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:
Readability: 4.7
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。
Marlon Peterson - Human justice advocate
Marlon Peterson is a writer, youth development expert and human justice advocate. Full bio
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 famous,
I will tell everyone
I will tell everyone
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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。」
馬龍·彼得森的英雄。」
00:17
that I know a hero named Marlon Peterson."
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00:20
Heroes rarely look like me.
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我一點也不像英雄，
00:22
In fact,
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事實上，
我比較像垃圾。
00:24
I'm what garbage looks like.
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00:26
No, not the most appealing
way to open a talk
way to open 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 a conversation,
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你們腦海中可能也想說，
00:30
and perhaps you have some questions
going through your head about that.
going through your head about that.
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00:34
Why would this man say
such a thing about himself?
such a thing about himself?
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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？
為何自稱垃圾？
00:38
How can someone view him as a hero
when he sees himself as garbage?
when he sees himself as garbage?
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00:43
I believe we learn more from questions
than we do from answers.
than we do from answers.
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我相信從問題學到的東西，
比從答案來得多，
比從答案來得多，
因為當我們提出質疑時，
00:46
Because when we're questioning something,
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我們會成長，吸收更多新資訊，
00:48
we're invested in taking in
some sort of new information,
some sort of new information,
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或者跟讓我們難受的無知奮戰，
00:52
or grappling with some sort of ignorance
that makes us feel uncomfortable.
that makes us feel uncomfortable.
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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 us uncomfortable.
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01:02
My parents are from Trinidad and Tobago,
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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 island in the Caribbean.
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千里達也是鋼鼓的發源地，
01:07
Trinidad is also home
to the only acoustic instrument
to the only acoustic instrument
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01:10
invented in the 20th century:
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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 from the African 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 from the genius
of one of the ghettos in Trinidad,
of one of the ghettos in Trinidad,
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將它改良，
01:20
a city called Laventille,
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01:21
and the disregard
of the American military ...
of the American military ...
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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, during WWII, had
military bases set up in Trinidad,
military bases set up in Trinidad,
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01:30
and when the war ended,
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戰爭結束後，
01:31
they left the island littered
with empty oil drums --
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.
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01:36
So people from Laventille
repurposed the old drums left behind
repurposed the old drums left behind
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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 chromatic scale:
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鋼鼓，
01:43
the steel pan.
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01:45
Playing music now from Beethoven
to Bob Marley to 50 Cent,
to Bob Marley to 50 Cent,
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從貝多芬、雷鬼音樂
演奏到饒舌歌曲，
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 made
music out of garbage.
music out of garbage.
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01:54
Twelve days before my 20th birthday,
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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 for my role
in a violent robbery attempt
in a violent robbery attempt
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在下曼哈頓區遭到逮捕。
02:01
in lower Manhattan.
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02:03
While people were sitting
in a coffee shop,
in a coffee shop,
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當時人們坐在咖啡店內，
02:06
four people were shot.
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有四個人中槍，
02:09
Two were killed.
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其中兩個死亡。
02:11
Five of us were arrested.
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我和同夥共五人被捕，
02:14
We were all the products
of Trinidad and Tobago.
of Trinidad and Tobago.
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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,"
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或是讓川普和上百萬美國人
任意中傷的「錨嬰。」
任意中傷的「錨嬰。」
02:18
or the "anchor babies" that Trump
and millions of Americans easily malign.
and millions of Americans easily malign.
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02:23
I was discarded, like waste material --
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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 so to many.
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之後我坐了 10 年 2 個月
又 7 天的牢。
又 7 天的牢。
02:29
I eventually served 10 years, two months
and seven days of a prison sentence.
and seven days of a prison sentence.
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02:34
I was sentenced to a decade of punishment
in a correctional institution.
in a correctional institution.
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我被判入監接受 10 年的牢獄懲罰，
02:39
I was sentenced to irrelevance --
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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 of humanity.
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02:45
Interestingly,
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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，
不斷收到的信件救贖了我，
02:46
it was during those years in prison
that a series of letters redeemed me,
that a series of letters redeemed me,
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幫助我從黑暗中與罪惡感裡走出來，
02:51
helped me move beyond
the darkness and the guilt
the darkness and the guilt
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02:54
associated with the worst
moment of my young life.
moment of my young life.
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擺脫我年少無知時，
如影隨形的暗黑面。
如影隨形的暗黑面。
02:58
It gave me a sense that I was useful.
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這些信件，
讓我覺得自己並非一無是處。
讓我覺得自己並非一無是處。
03:00
She was 13 years 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.
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她信裡提到，她視我為英雄。
03:06
I remember 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 crying
when I read those words.
when I read those words.
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03:11
She was one of over 50 students
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她是通信師友計畫期間的
50 多名學生之一，
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 correspondence program
a mentoring correspondence program
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03:17
that I co-designed with a friend
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是我和朋友共同發起的計畫，
03:19
who was a teacher
at a middle school in Brooklyn,
at a middle school in Brooklyn,
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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.
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我們稱此計畫為「年輕學者計畫。」
03:23
We called it the Young Scholars Program.
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03:25
Every time those young people
shared their stories with me,
shared their stories 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,
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每當他們畫上最愛的卡通人物，
03:31
every time they drew a picture
of their favorite cartoon character
of their favorite cartoon character
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03:35
and sent it to me,
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然後寄來給我，
03:36
every time they said they depended
on my letters or my words of advice,
on my letters or my words of advice,
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每當他們說，我信中的
隻字片語令人獲益良多，
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 my sense of worthiness.
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03:43
It gave me a sense of what
I could contribute to this planet.
I could contribute to this planet.
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他們讓我覺得，
我對這個地球還有貢獻，
我對這個地球還有貢獻，
03:47
It transformed 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 with me,
and what they shared 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 of teen life,
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03:54
they gave me the permission,
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這群年輕人給我認同，
03:56
they gave me the courage
to admit to myself
to admit 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 -- not excuses --
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1999 年 10 月
那天會出事，是有因可循，
那天會出事，是有因可循，
04:01
but that there were reasons
for that fateful day in October of 1999;
for that fateful day in October of 1999;
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04:06
that the trauma associated
with living in a community
with living in a community
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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，
比球鞋來得容易，
04:09
where guns are easier
to get than sneakers;
to get than sneakers;
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04:12
that the trauma associated with being
raped at gunpoint at the age of 14;
raped at gunpoint at the age of 14;
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14 歲在槍口脅持下
遭到性侵的創傷，
遭到性侵的創傷，
04:19
that those are reasons 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 that decision,
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做出致命的決定，
04:24
that fatal decision,
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04:25
was not an unlikely proposition.
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並不是沒有可能的。
04:28
Because those letters
mattered so much to me,
mattered so much to me,
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因為那些信對我意義重大。
04:30
because writing and receiving
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因為寫信、收信，
04:32
and having that communication
with those folks
with those folks
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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 impacted my life,
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我決定將機會分享給我的朋友，
04:36
I decided to share the opportunity
with some friends of mine
with some friends 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 Bill and Cory and Arocks,
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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 for violent crimes also,
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他們曾透過書信，
與年輕朋友分享他們的智慧，
與年輕朋友分享他們的智慧，
04:44
shared their words of wisdom
with the young people as well,
with the young people as well,
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04:47
and received the sense
of relevancy in return.
of relevancy in return.
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也從回信裡，重拾自我價值感，
04:50
We are now published writers
and youth program innovators
and youth program innovators
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我們現在是作家、
青少年計畫創始人，
青少年計畫創始人，
創傷諮商專家，
04:53
and trauma experts
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槍枝暴力防治宣導人，
04:55
and gun violence prevention advocates,
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04:57
and TED talkers and --
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也是 TED 的講者。
04:58
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
也是好爸爸。
04:59
and good daddies.
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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 of investment.
return of investment.
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05:04
Above all else,
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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，
當我們播種時，
05:05
what building that program
taught me was that when we sow,
taught me was that when we sow,
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當我們不分良莠、
用心灌溉培育人性的價值，
用心灌溉培育人性的價值，
05:09
when we invest in the humanity
of people no matter where they're at,
of people no matter where they're at,
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就會滿載而歸。
05:13
we can reap amazing rewards.
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05:16
In this latest era
of criminal justice reform,
of criminal justice reform,
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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 question and wonder why --
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05:22
why is it that so many 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
of nonviolent drug offenses
of nonviolent drug offenses
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才有資格受到同情、不被放棄？
05:28
merit empathy and recognized humanity?
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05:33
Criminal justice reform is human justice.
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犯罪司法改革就是人性正義，
05:35
Am I not human?
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難道我不是人嗎？
05:38
When we invest in resources
that amplify the relevancy of people
that amplify the relevancy 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，
以彰顯人相依相存的價值，
05:43
in communities like Laventille
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像是拉芬蒂市，
05:44
or parts of Brooklyn or a ghetto 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，
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 create
the communities that we want.
the communities 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，
不單只是提升法律執行力，
05:51
We can do better than investing solely
in law enforcement as a resource,
in law enforcement as a resource,
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因為這方式，
無法凸顯人性相互扶持的價值，
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
a sense of relevancy
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05:58
that is at the core of why so many of us
do so many harmful things
do so many harmful 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 of mattering.
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06:05
See, gun violence is just a visible
display of a lot of underlying traumas.
display of a lot of underlying traumas.
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槍枝暴力，不過就是
許多潛藏創傷的明顯表徵，
許多潛藏創傷的明顯表徵，
06:10
When we invest in the redemptive
value of relevancy,
value of relevancy,
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當我們著眼人性
互相依存的救贖價值，
互相依存的救贖價值，
就能相對獲得
責任感與療癒的回報。
責任感與療癒的回報。
06:13
we can render a return of both
personal responsibility and healing.
personal responsibility and healing.
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06:18
That's the people work I care 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, I'm asking you
to do the hard work,
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，
原本吝於付出的關愛，
06:28
the churning work of bestowing
undeserved kindness
undeserved kindness
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06:31
upon those who we can relegate as garbage,
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給予被我們歸類為垃圾的邊緣人，
06:34
who we can disregard and discard easily.
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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 two months,
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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 two friends to gun violence,
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06:44
both innocent bystanders.
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他們都只是無辜的過路人，
06:46
One was caught in a drive-by
while walking home.
while walking home.
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一個在回家的路上，
被路過的車開槍擊中，
被路過的車開槍擊中，
06:51
The other was sitting in a café
while eating breakfast,
while eating breakfast,
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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 in Miami.
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06:57
I'm asking myself to see
the redemptive value of relevancy
the redemptive value of relevancy
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我要求自己在
謀殺我朋友的人們身上，
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 them,
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07:03
because of the hard work
of seeing the value in me.
of seeing 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 us to challenge
our own capacity
our own capacity
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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 experience our humanity,
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透過理解他們完整的人生故事，
07:13
by understanding the full biography
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那些被我們不願重視人們的故事。
07:15
of people who we can
easily choose not to see,
easily choose not to see,
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07:19
because heroes are waiting
to be recognized,
to be recognized,
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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 is waiting to be made.
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07:25
Thank you.
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謝謝各位。
（掌聲）
07:27
(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Marlon Peterson - Human justice advocateMarlon 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.
Marlon Peterson | Speaker | TED.com