The following is an excerpt taken from the book Dead Man Walking and it involves Bill Quigley, a local attorney and his young son. Patrick has asked why people wanted to kill Mr. Sonnier. “Because they say he killed people,” Bill had answered. ‘But, Dad, then who is going to kill them for killing him?” (60)
Do you believe that government should engage in the killing of criminals? Do you believe the state has the right to say who lives and who dies?
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The government should not engage in the killing of criminals just because they have committed a crime that the state considers to be punishable by death. The fact that a person has killed another person does not give the government the right to say that they want to end that person’s life. Also this shows the fact that the government is being very hypocritical in its stance because it is ultimately trying to justify a killing with a killing. Also in Catholic Social Teaching and throughout this year of ethics we have learned that every person has the right to life and we are not at power to decide who lives or dies. In Catholic Social Teaching we learn that each person has the right to Human Dignity, so when we kill this person we are violating that right and the right to life. Even though that person may have ended another’s life it is still not right for us to take there’s no matter how much hurt or pain it may cause us. We have to forgive them of their sins and try to bring them back to Christ through reconciliation as the Sister was trying to do in the movie.
ReplyDeleteThe government's only role is to act for the benefit of the citizens of the U.S.; however, when the U.S. government tries to please everyone, in the end it hurts more than it helps and that is not an ideal way of thinking. When a murder has taken place by a criminal, it is pressure from citizens which in turn pressure politicians to have the government call a 'forced' fate of that criminal. Despite reasons and pressures behind this decision, when a person is wrongly convicted that is where the line between allowing capitol punishment and stopping it clashes. The Catholic Church states that all life has intrinsic worth; yet many have been raised on the proverb of "An eye for an eye" as stated in the Old Testament and as reasonable as it sounds, should we then be subjected to become the murderers also? The true question is and as Sister Helen asked "Are we here to persecute our brothers or bring compassion into a world which is cruel without reason?" We must find Reconciliation to bring us to peace and find our way back to Christ. The government should not 'play God' in such a grave manner and we should not allow it, no matter the cost. Who are we to truly decide the end of a life? Because in the end, each man is a human being, not necessarily to be glorified nor condemmed for any actions. But as a human, we have dignity and transcendence which assures us rights according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:the right not to be tortured and the right not to be killed.
ReplyDeleteThe Death Sentence should be controled by the government becasue it is such a important issue in America, the leaders of the U.S should choose how these issues are played out. Our government however is very loose when it comes to the Death Sentence because they let the state descide whether it is legal or not. The state choosing on if the penalty is legal or not is actually a smart choice by the government because then the popular vote wins on the decision. The state does have the right to say who lives and who dies because if popular demand says the death sentence is alright then the state has a right to kill or not kill. The good thing about the state desciding is that it the effects can also go the other way because the state may only get to give out life sentences in jail because the penalty could be illegal in that state. The govenment has alot of power when they choose who lives and dies based on crime and I agree with them using that power when they use it correctly. If the state allows the death penalty and the crime is bad enough that the person is issued the death penalty then there is nothing wrong with that. If the state doesnt allow the penalty and the crime is of the same severity but this state gives life in prision then that is good enough to because the consequense matches the crime.
ReplyDeletei do not believe that the government should engage in killing people, and i think that putting that person away for life is what they should do instead. it should not be up to the government in deciding who lives and who does not. As bad as it sounds, killing is going to happen and i do not think that killing is the appropriate action in return. I also do not think that the state has the right to who lives and who dies. In choosing who lives, not saying that criminals are innocent, the state kills many innocent people, and there is always going to be the people who 'should be killed' who live, and the same vice versa.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to say whether the government should engage in the killing of criminals or not. I am undecided on the issue because there are many good arguements for both sides. In the movie, Poncelet is trying to escape the death penalty because he did not want to die. However he killed 2 innocent teens. Is it right to say that he should keep his life,even though he took theirs?
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, killing a killer makes you just as bad as him/her. Would it be better to let a person sit in jail for the rest of their life, learn from their mistake, and give them a chance to better themself?
the death penalty is a cheaper way to deal with criminals that were convicted of murder. even though it is very expensive, i think it is 17,000 dollars per shot, that is still cheaper than keeping a criminal in a prison for a life sentence. so i think the death penalty is ok and the goverment should have that right. imprisoning crimimals convicted of murder is an unnecessary expense that tax payers should not have to pay. there is no reason that tax payers should have to pay all this money to keep a man alive who killed another person
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the state has the right to 'play God' and decide who lives and dies. People are given free will from God and with that free will they can make decisions, good or bad. God is the one who is supposed to reward/punish us with after life. I think it is hypocritical and wrong to kill a killer because you are in turn sinning and making immoral decisions.I agree with Tony that they should instead lock up these crimials and help them to make better, moral decisions like the nun did.
ReplyDeleteI think that the government should use the death penalty. Not to be used in minor cases, but when the circumstances pertmit the use of such a harsh punishment. When a man or woman has made the decision to kill a or several other people they have mad the decision not to value life therefore the same view should be given to them, as the golden rule says. If i was an indirect victim of one of the killers victims then I would find it extremly hard to keep myself from wanting that man or woman to be killed. This does not mean that they should not be treated fairly, they must be proven guilty and there should be no doubt that they did infact do thier crime, but one who has mad such a awful decision should be be given the freedom to life.
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