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Dead Man Working

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Dead Man Walking Working

After watching the film, A Dead Man Walking, I was stunned.
The authentic film about a young American lad, who kills a boy, rapes a girl and receives a death sentence, really put my views on death penalty in perspective.
The convict begs for a retrial, which is denied, but later on finds God, and inner peace, on the death row.
He admits everything, and shows positive psychological progress while time is ticking towards his demise.
In the end, the convict is executed by the lethal injections.

Now, the big question still remains – is capital punishment the right ethical choice in a modern world?
After all, America is the land of opportunity.

In the film we are faced with many opinions and decision made on hatred and vengeance by the victims’ families. Most of them link to Exodus 21:24, “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot”.
The convict killed their son, and therefore he must also die - very plebeian mind-set if you ask me.
I understand the grief and sorrow connected to their son’s death, and the impact it has on their mentality, and I agree, that the killer must get the right punishment.
I am, however, disgusted by execution and the course of action taken in the court.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong.
But I believe that we are in the 21st century.
The 21st century… – and yet we still have the guts to not just blindly, but also callously obey to the outrageously ancient law of Talion?
No matter how brutal and cruel a person can be…
No matter how hard-hearted, insensitive and unfeeling a person can be – I do not believe in any form of righteousness in death penalty. As Sister Hellen Prejean said in the film, “You are a son of God” and this counts for every human being.
Not only is execution the most degrading among conceivable punishments, but I believe it is even more inhuman than

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