Clarence Darrow

A Plea for Mercy

delivered September 1924

Now, your Honor, I have spoken about the war. I believed in it. I don’t know whether I was crazy or not. Sometimes I think
perhaps I was. I approved of it; I joined in the general cry of madness and despair. I urged men to fight. I was safe because I
was too old to go. I was like the rest. What did they do? Right or wrong, justifiable or unjustifiable -- which I need not
discuss today -- it changed the world. For four long years the civilized world was engaged in killing men. Christian against
Christian, barbarian uniting with Christians to kill Christians; anything to kill. It was taught in every school, aye in the
Sunday schools. The little children played at war. The toddling children on the street. Do you suppose this world has ever
been the same since? How long, your Honor, will it take for the world to get back the humane emotions that were slowly
growing before the war? How long will it take the calloused hearts of men before the scars of hatred and cruelty shall be
removed?

We read of killing one hundred thousand men in a day. We read about it and we rejoiced in it -- if it was the other fellows
who were killed. We were fed on flesh and drank blood. Even down to the prattling babe. I need not tell you how many
upright, honorable young boys have come into this court charged with murder, some saved and some sent to their death,
boys who fought in this war and learned to place a cheap value on human life. You know it and I know it. These boys were
brought up in it. The tales of death were in their homes, their playgrounds, their schools; they were in the newspapers that
they read; it was a part of the common frenzy -- what was a life? It was nothing. It was the least sacred thing in existence
and these boys were trained to this cruelty.
It will take fifty years to wipe it out of the human heart, if ever. I know this, that after the Civil War in 1865, crimes of this
sort increased, marvelously. No one needs to tell me that crime has no cause. It has as definite a cause as any other disease,
and I know that out of the hatred and bitterness of the Civil War crime increased as America had never seen before. I know
that Europe is going through the same experience today; I know it has followed every war; and I know it has influenced
these boys so that life was not the same to them as it would have been if the world had not made red with blood. I protest
against the crimes and mistakes of society being visited upon them. All of us have a share in it. I have mine. I cannot tell
and I shall never know how many words of mine might have given birth to cruelty in place of love and kindness and
charity.

Your Honor knows that in this very court crimes of violence have increased growing out of the war. Not necessarily by
those who fought but by those that learned that blood was cheap, and human life was cheap, and if the State could take it
lightly why not the boy? There are causes for this terrible crime. There are causes as I have said for everything that happens
in the world. War is a part of it; education is a part of it; birth is a part of it; money is a part of it -- all these conspired to
compass the destruction of these two poor boys.

Has the court any right to consider anything but these two boys? The State says that your Honor has a right to consider the
welfare of the community, as you have. If the welfare of the community would be benefited by taking these lives, well and
good. I think it would work evil that no one could measure. Has your Honor a right to consider the families of these
defendants? I have been sorry, and I am sorry for the bereavement of Mr. And Mrs. Frank, for those broken ties that cannot
be healed. All I can hope and wish is that some good may come from it all. But as compared with the families of Leopold
and Loeb, the Franks are to be envied -- and everyone knows it.

I do not know how much salvage there is in these two boys. I hate to say it in their presence, but what is there to look
forward to? I do not know but what your Honor would be merciful to them, but not merciful to civilization, and not
merciful if you tied a rope around their necks and let them die; merciful to them, but not merciful to civilization, and not
merciful to those who would be left behind. To spend the balance of their days in prison is mighty little to look forward to,
if anything. Is it anything? They may have the hope that as the years roll around they might be released. I do not know. I do
not know. I will be honest with this court as I have tried to be from the beginning. I know that these boys are not fit to be at
large. I believe they will not be until they pass through the next stage of life, at forty-five or fifty. Whether they will then, I
cannot tell. I am sure of this; that I will not be here to help them. So far as I am concerned, it is over.

I would not tell this court that I do not hope that some time, when life and age have changed their bodies, as they do, and
have changed their emotions, as they do -- that they may once more return to life. I would be the last person on earth to
close the door of hope to any human being that lives, and least of all to my clients. But what have they to look forward to?
Nothing. And I think here of the stanza of Housman:

Now hollow fires burn out to black,

And lights are fluttering low:
Square your shoulders, lift your pack
And leave your friends and go.
O never fear, lads, naught’s to dread
 Look not left nor right:
In all the endless road you tread
There’s nothing but the night.

I care not, your Honor, whether the march begins at the gallows or when the gates of Joilet close upon them, there is
nothing but the night, and that is little for any human being to expect.

But there are others to consider. Here are these two families, who have led honest lives, who will bear the name that they
bear, and future generations must carry it on.

Here it Leopold’s father -- and this boy was the pride of his life. He watched him, he cared for him, he worked for him; the
boy was brilliant and accomplished, he educated him, and he thought that fame and position awaited him, as it should have
awaited. It is a hard thing for a father to see his life’s hopes crumble into dust.

Should he be considered? Should his brothers be considered? Will it do society any good or make your life safer, or any
human being’s life safer, if it should be handled down from generation to generation, that this boy, their kin, died upon the
scaffold?

And Loeb’s the same. Here are the faithful uncle and brother, who have watched here day by day, while Dickie’s father and
his mother are too ill to stand this terrific strain, and shall be waiting for a message which means more to them than it can
mean to you or me. Shall these be taken into account in this general bereavement?

Have they any rights? Is there any reason, your Honor, why their proud names and all the future generations that bear them
shall have this bar sinister written across them? How many boys and girls, how many unborn children will feel it? It is bad
enough as it is, God knows. It is bad enough, however it is. But it’s not yet death on the scaffold. It’s not that. And I ask
your Honor, in addition to all that I have said to save two honorable families from a disgrace that never ends, and which
could be of no avail to help any human being that lives.

Now, I must say a word more and then I will leave this with you where I should have left it long ago. None of us are
unmindful of the public; courts are not, and juries are not. We placed our fate in the hands of a trained court, thinking that
he would be more mindful and considerate than a jury. I cannot say how people feel. I have stood here for three months as
one might stand at the ocean trying to sweep back the tide. I hope the seas are subsiding and the wind is falling, and I
believe they are, but I wish to make no false pretense to this court. The easy thing and the popular thing to do is to hang my
clients. I know it. Men and women who do not think will applaud. The cruel and thoughtless will approve. It will be easy
today; but in Chicago, and reaching out over the length and breadth of the land, more and more fathers and mothers, the
humane, the kind and the hopeful, who are gaining an understanding and asking questions not only about these poor boys,
but about their own -- these will join in no acclaim at the death of my clients.
These would ask that the shedding of blood be stopped, and that the normal feelings of man resume their sway. And as the
days and the months and the years go on, they will ask it more and more. But, your Honor, what they shall ask may not
count. I know the easy way. I know the future is with me, and what I stand for here; not merely for the lives of these two
unfortunate lads, but for all boys and all girls; for all of the young, and as far as possible, for all of the old. I am pleading
for life, understanding, charity, kindness, and the infinite mercy that considers all. I am pleading that we overcome cruelty
with kindness and hatred with love. I know the future is on my side. Your Honor stands between the past and the future.
You may hang these boys; you may hang them by the neck until they are dead. But in doing it you will turn your face
toward the past. In doing it you are making it harder for every other boy who in ignorance and darkness must grope his way
through the mazes which only childhood knows. In doing it you will make it harder for unborn children. You may save
them and make it easier for every child that sometime may stand where these boys stand. You will make it easier for every
human being with an aspiration and a vision and a hope and a fate. I am pleading for the future; I am pleading for a time
when hatred and cruelty will not control the hearts of men. When we can learn by reason and judgment and understanding
and faith that all life is worth saving, and that mercy is the highest attribute of man.

I feel that I should apologize for the length of time I have taken. This case may not be as important as I think it is, and I am
sure I do not need to tell this court, or to tell my friends that I would fight just as hard for the poor as for the rich. If I should
succeed, my greatest reward and my greatest hope will be that for the countless unfortunates who must tread the same road
in blind childhood that these poor boys have trod -- that I have done something to help human understanding, to temper
justice with mercy, to overcome hate with love.

I was reading last night of the aspiration of the old Persian poet, Omar Khayyam. It appealed to me as the highest that I can
vision. I wish it was in my heart, and I wish it was in the hearts of all:

So I be written in the Book of Love,

I do not care about that Book above.
Erase my name or write it as you will,
So I be written in the Book of Love.
Main Idea of Each Paragraph:

Paragraph 1: The speaker reflects on his past support for the war, acknowledging its damaging effects on
society and the human heart.

Paragraph 2: The horrors of war and its desensitizing effects on people, especially young boys, leading
them to devalue human life.

Paragraph 3: War increases crime by fostering a disregard for life, as shown in post-war violence in both
America and Europe.

Paragraph 4: The speaker blames society for the boys’ crime, arguing that various factors, including war
and societal values, contributed to their actions.

Paragraph 5: The speaker addresses whether the court should consider the welfare of the community,
families, and the broader consequences of sentencing the boys to death.

Paragraph 6: A reflection on the bleak future the boys face, acknowledging that they are not fit to be at
large but suggesting life imprisonment as a better alternative than execution.

Paragraph 7: The speaker contemplates the possibility of the boys’ rehabilitation with time but admits their
future looks grim either way.

Paragraph 8: The speaker urges the court to consider the emotional toll on the boys’ families and the
lasting shame a death sentence would impose on future generations.

Paragraph 9: The speaker further argues that the families of Leopold and Loeb will suffer a lasting disgrace
if the boys are executed, and the punishment will not benefit society.

Paragraph 10: The speaker acknowledges the public’s desire for retribution but pleads for mercy,
advocating for a future where kindness and understanding prevail over cruelty.

Paragraph 11: The speaker argues that executing the boys will harm society by perpetuating cruelty, while
sparing them could set a more compassionate example for future generations.

Paragraph 12: The speaker makes an emotional plea for mercy, appealing to human compassion,
understanding, and love as a higher form of justice.

Paragraph 13: The speaker concludes by expressing hope that his efforts will inspire more understanding
and mercy in the future, regardless of the outcome for these boys.

Paragraph 14: A final reflection on love and mercy, with a quote from the Persian poet Omar Khayyam,
expressing a desire to be remembered for love rather than judgment.

Main idea of the whole article :

Clarence Darrow’s A Plea for Mercy argues against the death penalty for Leopold and Loeb,
emphasizing that society, war, and upbringing shaped their actions, and pleads for compassion
and mercy over cruelty and vengeance.
 These are the best ways to measure your body fat

October 11, 2024

STEPHANIE ARNETT/MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW | ENVATO

This week, an office conversation turned to body weight. We all know that being overweight is not great for your
health—it’s linked to metabolic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular problems. But weighing yourself won’t
tell you all you need to know about your disease risk.

A friend of mine is a super-fit marathon runner. She’s all lean muscle. And yet according to her body mass index
(BMI), which is a measure of weight relative to height, she’s overweight. Which is frankly ridiculous.

I, on the other hand, have never been all that muscular. I like to think I’m a healthy weight—but nurses in the past have
advised me, on the basis of my BMI, to eat more butter and doughnuts. This is advice I never expected to receive from a
health professional. (I should add here that my friend and I are roughly the same height and wear the same size in clothes.)

The BMI is flawed. So what should we be using instead? There are several high-tech alternatives, but a simple
measure that involves lying on your back could also tell you about how your body size might influence your health.

First, let’s talk about fat—the most demonized of all body components. Fat is stored in adipose tissue, which has
some really important functions. It stores energy, keeps us warm, and provides protective cushioning for our organs. It also
produces a whole host of important substances, from hormones that control our appetite to chemicals that influence the way
our immune systems work.

Not all fat is equal, either. Our bodies contain white fat, brown fat, and beige fat. While white fat stores energy, brown fat
helps burn calories. Beige fat tissue contains a mixture of the two. And white fat can also be broken down into two
additional categories: the type under your skin is different from that which covers your internal organs.
It’s the visceral fat—the type surrounding your organs—that is thought to be more harmful to your health, if
there’s too much of it. Having more visceral fat has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular
disease. (That relationship isn’t straightforward either, though; studies have shown that removing this “excess” fat doesn’t
improve metabolic health.)

Either way, having a good idea of how much fat is in your body, and where it is, would be valuable. It might at least give us
some idea of our risk of metabolic disorders. There are quite a few different ways of measuring this.

BMI is the most widely adopted. It’s the official measure the World Health Organization uses to define overweight and
obesity. On the plus side, it’s very easy to calculate your BMI. Unfortunately, it doesn’t tell you very much about the fat in
your body or how it corresponds to your health. After all, your body weight includes your bones, muscles, blood, and
everything else, not just your fat. (And as we’ve seen, it can lead well-meaning health practitioners to recommend weight
loss or weight gain when it’s really not appropriate.)

Scanners that can specifically measure fat are more useful here. Typically, doctors can use a DEXA scan, which
relies on x-rays, to give an idea of where and how much body fat a person has. CT scanners (which also makes use of x-
rays) and MRI scanners (which use magnets) can give similar information. The problem is that these are not all that
convenient—they’re expensive and require a hospital visit. Not only that, but standard equipment can’t accommodate
people with severe obesity, and people with some medical implants can’t use MRI scanners. We need simpler and easier
measures, too.

Measuring the circumference of a person’s waist seems to yield more useful information than BMI. Both waist-to-hip and
waist-to-height ratios can give a better idea of a person’s risk of developing diseases associated with excess weight. But this
isn’t all that easy either—measuring tapes can stretch or slip, and it can be difficult to measure the exact same part of a
person’s waist multiple times. And the measure seems to be a better indicator of health in men than in women.

Instead, Emma Börgeson, who studies cardiometabolic disease at Aarhus University in Denmark, and her colleagues
recommend the SAD measure. SAD stands for sagittal abdominal diameter, and it’s a measure of the size of a person’s
belly from back to front.

To measure your SAD, you need to lie on your back. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle to make sure your back is
not arching and is flush with the floor. Then measure how much your belly protrudes from the ground when you exhale.
(The best way to do this is with a sliding-beam caliper.)

In this position, the fat under the skin will slide to the sides of your body, while the visceral fat will be held in place.
Because of this, the SAD can give you a good idea of how much of the more “dangerous” kind of fat you have. The fat can
be trimmed down with diet and exercise.

This measure was first proposed in the 1980s but never took off. That needs to change, Börgeson and her colleagues argue
in a paper published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology a few months ago. “SAD is simple, affordable, and easier to
implement than waist-to-hip based measurements,” the team writes. “We would argue for its extended use.”
Main idea of each paragraph:

Paragraph 1: An office discussion about body weight highlights how it’s related to health risks, but weighing
yourself alone doesn’t provide enough information.

Paragraph 2: A marathon runner with lean muscle is classified as overweight based on BMI, showing the
flaws of using BMI for athletes.

Paragraph 3: The author shares a personal experience where BMI recommendations led to misguided
advice, underscoring its limitations.

Paragraph 4: BMI is flawed, and more accurate alternatives are needed to measure body size and health
risks.

Paragraph 5: Fat is an essential part of the body, storing energy, providing warmth, and protecting organs.

Paragraph 6: Not all fat is the same—there are different types (white, brown, and beige fat) with various
functions.

Paragraph 7: Visceral fat, which surrounds internal organs, is considered more harmful to health and is
linked to higher risks of diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular issues.

Paragraph 8: Knowing how much fat you have and where it’s stored can give insight into health risks like
metabolic disorders.

Paragraph 9: BMI is widely used but doesn’t provide a detailed understanding of fat distribution or its impact
on health.

Paragraph 10: Scans like DEXA, CT, and MRI can measure fat accurately, but they are expensive and not
always accessible.

Paragraph 11: Waist circumference measurements, such as waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios, can
better indicate health risks but are not perfect and may be more effective for men.

Paragraph 12: Researchers suggest using the SAD (sagittal abdominal diameter) measurement, which
measures the distance from back to front while lying down, as an easier way to assess dangerous fat.

Paragraph 13: The SAD method focuses on visceral fat, which remains in place when lying down, making it
a good measure of harmful fat.

Paragraph 14: Despite being proposed in the 1980s, SAD has not gained popularity, but researchers argue
for its wider use due to its simplicity and accuracy.

Main idea of the whole article:

The article highlights the limitations of BMI as a health metric and discusses alternative methods for
measuring body fat, emphasizing the importance of assessing visceral fat for health risk. Simpler, more
effective measures like waist circumference and the SAD method are recommended for better health
assessments.
 Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
– Robert Frost

Main idea of the whole poem:

The poem reflects on the allure of nature’s peacefulness and beauty, contrasted with the speaker’s sense
of responsibility and the necessity of continuing his life’s journey.