the American美國 military軍事 ...
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加上美國軍隊的輕忽──
01:25
Well, I should tell you,
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這樣說吧,
美國於二戰期間在千里達駐兵,
01:26
America美國, during WWII二戰, had
military軍事 bases基地 set up in Trinidad特立尼達,
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01:30
and when the war戰爭 ended結束,
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戰爭結束後,
01:31
they left the island littered散落
with empty oil drums --
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空燃料油桶被隨意棄置島上,
也就是美軍的垃圾。
01:35
their trash垃圾.
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01:36
So people from Laventille拉芬蒂勒
repurposed改變用途 the old drums left behind背後
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拉芬蒂市的居民把舊油桶重新再造,
變成具有完整半音音階的
01:41
into the full充分 chromatic scale規模:
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鋼鼓,
01:43
the steel pan.
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01:45
Playing播放 music音樂 now from Beethoven貝多芬
to Bob短發 Marley馬利 to 50 Cent一分錢,
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從貝多芬、雷鬼音樂
演奏到饒舌歌曲,
當地居民基本上用垃圾玩出音樂。
01:49
those people literally按照字面 made製作
music音樂 out of garbage垃圾.
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01:54
Twelve十二 days before my 20th birthday生日,
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在我 20 歲生日的 12 天前,
我因為涉嫌暴力搶劫,
01:57
I was arrested被捕 for my role角色
in a violent暴力 robbery搶劫 attempt嘗試
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在下曼哈頓區遭到逮捕。
02:01
in lower降低 Manhattan曼哈頓.
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02:03
While people were sitting坐在
in a coffee咖啡 shop,
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當時人們坐在咖啡店內,
02:06
four people were shot射擊.
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有四個人中槍,
02:09
Two were killed殺害.
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其中兩個死亡。
02:11
Five of us were arrested被捕.
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我和同夥共五人被捕,
02:14
We were all the products製品
of Trinidad特立尼達 and Tobago多巴哥.
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我們正是千里達共和國的產物,
人們口中的不良移民,
02:16
We were the "bad immigrants移民,"
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或是讓川普和上百萬美國人
任意中傷的「錨嬰。」
02:18
or the "anchor babies嬰兒" that Trump王牌
and millions百萬 of Americans美國人 easily容易 malign誹謗.
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02:23
I was discarded丟棄, like waste浪費 material材料 --
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我就像廢物般被丟棄,
對很多人而言,聽起來很合理,
02:26
and justifiably名正言順 so to many許多.
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之後我坐了 10 年 2 個月
又 7 天的牢。
02:29
I eventually終於 served提供服務 10 years年份, two months個月
and seven days of a prison監獄 sentence句子.
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02:34
I was sentenced判刑 to a decade of punishment懲罰
in a correctional懲教 institution機構.
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我被判入監接受 10 年的牢獄懲罰,
02:39
I was sentenced判刑 to irrelevance無關 --
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我也因此被判定為無足輕重的廢物,
沒有生為人的價值。
02:42
the opposite對面 of humanity人性.
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02:45
Interestingly有趣的是,
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有趣的是,
在獄中的這幾年裡,
不斷收到的信件救贖了我,
02:46
it was during those years年份 in prison監獄
that a series系列 of letters redeemed贖回 me,
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幫助我從黑暗中與罪惡感裡走出來,
02:51
helped幫助 me move移動 beyond
the darkness黑暗 and the guilt有罪
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02:54
associated相關 with the worst最差
moment時刻 of my young年輕 life.
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擺脫我年少無知時,
如影隨形的暗黑面。
02:58
It gave me a sense that I was useful有用.
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這些信件,
讓我覺得自己並非一無是處。
03:00
She was 13 years年份 old.
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有個 13 歲的小女孩來信,
03:03
She had wrote that she saw me as a hero英雄.
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她信裡提到,她視我為英雄。
03:06
I remember記得 reading that,
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我還記得閱讀這封信,
看到那句話時,我潸然淚下。
03:07
and I remember記得 crying哭了
when I read those words.
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03:11
She was one of over 50 students學生們
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她是通信師友計畫期間的
50 多名學生之一,
在那期間我書寫了 150 封信,
03:13
and 150 letters that I wrote during
a mentoring師徒 correspondence對應 program程序
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03:17
that I co-designed共同設計 with a friend朋友
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是我和朋友共同發起的計畫,
03:19
who was a teacher老師
at a middle中間 school學校 in Brooklyn布魯克林,
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這位朋友是布魯克林區的中學老師,
我的故鄉。
03:21
my hometown家鄉.
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我們稱此計畫為「年輕學者計畫。」
03:23
We called it the Young年輕 Scholars學者 Program程序.
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03:25
Every一切 time those young年輕 people
shared共享 their stories故事 with me,
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每當這群年輕朋友分享他們的故事,
分享他們的掙扎,
03:29
their struggles鬥爭,
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每當他們畫上最愛的卡通人物,
03:31
every一切 time they drew德魯 a picture圖片
of their favorite喜愛 cartoon動畫片 character字符
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03:35
and sent發送 it to me,
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然後寄來給我,
03:36
every一切 time they said they depended依賴
on my letters or my words of advice忠告,
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每當他們說,我信中的
隻字片語令人獲益良多,
這都大大提升我存在的價值感。
03:40
it boosted提振 my sense of worthiness老有所為.
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03:43
It gave me a sense of what
I could contribute有助於 to this planet行星.
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他們讓我覺得,
我對這個地球還有貢獻,
03:47
It transformed改造 my life.
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也因此改變我的人生,
03:49
Because of those letters
and what they shared共享 with me,
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因為他們的信件與分享,
他們的青春故事,
03:52
their stories故事 of teen青少年 life,
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03:54
they gave me the permission允許,
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這群年輕人給我認同,
03:56
they gave me the courage勇氣
to admit承認 to myself
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也給了我勇氣自我坦承,
一切事出有因,這不是藉口。
03:58
that there were reasons原因 -- not excuses藉口 --
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1999 年 10 月
那天會出事,是有因可循,
04:01
but that there were reasons原因
for that fateful決定命運 day in October十月 of 1999;
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04:06
that the trauma外傷 associated相關
with living活的 in a community社區
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一個擁有集體創傷的社區,
在社區裡,槍枝的取得
比球鞋來得容易,
04:09
where guns槍砲 are easier更輕鬆
to get than sneakers球鞋;
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04:12
that the trauma外傷 associated相關 with being存在
raped強姦 at gunpoint槍口下 at the age年齡 of 14;
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14 歲在槍口脅持下
遭到性侵的創傷,
04:19
that those are reasons原因 for me
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這些原因讓我覺得,
當時會做出那樣的決定,
04:22
why making製造 that decision決定,
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做出致命的決定,
04:24
that fatal致命 decision決定,
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04:25
was not an unlikely不會 proposition主張.
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並不是沒有可能的。
04:28
Because those letters
mattered要緊 so much to me,
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因為那些信對我意義重大。
04:30
because writing寫作 and receiving接收
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因為寫信、收信,
04:32
and having that communication通訊
with those folks鄉親
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因為與那群年輕人溝通,
對我的人生影響深遠,
04:34
so hugely巨大 impacted影響 my life,
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我決定將機會分享給我的朋友,
04:36
I decided決定 to share分享 the opportunity機會
with some friends朋友 of mine
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04:39
who were also inside with me.
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我總是惦記著他們,
04:40
My friends朋友 Bill法案 and Cory科裡 and ArocksArocks,
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我的朋友比爾、柯瑞和阿羅克斯,
也因暴力犯罪入獄,
04:42
all in prison監獄 for violent暴力 crimes犯罪 also,
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他們曾透過書信,
與年輕朋友分享他們的智慧,
04:44
shared共享 their words of wisdom智慧
with the young年輕 people as well,
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04:47
and received收到 the sense
of relevancy關聯 in return返回.
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也從回信裡,重拾自我價值感,
04:50
We are now published發表 writers作家
and youth青年 program程序 innovators創新
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我們現在是作家、
青少年計畫創始人,
創傷諮商專家,
04:53
and trauma外傷 experts專家
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槍枝暴力防治宣導人,
04:55
and gun violence暴力 prevention預防 advocates倡導者,
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04:57
and TEDTED talkers健談 and --
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也是 TED 的講者。
04:58
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
也是好爸爸。
04:59
and good daddies爸爸.
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我們就是正向投資報酬的最佳範例。
05:01
That's what I call a positive
return返回 of investment投資.
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05:04
Above以上 all else其他,
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更重要的是,
我從創建這些計畫中學到,
當我們播種時,
05:05
what building建造 that program程序
taught me was that when we sow母豬,
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當我們不分良莠、
用心灌溉培育人性的價值,
05:09
when we invest投資 in the humanity人性
of people no matter where they're at,
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就會滿載而歸。
05:13
we can reap收割 amazing驚人 rewards獎勵.
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05:16
In this latest最新 era時代
of criminal刑事 justice正義 reform改革,
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處在犯罪司法改革的新年代,
我常想說為什麼,
05:19
I often經常 question and wonder奇蹟 why --
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05:22
why is it that so many許多 believe
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為什麼這麼多人相信,
只有那些被定罪於非暴力販毒者,
05:24
that only those who have been convicted被定罪
of nonviolent非暴力 drug藥物 offenses罪行
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才有資格受到同情、不被放棄?
05:28
merit值得 empathy同情 and recognized認可 humanity人性?
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05:33
Criminal刑事 justice正義 reform改革 is human人的 justice正義.
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犯罪司法改革就是人性正義,
05:35
Am I not human人的?
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難道我不是人嗎?
05:38
When we invest投資 in resources資源
that amplify放大 the relevancy關聯 of people
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當我們在社區注入資源,
以彰顯人相依相存的價值,
05:43
in communities社區 like Laventille拉芬蒂勒
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像是拉芬蒂市,
05:44
or parts部分 of Brooklyn布魯克林 or a ghetto貧民區 near you,
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或是布魯克林某些區域,
或你家附近的貧民區,
我們基本上能創造願景中的社區,
05:47
we can literally按照字面 create創建
the communities社區 that we want.
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05:50
We can do better.
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我們可以做得更好。
我們能做的,
不單只是提升法律執行力,
05:51
We can do better than investing投資 solely獨自
in law enforcement強制 as a resource資源,
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因為這方式,
無法凸顯人性相互扶持的價值,
05:55
because they don't give us
a sense of relevancy關聯
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05:58
that is at the core核心 of why so many許多 of us
do so many許多 harmful有害 things
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這也是造成這麼多人為了追求認同,
而犯罪的主要原因,
06:01
in the pursuit追求 of mattering無所謂.
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06:05
See, gun violence暴力 is just a visible可見
display顯示 of a lot of underlying底層 traumas創傷.
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槍枝暴力,不過就是
許多潛藏創傷的明顯表徵,
06:10
When we invest投資 in the redemptive救贖
value of relevancy關聯,
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當我們著眼人性
互相依存的救贖價值,
就能相對獲得
責任感與療癒的回報。
06:13
we can render給予 a return返回 of both
personal個人 responsibility責任 and healing復原.
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06:18
That's the people work I care關心 about,
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我在乎的是人,
只有這樣才會起效果,
06:20
because people work.
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06:23
Family家庭, I'm asking you
to do the hard work,
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請各位也一起參與,
這項困難的任務,
這並不簡單,
06:27
the difficult work,
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需耗費心神,把大家
原本吝於付出的關愛,
06:28
the churning翻騰 work of bestowing
undeserved不當 kindness善良
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06:31
upon those who we can relegate貶謫 as garbage垃圾,
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給予被我們歸類為垃圾的邊緣人,
06:34
who we can disregard漠視 and discard丟棄 easily容易.
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那群被我們輕易忽視和放棄的人們。
06:37
I'm asking myself.
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我問我自己,
06:39
Over the past過去 two months個月,
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在過去兩個月,
我兩個朋友喪命於槍枝犯罪,
06:41
I've lost丟失 two friends朋友 to gun violence暴力,
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06:44
both innocent無辜 bystanders旁觀者.
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他們都只是無辜的過路人,
06:46
One was caught抓住 in a drive-by駕車通過
while walking步行 home.
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3087
一個在回家的路上,
被路過的車開槍擊中,
06:51
The other was sitting坐在 in a cafCAFé
while eating breakfast早餐,
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另一個則是坐在咖啡店內享用早餐,
他當時正在邁阿密度假。
06:54
while on vacation假期 in Miami邁阿密.
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1701
06:57
I'm asking myself to see
the redemptive救贖 value of relevancy關聯
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我要求自己在
謀殺我朋友的人們身上,
看到人相依相存的救贖價值。
07:01
in the people that murdered謀殺 them,
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1702
07:03
because of the hard work
of seeing眼看 the value in me.
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因為大家曾費勁在我身上看到過,
07:06
I'm pushing推動 us to challenge挑戰
our own擁有 capacity容量
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我呼籲大家挑戰自己的極限,
來完全體驗人性,
07:11
to fully充分 experience經驗 our humanity人性,
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透過理解他們完整的人生故事,
07:13
by understanding理解 the full充分 biography
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1989
那些被我們不願重視人們的故事。
07:15
of people who we can
easily容易 choose選擇 not to see,
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3045
07:19
because heroes英雄 are waiting等候
to be recognized認可,
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因為英雄等待著伯樂的出現,
而音樂等待被創作問世。
07:23
and music音樂 is waiting等候 to be made製作.
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07:25
Thank you.
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謝謝各位。
(掌聲)
07:27
(Applause掌聲)
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Translated by Szu-Wen Kung
Reviewed by Yanyan Hong

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Marlon Peterson - Human justice advocate
Marlon Peterson is a writer, youth development expert and human justice advocate.

Why you should listen

Marlon Peterson is the host of the podcast, Decarcerated, which highlights the journeys of resilience, redemption and success of formerly incarcerated people.

Since his release from prison in 2009, after serving 10 years, Peterson has spearheaded the creation of two youth development programs in New York City, How Our Lives Link Altogether (H.O.L.L.A!) and Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets (YO SOS). With a focus on gun violence prevention and youth advocacy, both programs have provided programming for hundreds of young people.

In 2015 Peterson left his full-time work in the nonprofit sector to create The Precedential Group, a social justice consultancy that works to address the trauma revolving around the intersections of race, gender, violence, police violence and community violence. His work through the Precedential Group has allowed him to provide support for organizations throughout the United States and Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

As a writer, advocate, program developer and public speaker Peterson has been recognized as a Soros Justice Fellow, Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar, Ebony Magazine Power 100 Honoree and TED Resident. His writings have appeared and been cited in The Nation, Gawker, The Atlantic, Huff Post, Black Press USA, Ebony and the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. He has contributed to Kiese Laymon's aaward-winning novel, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America and Love Lives Here, Too by former New York Times columnist, Sheila Rule.

Peterson is Brooklyn born and bred with a Trinidadian heart. He is a graduate of New York University and is currently working on his first Pulitzer, a memoir.

More profile about the speaker
Marlon Peterson | Speaker | TED.com