About This Quote
The quote goes on to say, “If Roberts had been a poet or a painter or a musician of any high degree of merit, he would have known that word ‘probation’ is but an inadequate expression for the varied duties which are expected of him.” The author of this statement was William Pitt the Younger, who was the Prime Minister of the British Empire at the time. He made this statement during the trial on whether or not John Henry Roberts should be hanged for his participation in the infamous British Gordon Riots on London's streets on December 11, 1780. The people who were killed on that day were all innocent victims of violence. Pitt was referring to the fact that once one is sentenced to be hung, it is assumed that they are guilty until proven innocent. This often leads to lengthy trail of injustices, as people are often convicted based on bad evidence and false accusations. The author of this statement also says that if Roberts had been a musician or a painter, he would have known that "probation" is but an inadequate expression for the duties expected of him.
I think you can see where we're going with this one: The artist has an obligation to show us what we don't see and help us see what we do see. And I think we can all agree with the author here: We've all seen people who have failed to live up to their responsibilities and it's sad and terrible seeing someone fall short in such a manner. However, it's also important to remember that everyone makes mistakes and sometimes those mistakes can be very hard to correct.
If something bad happens today it does not mean we're doomed tomorrow; rather we learn from yesterday and grow from today forward. That's what keeps us moving forward and living life to its fullest potential.