"I know that it is not a question of malice or ill will or meanness of spirit that prompts our citizens to support executions. It is quite simply that people don't know the truth about what is really going on." This passage, found in the book "Dead Man Walking", written by Sister Helen Prejean, speaks directly about the theme of this book: the morality of Capital Punishment. Sister Helen Prejean has written an insightful book condemning the killing of human beings within a government and society that allow it. She discusses the effects of poverty, race, political agendas and injustices of the American legal system on a death sentence verdict, while questioning societies moral justification of its actions. .
Sister Helen Prejean argues the death penalty is morally wrong, based on the inequalities of the law. An extreme majority of those on death row are, what one would, consider under-privileged, or poor. In 1989 37.7 million working American, accounting for 39 percent of the total of income tax returns, received had incomes below $15,000. Instead of putting money into childcare, low-income housing, employment training and food subsidies, the Regan administration put enormous amounts of funding towards the building of new prisons, at an estimated of cost of $50,000 per bed. By 1990 1.1 million American were behind bars, the highest confinement rate in the world , with 99 percent of those on death row, poor. Between 1981 and 1991 the federal government cut its contribution to education by 25 percent and increased it allocation for criminal justice by 29 percent. The poor were getting poorer while the prisons gained momentum. .
It was during her times Patrick Sonnier and Robert Lee Willie that, Prejean realized the importance of having a stable and supportive upbringing. Both Pat and Robert were raised in single parent families, Pat's father had died at an early age, and Roberts had been in prison most of his life.
Dead Man Walking The movie "Dead Man Walking" brought up some important questions. Questions concerning moral, hate, love, forgiveness, justice, and reconciliation. As well as if the death penalty is a appropriate and just punishment for a crime. Throughout this film there was a lot of hat...
J-21: Dead Man Walking 1. While viewing Dead Man Walking, I had very mixed feelings. ... I believe that if you kill a man, in certain heinous and cruel situations, you too should die. ... No one needs to see him die; they just need to know he is dead. ...
In the novel Dead Man Walking, Sister Helen Prejean, was asked to correspond with Pat Sonnier, a man sentenced to die by electric chair for the murder of two teen- agers, which he did not commit. Dead Man Walking, gives a moving account of her spiritual journey as she became knowledgeable about our system of capital punishment through her involvement in the lives and deaths of several convicted murderers, their families, the families of their victims and the people whose job it is to carry out executions. ... However, by talking to this man and having a "relationship...
Dead Man Walking A question that lingered in my mind after watching Dead Man Walking was, "Is it morally just to put a criminal to death in retribution for their crime?" After watching this movie and reading the article Living and Dying on Death Row: An Eyewitness Account, I believe it is definit...
The film "Dead Man Walking", tells the story of a murder that took place by two men, who killed a teenage couple. This is the background of what the main story is about. Sister Helen Prejean (played by Susan Sarandon) is on a mission to heal the sins of one of the murderers, Matthew Poncelet (...
After reading a good book the reader's view of life's and life's complications and obligations should be clearer, at least for a time. How was your reading clarified your understand of people, institution, life and its confusion? I believe that after reading " Dead Man Walking" I have a much cl...
The Grateful Dead, a name known by many and memorialized by fans as a strange spiritual journey. ... One spring day in 1964, Bob Weir was walking down the street with a couple of his high school buddies. As they were walking past Dana Morgan's Music Shop, Bob heard some banjo pickin' coming from the back "went in and checked it out. ... On April 22nd 1979, the Dead debuted their new man on the keys, Brent Myland. ... After returning to the stage, the Dead released "In The Dark-, their only top ten album. ...
After watching the movie "Dead Man Walking", I got a better understanding of the death penalty. Throughout the movie there are very clear reason why some people are for the death penalty and why others may be against it. I am actually for the death penalty. Someone charged with first degree murde...
An Inside Look at "The Grateful Dead" You are walking around a parking lot full of almost clown like dressed people with long hair. ... The Grateful Dead, now known as The Dead, were first known as The Warlocks. ... He had boyish good looks and was known as quite the ladies man. ... The Grateful Dead is a very unique band. ... The remaining members of the Grateful Dead are now touring as the "Dead". ...
