Rating: 
Summary: Capital Punishment
Review: Up until recently, I had taken an indifferent view on capital punishment. I never believed the government should have the power to execute people when the government is far from perfect. Additionally, I never believed I should waste my time saving monsters from death when it is an unpopular view. As a result, I never held a strong opinion on the death penalty.Sister Helen Prejean is a Catholic nun. Stereotypically speaking, I assumed this book would be very one sided based on her religious association. I took an interest in the book only after I saw the movie. The movie combines the two executions discussed in the book into one death row inmate story. Despite the fact that the book can seem redundant at times, Sister Helen Prejean does an effective job of exploring the topic of capital punishment through the role of a spiritual advisor. The research that went into this book is startling. I was not expecting research on this level because the book was written by a nun. It may be hard to feel sympathy for the two death row inmates in the book. However, it is hard to ignore the inequalities in the capital punishment system. After reading the book, one comes to the conclusion that poor African-Americans in the "Death Belt" are most likely to be executed. Crimes against whites are far more likely to draw capital punishment as well. Defense for death row inmates is inadequate because of the socioeconomic status. These flaws are just the tip of the iceberg. When we consider the recent flaws found in capital punishment system, it is difficult to support it. For example, Illinois changed the sentences of all death row inmates upon realizing the flaws in the system. Our government is far from perfect. Based on the flaws and corruptions in the system, it is difficult to support a system in which the government orders a sanctioned killing of a human being. There is also another view that goes unnoticed. Often it is the executioners who are most traumatized by the execution, not the government. This book has changed my view on capital punishment. This change is not because I feel sympathy for murderers, but becuase the system is very flawed. Sister Helen Prejean makes this very obvious in her book.
Rating:
Summary: Capital Punishment
Review: Up until recently, I had taken an indifferent view on capital punishment. I never believed the government should have the power to execute people when the government is far from perfect. Additionally, I never believed I should waste my time saving monsters from death when it is an unpopular view. As a result, I never held a strong opinion on the death penalty. Sister Helen Prejean is a Catholic nun. Stereotypically speaking, I assumed this book would be very one sided based on her religious association. I took an interest in the book only after I saw the movie. The movie combines the two executions discussed in the book into one death row inmate story. Despite the fact that the book can seem redundant at times, Sister Helen Prejean does an effective job of exploring the topic of capital punishment through the role of a spiritual advisor. The research that went into this book is startling. I was not expecting research on this level because the book was written by a nun. It may be hard to feel sympathy for the two death row inmates in the book. However, it is hard to ignore the inequalities in the capital punishment system. After reading the book, one comes to the conclusion that poor African-Americans in the "Death Belt" are most likely to be executed. Crimes against whites are far more likely to draw capital punishment as well. Defense for death row inmates is inadequate because of the socioeconomic status. These flaws are just the tip of the iceberg. When we consider the recent flaws found in capital punishment system, it is difficult to support it. For example, Illinois changed the sentences of all death row inmates upon realizing the flaws in the system. Our government is far from perfect. Based on the flaws and corruptions in the system, it is difficult to support a system in which the government orders a sanctioned killing of a human being. There is also another view that goes unnoticed. Often it is the executioners who are most traumatized by the execution, not the government. This book has changed my view on capital punishment. This change is not because I feel sympathy for murderers, but becuase the system is very flawed. Sister Helen Prejean makes this very obvious in her book.
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