Emmett Till was a just-turned-14-year-old *child*, whose only “crime” was allegedly whistling at a white woman. Not touching, not threatening, or even approaching, but whistling.
Just what, exactly, did he “deserve”.
He deserved a reprimand and to be told to learn how to respect women, his elders, and other people in general. Depending on his attitude, he may also have deserved a swift kick in the ass.
He certainly didn't deserve to be brutally murdered. But let's not make this kid out to be some kind of model child just minding his own business. He got in trouble for being a jerk in the wrong time, in the wrong place and to the wrong people.