Capital Punishment

1442 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Controversy surrounding capital punishment

Capital Punishment in Dead Man Walking “This is not a nice man … innocent is not a word that suits him in any way,” says Brian Webster when speaking of Matthew Poncelet, the man on death row in the movie Dead Man Walking. Many people feel that the death penalty is immoral and it should not be used; however I feel completely opposite. I believe that capital punishment is a fair sentence for a murderer to receive. In the movie Dead Man Walking, the main character Matthew Poncelet, is on death row waiting for the lethal injection that will soon put him to death for good. Dead Man Walking shows the audience what life is like for a man on death row, who was sentenced for the murder of two young adults. I feel that the movie does not support the death penalty and it tries to show that a person can be redeemed for his actions and therefore should not be put to death. “The film definitely has its opinion on the death penalty, it is against it” (Williams). Even though I support the death penalty, I still feel that the movie accurately described what life on death row was like for Matthew Poncelet. At the beginning of the movie Matthew Poncelet had no respect for life and death, he had never really thought about the life he was taking away from the two young adults. However, he transforms from a murderer to an actually human being, thinking logically as his life and the movie come to an end. For each of us, death is a subject that not only fascinates, but creates fear in our hearts as well. Death is something we avoid in our minds with the hope that it will not touch us. As a society we all fear death; especially in violent cases, which occur naturally and arise through the unusual forces in our society. When such an event takes place we want revenge. In Dead Man Walking, the parents of the murdered girl are left with so much anger that they verbally attack Sister Helen Prejean, when they find out she is still on Matthew Poncelet’s side. "Ain't nobody with money on death row,” said James Berardinelli when speaking about the possibility ... ... middle of paper ... ...hould need to know more. The argument of justice is so strong and decisive that this one argument is enough to introduce the death penalty (Anderson 26).” The movie Dead Man Walking portrays the life of a man living on death row. However, I disagree with some of the concepts the movie presents. I believe that the death penalty has great advantages in which the movie disagrees with. All in all the death penalty eliminates the harmful people in our world and saves the innocent. Works Cited Anderson, David. “The Death Penalty.” 24 April 2004. . Berardinelli, James. “Review: Dead Man Walking.” 24 April 2004. . Edwards, ed. “Supporters Grapple with new Doubt.” Minneapolis Star Tribune 31 May 1999. Halperin, Rick. “A Chance Reprieve, and Another Chance at Life.” 29 June 2002. 24 April 2004. . Jones ed. “Letters To the Editor for the Death Penalty.” International Herald Tribune 25 April 200. Rhodes, Steve. “Dead Man Walking.” 24 April 2004. 1996. . Webster, Brian. “Apollo Movie Guide’s Review of Dead Man Walking.” 24 April 2004. 1995. http://www.apolloguide.com/mov_fullrev.asp?CID=1890&Specific=1710>. Williams, Madeleine. “Dead Man Walking.” 24 April 2004. .

Show More
Related

  • Dead Man Walking Death Penalty Analysis

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyone has an opinion on capital punishment and the death penalty. However, most people never have to think about the person being executed or the circumstances that put them on death row. The movie Dead Man Walking allows the average person to peek into this often hidden world. Although, I can say my view on the death penalty has not been altered, I cannot say that this movie and its presentation of capital punishment did not move me emotionally. Dead Man Walking depicts the story of death row inmate Matthew Poncelet, a man who was convicted of brutally raping, stabbing, and shooting teenagers Hope Percy and Walter Delacroix.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Innocent On Death Row

    500 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the editorial “The Innocent on Death Row,” the board argues that the death penalty should not be legal. This article presents a strong argument for the end of the death penalty with clear assertions and effective rhetorical techniques.

    Read More

  • The Death Penalty In Dead Man Walking By Sister Helen Prejean

    2001 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the book “Dead Man Walking”, written by Sister Helen Prejean, is about the un-justifying laws of the death penalty. It features Patrick Sonnier, a criminal, who is sentenced to death because of the crime he has committed. The death penalty had been around for years and is arguable on the subject if it should be abolished or not. I stand with Prejean on her beliefs about how the death penalty is evil and unjust. For the purpose of this essay, I have chosen a poster which represents my thoughts and beliefs on what I feel strongly about the death penalty.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Sherman Alexie's Capital Punishment In America

    1864 Words  | 4 Pages

    At first glance, it may seem that maintaining a life-term prisoner is more burdensome for taxpayers. However, according to Richard C. Dieter, the cost of a death penalty may amount to or even surpass the expenditures of handling less severe punishments for similar cases. Actually, the imposition of capital punishment requires complicated and numerous trials which can take a great amount of time. During this period, the defendant remains incarcerated and his maintenance is paid for with taxpayers’ money. Additional pre-trial time is needed to impose a death sentence with the involvement law experts, attorneys and additional trials (Dieter). All of these procedures require additional expenditures which make a death trial a costly

    Read More

  • Death Penalty Essay

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dieter, R. C. (1992). Millions misspent: what politicians don't say about the high costs of the death penalty. Washington, DC: Death Penalty Information Center.

    Read More

  • How Do We Justify Killing?

    1462 Words  | 3 Pages

    Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is defined as the pre-meditated or planned taking of a human life by a government in response to a crime committed by that legally convicted person. It has been discussed extensively over the years by many people. There are many reasons to agree or disagree with capital punishment, but the reasons against it completely outweigh the ones that support it. Many of the justifications for affirming the death penalty either do not apply wholly to our justice system, are misunderstood, or just do not make sense. There is no justification for killing other human beings and all of the arguments cannot change this. Since 1976, over one thousand people have been executed by the government.

    Read More

  • Vile Criminals Deserve Death

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anyway, this whole controversy concerning the moral validity of capital punishment came to my attention the other day while I was watching television. A PBS program called "Frontline" had done a report on the true story behind the book "Dead Man Walking," written by Sister Helen Prejean, which was a primary source for the construction of Tim Robbin's movie of the same name.

    Read More

  • The Controversy of Death Penalty in the US

    1313 Words  | 3 Pages

    The death penalty, ever since it was established, has created a huge controversy all throughout the world. Ever since the death penalty was created, there have been people who supported the death penalty and those who wanted to destroy it. When the death penalty was first created the methods that were used were gruesome and painful, it goes against the Eighth Amendment that was put in place many years later. The methods they used were focused on torturing the people and putting them through as much pain as possible. In today’s society the death penalty is quick and painless, it follows the Eighth Amendment. Still there are many people who are against capital punishment. The line of whether to kill a man or women for murder or to let him or her spend the rest one’s life in prison forever will never be drawn in a staight.

    Read More

  • Dead Man Walking: Chronicling The Death Penalty

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    The death penalty in America, currently, is in full swing, and spares nobody. Dead Man Walking is a movie chronicling the death sentence Matthew Poncelet received and how Sr. Helen Prejean, his spiritual advisor, intervened. The changes that Matthew made throughout the movie demonstrate that criminals can be able to reconcile and deserve another shot. Matthew showed reconciliation not only in his changes throughout the movie, but also during Sr. Helen Prejean’s help and during his execution.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The Death Penalty

    710 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the years the death penalty has been a very controversial aspect when it comes to punishment. Some groups of people believe that is should be abolished and other think that America should keep it. I’m here to say that I am not for the death penalty at all. To me the death penalty has a couple of flaws that I have an issue looking past. The death penalty is very unconstitutional for anyone who is put through it and it is very bias on who it chooses for the punishment.

    Read More

  • The Death Penalty: Anyone Who Muders Should Be Put To Death

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many pros to the death penalty. Some claim that there is a preventative effect on potential murderers, although there is a lot of debate about this and just about every other argument for or against capital punishment. Another is the idea of incapacitation. Truthfully, why should someone have the right to live if they have taken that right from another person? The purpose why this writer supports capital punishment is because in observing victims’ families and their grief over murdered loved ones. This writer believes anyone who murders should be put to death. One reason for this is because people should not have the right to live after they have killed a fellow human being. The death penalty is a topic dealing with ethics, a set of moral principles or values. This issue is constantly filled with mix feelings and attitudes which the writer will attempt to present in the following paragraphs.

    Read More

  • The Ethics of Capital Punishment

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    Americans have argued over the death penalty since the early days of our country. In the United States only 38 states have capital punishment statutes. As of year ended in 1999, in Texas, the state had executed 496 prisoners since 1930. The laws in the United States have change drastically in regards to capital punishment. An example of this would be the years from 1968 to 1977 due to the nearly 10 year moratorium. During those years, the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment violated the Eight Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. However, this ended in 1976, when the Supreme Court reversed the ruling. They stated that the punishment of sentencing one to death does not perpetually infringe the Constitution. Richard Nixon said, “Contrary to the views of some social theorists, I am convinced that the death penalty can be an effective deterrent against specific crimes.”1 Whether the case be morally, monetarily, or just pure disagreement, citizens have argued the benefits of capital punishment. While we may all want murders off the street, the problem we come to face is that is capital punishment being used for vengeance or as a deterrent.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of the Death Penalty

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Is the death penalty morally wrong? Anti Death penalty advocates argue life is "so" sacred that we shouldn't even be taking the lives of murderers, but what about the innocent people that died because of that murder. Steven D. Stewart, Prosecuting Attorney for Clark County, Indiana, put it best, " I believe life is sacred. It cheapens the life of an innocent murder victim to say that society has no right to keep the murderer from ever killing again. In my view, society has not only the right, but the duty to act in self defense to protect the innocent" (12).

    Read More

  • Death Penalty Irrevocable Mistake

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    The death penalty also known as capital punishment has existed for centuries in countries throughout the world. It is an execution primarily by means of lethal injection. Whether through death penalty or murder taking a life is wrong. Many consider it to be unethical and immoral. The death penalty system is not perfect and taking the life of an innocent citizen can be an irrevocable mistake. The death penalty wrongly gives the government the power to take human life and may cause social injustice.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The Death Penalty

    1147 Words  | 3 Pages

    To this day, whether capital punishment is ethical and justifiable continues to be disputed. Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the act of killing or executing a person who was found guilty of a heinous crime, by the government. In ancient times, it was used to punish a variety of offenses. Once it’s done, there 's no going back, that 's why it 's considered the ultimate punishment for crime. The alternative to this would be life in prison without parole. While many nations have done away with this, others continue to implement this punishment.

    Read More

More about Capital Punishment

Open Document