Both websites are very ineffective and not very organized. They both provide facts, but not in an effective way. The Naral website, the pro-choice website, spends most of the time trying to prove why pro-life isn't the best decision. Instead of focusing on their own argument, the site is just attacking the other side of the debate. This makes the site seem unreliable and childish. It is very opinionated and emotional, rather than factual. But the pro-life site is even more disappointing to me because they focus largely on the emotional aspect. They do not prove that abortion is not the right path well. They can easily use pictures and scientific research to prove their points, especially regarding how one may see a fetus as an unborn child, but they do not do so. Instead, the focus of the site is on the laws to restrict abortions. I have browsed many different sites, and these two sites do not seem to promote their beliefs well.
As a teen, we feel the need to be independent and make our own decisions. We are entering college soon and making life-long decisions. Often, parents are right along beside the teen helping with these decisions. Regarding abortion, I believe a parental consent should be required. An abortion is too emotional for the minor to make a decision upon and will use their emotions to act. An adult however, will look at the situation differently and logically choose what is best for the minor. It is a parent's duty to look after the minor, no matter the circumstance. Abortion is such a serious issue and can be a life-changing decision. The operation is very dangerous and can hurt the minor both before and after emotionally, mentally, and physically. Thus, the right decision needs to be made carefully after weighing all the advantages and disadvantages, and the parent is there to do so. It is a proven fact that adults do make the better decisions than adolescents because their brain is fully developed. They can use logic, taken from the frontal lobe of the brain, where the adolescents will make decisions more abruptly from their gut and emotions. Adults will make a more responsible decision than the minor, and the parental consent should be required.
I do not support that the father of the child should be a part of the decision making regarding abortion. It is the female's body and he should not have to consent. It would be more respectful to let the father know what the decision is, but it is not required. A father consent is also impossible if the female was raped. If the father is in the picture or life of the mother of the child, they should discuss it and come to a decision together, but an agreement should not be necessary to follow through with an abortion.
Illinois is a very liberal state regarding abortion. The state law does not require parent notification or consent for an abortion operation. NARAL also has identified specific laws that have not been enforced. There are not a vast of specific restrictions on abortion in Illinois. I believe health insurance should pay for all abortions because if one is paying for coverage, operations or services related to abortion shouldn't be denied. It is their money and it should not be wasted.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Abolition of Capital Punishment in IL
I do support the death penalty, but after studying and research I have learned that it is not always fair in practice. I wish that reforms could be made to keep the death penalty, but the justice system is so intricate that it would be very difficult. In Illinois, the concern is whether justice is being upheld with capital punishment. After re-evaluating several times, Governor Ryan believed that abolishing the death penalty would benefit the state and help uphold justice in the court. The execution of innocent people was reaching new heights and the sentences were becoming disproportionate.
I believe the driving force in the abolition of the death penalty was that the execution of innocent people was becoming an enormous flaw in the nation, even in Illinois. Steve Mill pointed out that each time a death row inmate was exonerated, the police and prosecution insisted that it was a rare occurrence. However, the facts show that these wrongful convictions weren't just isolated incidents. Michigan State University and the Death Penalty Information center shared that for every seven people executed, one is innocent and still executed. This is unbelievable! This shows that the flaw in the justice system is too large to fix with reforms. And until the flaw is fixed, innocent lives would be taken away. Northwestern professors and students were able to prove with DNA testing that seventeen death row inmates were innocent. The fact that the justice system didn't catch their mistake and Northwestern did is disturbing. People outside of the case and state courts were able to prove seventeen peoples' innocence. Governor Ryan was appalled and asked for explanations, but no one was able to give him any. The lives of innocent persons in Illinois has been threatened by the justice system, therefore I do support Governor Ryan's choice in abolishing the death penalty.
Further supporting the abolishment of capital punishment is the proportionality and distribution of it. There are many outside factors that show that the system is flawed. First, multiple sources have hared that a person is more likely to recieve the death penalty if the victim is white. Race still permeates through the justice system today, which is not professional or fair. Governor Ryan also shared how there are geographical disparities within Illinois; "you are five times more likely to get a death sentence for first degree murder in the rural area of Illinois than you are in Cook County." Proportionality is an important problem in the system. Aside from geographical proportionality, there is disproportional sentences. For example, there may be two cases with the same circumstances and one person might get forty years in prison in one county, while the other is sentenced to death in another county. Also, Illinois has had cases of co-defendants that are equally or even more culpable and are sentenced to a term of years, while another that is less culpable defendant is put on death row. This situation was evident in the Juan Garza case that I presented to the class. Manuel Flores was found guilty for murdering two persons, while the court only had proof of one murder by Garza. Flores was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Garza was put to death. Why? The court had evidence that Flores killed two people, and that Garza killed one. Here, along with many other cases, the death penalty is not applied justly or evenly. To prevent further cases like that of Garza's Governor Ryan made a good decision in abolishing the death penalty.
I guess all states should follow Governor Ryan's decision to save lives and uphold justice within the nation. He stated, "Our capital system is haunted by the demon of error - error in determining guilt, and error in determining who among the guilty deserves to die. Because of all of these reasons today I am commuting the sentences of all death row inmates." He couldn't have put it any better. The error is too big for it to be fixed. Yet, there are always those that believe Governor Ryan made a mistake because it deters crime, gives closure to families, and is a fair punishment. All of these arguments are wrong. According to the American Civil Liberties Union 2011, a survey showed that the death penalty was ranked lowest nationally among all ways to reduce violent crime. The death penalty in a way also just provides families with revenge. Capital punishment can be seen as the most premeditated of murders. I completely support Governor Ryan's decision regarding the death penalty, for lives will be saved and justice will be renewed.
I believe the driving force in the abolition of the death penalty was that the execution of innocent people was becoming an enormous flaw in the nation, even in Illinois. Steve Mill pointed out that each time a death row inmate was exonerated, the police and prosecution insisted that it was a rare occurrence. However, the facts show that these wrongful convictions weren't just isolated incidents. Michigan State University and the Death Penalty Information center shared that for every seven people executed, one is innocent and still executed. This is unbelievable! This shows that the flaw in the justice system is too large to fix with reforms. And until the flaw is fixed, innocent lives would be taken away. Northwestern professors and students were able to prove with DNA testing that seventeen death row inmates were innocent. The fact that the justice system didn't catch their mistake and Northwestern did is disturbing. People outside of the case and state courts were able to prove seventeen peoples' innocence. Governor Ryan was appalled and asked for explanations, but no one was able to give him any. The lives of innocent persons in Illinois has been threatened by the justice system, therefore I do support Governor Ryan's choice in abolishing the death penalty.
Further supporting the abolishment of capital punishment is the proportionality and distribution of it. There are many outside factors that show that the system is flawed. First, multiple sources have hared that a person is more likely to recieve the death penalty if the victim is white. Race still permeates through the justice system today, which is not professional or fair. Governor Ryan also shared how there are geographical disparities within Illinois; "you are five times more likely to get a death sentence for first degree murder in the rural area of Illinois than you are in Cook County." Proportionality is an important problem in the system. Aside from geographical proportionality, there is disproportional sentences. For example, there may be two cases with the same circumstances and one person might get forty years in prison in one county, while the other is sentenced to death in another county. Also, Illinois has had cases of co-defendants that are equally or even more culpable and are sentenced to a term of years, while another that is less culpable defendant is put on death row. This situation was evident in the Juan Garza case that I presented to the class. Manuel Flores was found guilty for murdering two persons, while the court only had proof of one murder by Garza. Flores was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Garza was put to death. Why? The court had evidence that Flores killed two people, and that Garza killed one. Here, along with many other cases, the death penalty is not applied justly or evenly. To prevent further cases like that of Garza's Governor Ryan made a good decision in abolishing the death penalty.
I guess all states should follow Governor Ryan's decision to save lives and uphold justice within the nation. He stated, "Our capital system is haunted by the demon of error - error in determining guilt, and error in determining who among the guilty deserves to die. Because of all of these reasons today I am commuting the sentences of all death row inmates." He couldn't have put it any better. The error is too big for it to be fixed. Yet, there are always those that believe Governor Ryan made a mistake because it deters crime, gives closure to families, and is a fair punishment. All of these arguments are wrong. According to the American Civil Liberties Union 2011, a survey showed that the death penalty was ranked lowest nationally among all ways to reduce violent crime. The death penalty in a way also just provides families with revenge. Capital punishment can be seen as the most premeditated of murders. I completely support Governor Ryan's decision regarding the death penalty, for lives will be saved and justice will be renewed.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Marquette Visit
This past week I finished all my applications. It was the best feeling. It felt as if a huge load was lifted off my shoulders, I felt stress free. I felt so accomplished and confident. As a reward, I visited Marquette University for the second time. My first time I attended a campus tour and presentation, but this time was more for fun. I shadowed my best friend and stayed over two nights. It felt like I was truly a college student.
Friday morning I attended all of Molly's classes: theology, biology, chemistry lecture and lab. I was glad to have come this day because chemistry and biology are my favorite subjects. I loved the small class size and felt like a true student at Marquette. I took notes, answered questions with Molly on her clicker and even was able to participate in a lab. Knowing that I easily survived these classes reassured me that I will do fine in college, no matter where I decide to attend. The fact that I understood what was going on in classes, sometimes even more than the actual students, scared off all my fears of college. My older friends and cousins made college seem so hard, like it was impossible. But getting this experience only readied me for the college experience. I am not saying her classes weren't challenging, but they weren't super easy. I found Marquette to be a great fit for me. Can't wait to see other colleges up close.
Not only did the classes seem right, but the Marquette environment felt perfect. Everyone was so friendly and offered me a helping hand. Molly's friends became my friends quickly and were sad to hear that Marquette wasn't my top choice. However, the more time I spent at Marquette, the more I loved it. I was even able to attend the first Marquette basketball game of the season. I loved the school spirit and the intensity. Everything seemed perfect. If I do choose Marquette, I know that I will succeed and have an amazing four years!
Thank you to my best friend Molly and her friends for making me love Marquette so much!
Not only did the classes seem right, but the Marquette environment felt perfect. Everyone was so friendly and offered me a helping hand. Molly's friends became my friends quickly and were sad to hear that Marquette wasn't my top choice. However, the more time I spent at Marquette, the more I loved it. I was even able to attend the first Marquette basketball game of the season. I loved the school spirit and the intensity. Everything seemed perfect. If I do choose Marquette, I know that I will succeed and have an amazing four years!
Thank you to my best friend Molly and her friends for making me love Marquette so much!
Reflection on the Debate
Public speaking never was a problem for me until recently. At a young age, I was able to easily recite poems by heart and memorize many lines in a short period. I also have a freaky good memory with numbers. I know so many peoples' cell and home phone numbers by heart that I don't even need my phone contacts. Even presenting information to a classroom. I was always a natural. However, the past few years I feel as if this hasn't been the case. I don't get stage fright, but I'm not as good as I used to be. I'm not as good as memorizing and thinking on the spot anymore, especially relating to school topics.
Going into the debate I personally did not feel ready. I needed one more day to review the case in order to feel more comfortable. By doing so, I would be more fluid and in control when speaking. Yet, this was not the case. I do not have any complaints with my presentation because I believe Danny and I did a great job for pulling it together in a short amount of time. Hearing Danny speak amazed me though. He was so confident and natural. It was as if he can talk for hours without an once of nervousness. This intimidated me in a way because he was so good. I hope to become better at public speaking, especially in front of a class. Hopefully my job as a teacher's aid will help me improve these skills. I hope to learn to naturally speak in front of people.
Going into the debate I personally did not feel ready. I needed one more day to review the case in order to feel more comfortable. By doing so, I would be more fluid and in control when speaking. Yet, this was not the case. I do not have any complaints with my presentation because I believe Danny and I did a great job for pulling it together in a short amount of time. Hearing Danny speak amazed me though. He was so confident and natural. It was as if he can talk for hours without an once of nervousness. This intimidated me in a way because he was so good. I hope to become better at public speaking, especially in front of a class. Hopefully my job as a teacher's aid will help me improve these skills. I hope to learn to naturally speak in front of people.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Deadline
Topics relating to the death penalty: Race and income, percent of nation that supports death penalty, Stephen Bright's quote
I am for the death penalty, but after watching snippets of Deadline (due to my absence) I began to question my own opinion. Why are people against the death penalty? Is it because of the flaws in the justice system? I realized that this was the reason; the justice system is far from perfect. I realized that race and income play a very important role in capital punishment. Although most of the death row inmates are white, many colored and low-income people are convicted. Therefore two main factors that contribute to the flaws in the justice system are that police use racial profiling and the jury make mistakes in the trials. The police are under a lot of pressure to convict someone and find them guilty when a high-profile crime is committed. The police become too eager, taking over their judgement and making them less efficient; a confession might be forced out of someone and false evidence can be used to incriminate a suspect. And many times, police even profile others, taking into account one's race or income. According to studies, those that are most sentenced to death are those in the fringes of society. In California, 252 blacks were executed. In Texas, 129 were executed and 139 in Florida. When someone of lower class is before a jury, the jury will find it difficult to relate to the person, ultimately finding them guilty more quickly due to the lack of empathy and understanding. Racism also lingers in the court and juries discriminate against those on trial. Although people are trying to eliminate racism by keeping an open-mind, it is still evident in society today. In Deerfield, I believe we are very accepting and not racist. Yet, almost our whole school and community population is white. I feel as if society is split into different niches. And Deerfield is an example of a niche, mainly consisting of white people. People always say how society is integrated and accepting despite race and ethnicities, but in reality it visibly is somewhat segregated. This segregation also carries into Court; a white jury is more likely to punish the murder of a white person. To overcome this racism and flaw, the justice system needs to gather juries with different backgrounds, making it diverse just like the rest of society.
Of the states that allow the death penalty, about 65% of Americans are in favor of it. In class we have studied the different factors of the death penalty, but I believe the strongest idea is "the idea of an eye for an eye." This assures that someone will always be punished. When a crime is committed, people's gut reaction is to punish he or she according to the magnitude of the crime. Some people believe one should suffer as much as its victim did. So if someone took someone else's life, the murderer should also die. However, Americans still believe that if one is sentenced to death that they are guilty of the crime. This is incorrect; many death row inmates are found innocent with thorough investigation and new evidence. Studies show that 187 clemencies were granted and 20 people were freed from death row. Stephen Bright stated, "This was the third person released by journalism students at Northwestern, and of course it doesn't say much for our legal system when people spend sixteen years on death row for a crime they. . . didn't commit. And that ultimately comes to light not because of the police of the prosecution, or the defense lawyers or the judicial system, but because a journalism class at Northwestern took it on as a class project to see whether or not these people were guilty or not. You know, if those students had taken chemistry that semester, these folks would have been executed." This shows how the U.S. justice system is far from perfect because several of inmates are proven innocent and released. Yet, many that are never proven innocent are still executed. People question if practicing the death penalty is worth those innocent lives or that the death of the innocent does not nearly compare to the good they are doing by executing the guilty. I find upsetting that Northwestern students proved someone innocent, not the justice system. This shows that the justice system does not always correct its own mistakes. I hope the justice system is improved to efficiently save lives.
I am for the death penalty, but after watching snippets of Deadline (due to my absence) I began to question my own opinion. Why are people against the death penalty? Is it because of the flaws in the justice system? I realized that this was the reason; the justice system is far from perfect. I realized that race and income play a very important role in capital punishment. Although most of the death row inmates are white, many colored and low-income people are convicted. Therefore two main factors that contribute to the flaws in the justice system are that police use racial profiling and the jury make mistakes in the trials. The police are under a lot of pressure to convict someone and find them guilty when a high-profile crime is committed. The police become too eager, taking over their judgement and making them less efficient; a confession might be forced out of someone and false evidence can be used to incriminate a suspect. And many times, police even profile others, taking into account one's race or income. According to studies, those that are most sentenced to death are those in the fringes of society. In California, 252 blacks were executed. In Texas, 129 were executed and 139 in Florida. When someone of lower class is before a jury, the jury will find it difficult to relate to the person, ultimately finding them guilty more quickly due to the lack of empathy and understanding. Racism also lingers in the court and juries discriminate against those on trial. Although people are trying to eliminate racism by keeping an open-mind, it is still evident in society today. In Deerfield, I believe we are very accepting and not racist. Yet, almost our whole school and community population is white. I feel as if society is split into different niches. And Deerfield is an example of a niche, mainly consisting of white people. People always say how society is integrated and accepting despite race and ethnicities, but in reality it visibly is somewhat segregated. This segregation also carries into Court; a white jury is more likely to punish the murder of a white person. To overcome this racism and flaw, the justice system needs to gather juries with different backgrounds, making it diverse just like the rest of society.
Of the states that allow the death penalty, about 65% of Americans are in favor of it. In class we have studied the different factors of the death penalty, but I believe the strongest idea is "the idea of an eye for an eye." This assures that someone will always be punished. When a crime is committed, people's gut reaction is to punish he or she according to the magnitude of the crime. Some people believe one should suffer as much as its victim did. So if someone took someone else's life, the murderer should also die. However, Americans still believe that if one is sentenced to death that they are guilty of the crime. This is incorrect; many death row inmates are found innocent with thorough investigation and new evidence. Studies show that 187 clemencies were granted and 20 people were freed from death row. Stephen Bright stated, "This was the third person released by journalism students at Northwestern, and of course it doesn't say much for our legal system when people spend sixteen years on death row for a crime they. . . didn't commit. And that ultimately comes to light not because of the police of the prosecution, or the defense lawyers or the judicial system, but because a journalism class at Northwestern took it on as a class project to see whether or not these people were guilty or not. You know, if those students had taken chemistry that semester, these folks would have been executed." This shows how the U.S. justice system is far from perfect because several of inmates are proven innocent and released. Yet, many that are never proven innocent are still executed. People question if practicing the death penalty is worth those innocent lives or that the death of the innocent does not nearly compare to the good they are doing by executing the guilty. I find upsetting that Northwestern students proved someone innocent, not the justice system. This shows that the justice system does not always correct its own mistakes. I hope the justice system is improved to efficiently save lives.Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What is happiness?
Happiness, spelled with an "i," is seen anywhere and everywhere in the world: in the media, on the streets, at school, and at home. In the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith questioned Thomas Jefferson as to why he added the world "pursuit" to happiness in the unalienable rights guaranteed to a citizen. How did he know that it is something that we can only pursue, and maybe not even attain in a lifetime? This got me thinking, questioning if I was on a pursuit of happiness. I understand that once you attain happiness it is an enriching and lively moment, but when do you and I find this happiness? And have we ever attained it before?
I believe you find true happiness few times in your life, and all those other memorable moments that made you smile are just cheerful or enjoying. Someone might argue that the moments of pride, achievement, freedom, belonging, and love are all considered moments of true happiness, and that every moment that makes you smile is considered as such. I disagree. Why cherish and try to pursue true happiness if it is so easy to attain, if it happens so often? True happiness happens once in a while, bringing all those small happy moments together, lifting your spirit to a height never experienced before. Thatis true happiness and you forever will remember it.
All the awards and achievements I earn make me happy along all the laughs I have had with family and friends. These are few of the many examples in my life that I know make me feel happy. So pursuing this true happiness is easy. But I always reach a point of uncertainty, causing me to question if these moments mean something more. In the moment, each moment feels to be something true and brilliant, but they never really lifted my spirit. I believe that when you have reached true happiness and completed a pursuit, you will know and cherish that moment while it lasts.
I can pinpoint one specific moment in which I experienced true happiness. It was the end of a full packed, busy weekend and I was coming home from the Christian retreat KAIROS. It felt as if Cabrini Retreat Center was my home; I had friends to catch, to support me, and to guide me. I felt as if I could tell any participant anything and everything. Together we were strong. Knowing and feeling this, I shared some of my deepest emotions without fearing what others thought of me; I was crying constantly whether it was because I was happy, or sad, or felt a connection with another member, or even God. We all wept together, our tears soaked up in each others' shirts. I thought, this was my home; this was where I belonged; these people are the people that care; these people will support and guide me; these people make me happy.
So coming home was dreadful. . . I wasn't looking forward to all the questions I would get and I dreaded the idea of being independent again, not having my new friends, my new family by my side. But I walked into the family room and there was my mom, dad, and brother all waiting for me with anticipation. They didn't even ask how the retreat was, they were all just so happy to see me, to hug me, to kiss my cheeks. At that moment, I don't know what came over me, but I cried. I cried of happiness as I embraced each of them. I was SO happy. I realized that Cabrini wasn't my home, but that this was. This is where I belonged; this is where I had the people I love most close to me. In this moment I understood what love is and that they would do anything for me. They cared for me so much and I didn't even know it.
I believe God gave me this moment, this experience, this happiness. He prepared me with KAIROS, ultimately leading me to see that I had a family waiting at home for me that loved me. This is where I belonged and my KAIROS family helped me grasp this idea. I now know that I have a circle of people who care about me, who I can be myself with and share deep emotions. These are the people I can share my happiness with, true happiness. So yes, I believe true happiness comes, but not often. You need to pursue it. In this case a pursuit ended and another began. I believe God will guide me to this next moment of true happiness and it will again be uplifting and enlightening.
I believe you find true happiness few times in your life, and all those other memorable moments that made you smile are just cheerful or enjoying. Someone might argue that the moments of pride, achievement, freedom, belonging, and love are all considered moments of true happiness, and that every moment that makes you smile is considered as such. I disagree. Why cherish and try to pursue true happiness if it is so easy to attain, if it happens so often? True happiness happens once in a while, bringing all those small happy moments together, lifting your spirit to a height never experienced before. Thatis true happiness and you forever will remember it.
All the awards and achievements I earn make me happy along all the laughs I have had with family and friends. These are few of the many examples in my life that I know make me feel happy. So pursuing this true happiness is easy. But I always reach a point of uncertainty, causing me to question if these moments mean something more. In the moment, each moment feels to be something true and brilliant, but they never really lifted my spirit. I believe that when you have reached true happiness and completed a pursuit, you will know and cherish that moment while it lasts.
I believe God gave me this moment, this experience, this happiness. He prepared me with KAIROS, ultimately leading me to see that I had a family waiting at home for me that loved me. This is where I belonged and my KAIROS family helped me grasp this idea. I now know that I have a circle of people who care about me, who I can be myself with and share deep emotions. These are the people I can share my happiness with, true happiness. So yes, I believe true happiness comes, but not often. You need to pursue it. In this case a pursuit ended and another began. I believe God will guide me to this next moment of true happiness and it will again be uplifting and enlightening.
What do I want to be?
Everyone has a dream as a child, whether it is to be an astronaut or a veternarian. Some follow that dream their whole life, while others chase a different dream. My dream was to be a professional figure skater, but after 7 years I decided it wasn't for me. Clueless as to what to do, I kept an open mind, ultimately realizing that I had a secret passion for science. Every day in science class a new discovery was made.
I felt stuck. Most science lovers were doctors, but I didn't want to be one. However, sophomore year in high school I realized I had a passion for teaching. For three years I volunteered at my Greek School's summer day camp and the last two summers I worked as an employee. I loved it. I loved interacting with the kids. They looked up to me and listened to me, I was their role model. And every year that I came back, my bonds with the campers strengthened.
This year though I took a big leap towards my dream by accepting the position of a teacher's aid for kindergarten at my Greek School. Although science is not involved, it has made me realize that teaching is for me. Some days I lead lessons, teaching them the letters of the alphabet slong with other phrases. And each and every time they get it, that light bulb goes off. It feels so rewarding; I help that light bulb shine; I lead them to success. It is one of the best feelings.
In ten years from now I see myself being a successful high school science teacher that wakes up every morning looking forward to seeing her students. It's my turn to lead students to that "aha" feeling, ultimately to new discoveries and success that will go down in history.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The older generations. . .
Out of all people I didn't see that my dad would be so cruel and opinionated about the death penalty. I was discussing with his after dinner whether or not the death penalty should exist. I decided to play devil's advocate and challenge my father's belief that the death penalty should be used. I personally agree with him, but decided to question him in order to get a better understanding of why he believes this. I asked him which methods seem appropriate for execution and he pretty much responded with "I don't care, as long as the person dies and suffers." I mentioned that Delaware and Washington still use hanging today and he didn't seem bothered by this. I told him that the popular way to execute was with lethal injection. He had no opinion on this, or just chose not to say much. I mentioned that many people are found innocent or granted clemency and he became bothered. He responded, "Whoever gets put in jail, is found guilty, and tried for death penalty, obviously did something wrong. They should die." I argued that it might have been a flaw in the justice system and he disagreed. The juries and judges aren't idiots he said. Not just anyone is taken in for the case. He seemed very opinionated throughout this conversation, but not too defensive. However, I had to keep reminding him that I agreed that there should be penalty and that I was only playing devil's advocate. At one point he blurted out, "Why should I pay for all these prisoners to rot? Kill them!" At that moment I knew this is where the conversation would intensify and heighten. I brought up that many prisoners ask to die and that we would be doing them a favor instead of letting them suffer. And some people are at peace with what they have done and don't even suffer. How do we differentiate between those who should die and those who should rot and suffer? This is almost impossible to do because there is no clear distinction. He mentioned again to kill them all and I fought back saying that that would just put them out of misery. This is where he got really defensive saying, "Well then punish them and make them suffer! If they killed with their right hand, cut their right hand off. Make them feel the pain he caused to others." I was very surprised to hear this coming from my dad. I was playing devil's advocate, I didn't mean to upset him or cause him to get so angry. It kind of made me laugh to see my dad so riled up about a topic, especially because I agreed that there should be a death penalty. I guess he just kept forgetting that I was playing devil's advocate and just trying to challenge him.
I realized that day that the older generations had a stronger opinion on the death penalty, most believing that there should be one. My generation though is mixed; many people are very against the death penalty, while some are still for it, but don't believe in some methods of executions. Those that are for it find lethal injection to be sufficient and the most humane way to do it. The other methods are more cruel. So my generation is different than my father's, but what will the next generation believe? I believe that by then even more states will abolish the death penalty because as years have passed more and more states and countries have abolished it. I am curious to see what will happen in forty years.
I realized that day that the older generations had a stronger opinion on the death penalty, most believing that there should be one. My generation though is mixed; many people are very against the death penalty, while some are still for it, but don't believe in some methods of executions. Those that are for it find lethal injection to be sufficient and the most humane way to do it. The other methods are more cruel. So my generation is different than my father's, but what will the next generation believe? I believe that by then even more states will abolish the death penalty because as years have passed more and more states and countries have abolished it. I am curious to see what will happen in forty years.
Death Penalty? or NO Death Penalty?
Different aspects of the stages in a capital case function to protect the rights of the accused. In a way, they are searching for reasons to declare you innocent. In the Pre-Trial (phase I) evidence is gathered from both sides of the case and if they are proven guilty, the case continues onto the Guilt Phase Trail where prospective jurors examine and question if the case is "death qualified" by considering aggravating and mitigating evidence. During the case, the defendant tries to rebut the prosecution's evidence to help establish innocence. A Direct Appeal is possible if the defendant can show that a "critical mistake was made in the process that convicted him." The review does not revisit factual issues decided at trial, and only new evidence is taken into account. In the Federal Habeas Corpus phase, the a writ can be brought to ensure that the imprisonment is legal. However, an evidentiary hearing can be held to try to prove or disprove a statement in the habeas corpus petition and an appeal can be heard by a panel of three judges. Last, one can plead for clemency to reduce the punishment declared by the courts.
I believe that the system and stages of a Capital Case do give plenty of opportunities to appeal and prove an individual innocent. I find this effective to a certain point. If the individual was declared guilty in the first case, I don't believe the Court made a mistake if all the evidence shows he was guilty. In those cases in which one later tries to prove himself innocent seems like a waste of time. The justice system does have flaws, but not so many that anyone should be able to appeal and prove themselves guilty; there must have been a reason one was declared guilty. . . And only if there is new legitimate evidence should the Court hold a hearing for review. If people keep pleading for clemency and try to fight for their innocence, the justice system will become more flawed. I believe the government needs to have some type of requirement or limit that the prisoner needs to pass in order to appeal. And if they pass, then one should be able to appeal and fight for their life.
There have been many different methods to execute those found guilty and on death row. I believe the most humane way to kill someone is to lethally inject someone because it is quick, but still allows the individual to suffer. The most inhumane ways would be hanging, electrocution, or gas chambers because it kills an individual slowly, causing them to feel the pain. When someone is hanged, if he or she is not heavy enough, the fracture-dislocation of the neck will not occur and the individual will suffocate, due to the lack of oxygen. This method is very painful and cruel. People may argue that it is as if they are going back in time when hanging blacks was okay. That was found wrong, so why should they bring this method back into play? The electrocution method was seen to be a "more humane method of execution than hanging," but I believe it is still cruel and unusual punishment. Volts are sent through the body for thirty seconds, then a break follows after; if the individual is still alive, the process is repeated, until he is pronounced dead. According to the passage, "the prisoner's eyeballs sometimes pop out and rest on [his] cheeks. The prisoner often defecates, urinates, and vomits blood and drool. The body turns bright red as its temperature rises, and the prisoner's flesh swells and his skin stretches to the point of breaking. Sometimes the prisoner catches fire.... Witnesses hear a loud and sustained sound like bacon frying, and the sickly sweet smell of burning flesh permeates the chamber" (Ecenbarger, 1994). This description is so detailed that it makes me sick. How can one withstand watching someone suffer and be in this much pain, no matter the circumstance? I would not be able to withstand watching such a process, for it is brutal and causes a lot of suffering. The gas chamber and firing squad seem to be not as inhumane as hanging, but not as "humane" as lethal injection. They are found somewhere in the middle of this scale. Firing squad is a quick death, unless a shooter chooses or accidentally misses the heart. The gas chamber is more cruel than the firing squad for it cuts off all source of oxygen, causing a slow, painful death. Slowly the heart and brain shuts down because of the lack of oxygen, but their death is only a matter of time. I believe all methods are "cruel and unusual" according to the Eighth Amendment, except that of lethal injection and firing squad. From statistics, lethal injection is the most common way to execute if the state allows the death penalty. I was not surprised for this is the most humane way to "put someone down," as they always phrase it. But some argue that this does not allow enough pain and suffer becuase the chemicals are injected, and it is over. So how much should someone suffer? What seems reasonable?
Illinois at some point had the death penalty and had an average rate of 6.0 homicides per 100,000 people. The lowest rate was 0 with New Hampshire who doesn't have the death penalty and 18.8 in Puerto Rico; the average rate which I see around the nation is around 4.5. The death row by ethnicity and gender reallly surprised me. Blacks had the highest rates, up to 252 people in California and as low as zero for thsoe states that do not have the death penalty. The next ethnicity i clicked on was Asian and it was a huge difference. almost every number dropped to zero on the map, except a few. California with 22 really caught my attention. Why does California always have such high numbers? I understand it is a large state, but so is Texas that only has four Asians and had 129 blacks; Florida even had 139 blacks. The numbers for whites was also pretty high. I was not surprised to see California and Texas with high numbers, but it did when I saw Florida with 221 whites. These differences in race really struck me becuase many people stereotype and associate blacks with crime. Now I can say that they truly are correct, but it this doesn't defeat the fact that it is wrong to follow stereotypes and base beliefs off them. For example, the numbers for whites and blacks were similar. But how come Asians weren't? Are they just more humble as they meditate (another stereotype? These statistics based on race really casued me to take a step back to try to make sense of the results. But I guess there isn't no real answer. Gender also really plays a big role, being that the numbers for males are significantly higher. Why is this? Because males are known to let their anger out more regularly? Because they have more strength and could carry out a murder? It really puzzled me to see such a large difference, but in a way I am glad that the females had lower numbers. Next I compared the total number of people on death row to executions. Generally, the numbers of executions was lower than the number of those on death row. Texas was the only state that really struck me, having 333 on death row and 466 executions. But what do these numbers mean? What can we conclude? Why do these differences create such a big gap between numbers within the nation, within states? I sadly can't answer these questions and only was able to provide theories.
Seeing all the different criminal offenses in Illinois really surprised me. I didn't realize that there can be so many different cases and situations regarding murder. The document on homicide goes into such detail that it in a way frightened me. Some of the crimes I hadn't even considered. It went into such detail about murder, death penalty, and exceptions. I understood that the process was long with all the trials, but this document really laid out the details and how they determine who gets the death penalty. I believe Illinois doesn't have the death penalty anymore because the process is so long. I looked at the statistics and when they did have the death penalty, many were acquitted, granted clemency, or got a lesser punishment. It is as if they tried to find reasons to keep them innocent. For example, 187 clemencies were granted and 20 people were freed from the death row.
The majority vote to choose a punishment other than the death penalty for murder was 61% in a study in 2010. So most people are against the death penalty, but so many states still have it. This seems contradicting, as if the government does not listen to its citizens. How can the government have support, if the majority is against what the justice system declares? Also the death penalty shows that many executions are not dependent on race. The leading race of executions is white with 56%, while the leading race of the victim is also white with 76%. Many believe that blacks would have the highest execution rate, but they are wrong. They are the second largest race, but still not as big as the white race. I was surprised by the study showing that a total of 138 people on death row were released due to evidence of innocence. Illinois was one of the top states with 20 releases. There obviously must have been a flaw in the justice system if so many people were released for innocence.
I believe that the system and stages of a Capital Case do give plenty of opportunities to appeal and prove an individual innocent. I find this effective to a certain point. If the individual was declared guilty in the first case, I don't believe the Court made a mistake if all the evidence shows he was guilty. In those cases in which one later tries to prove himself innocent seems like a waste of time. The justice system does have flaws, but not so many that anyone should be able to appeal and prove themselves guilty; there must have been a reason one was declared guilty. . . And only if there is new legitimate evidence should the Court hold a hearing for review. If people keep pleading for clemency and try to fight for their innocence, the justice system will become more flawed. I believe the government needs to have some type of requirement or limit that the prisoner needs to pass in order to appeal. And if they pass, then one should be able to appeal and fight for their life.
There have been many different methods to execute those found guilty and on death row. I believe the most humane way to kill someone is to lethally inject someone because it is quick, but still allows the individual to suffer. The most inhumane ways would be hanging, electrocution, or gas chambers because it kills an individual slowly, causing them to feel the pain. When someone is hanged, if he or she is not heavy enough, the fracture-dislocation of the neck will not occur and the individual will suffocate, due to the lack of oxygen. This method is very painful and cruel. People may argue that it is as if they are going back in time when hanging blacks was okay. That was found wrong, so why should they bring this method back into play? The electrocution method was seen to be a "more humane method of execution than hanging," but I believe it is still cruel and unusual punishment. Volts are sent through the body for thirty seconds, then a break follows after; if the individual is still alive, the process is repeated, until he is pronounced dead. According to the passage, "the prisoner's eyeballs sometimes pop out and rest on [his] cheeks. The prisoner often defecates, urinates, and vomits blood and drool. The body turns bright red as its temperature rises, and the prisoner's flesh swells and his skin stretches to the point of breaking. Sometimes the prisoner catches fire.... Witnesses hear a loud and sustained sound like bacon frying, and the sickly sweet smell of burning flesh permeates the chamber" (Ecenbarger, 1994). This description is so detailed that it makes me sick. How can one withstand watching someone suffer and be in this much pain, no matter the circumstance? I would not be able to withstand watching such a process, for it is brutal and causes a lot of suffering. The gas chamber and firing squad seem to be not as inhumane as hanging, but not as "humane" as lethal injection. They are found somewhere in the middle of this scale. Firing squad is a quick death, unless a shooter chooses or accidentally misses the heart. The gas chamber is more cruel than the firing squad for it cuts off all source of oxygen, causing a slow, painful death. Slowly the heart and brain shuts down because of the lack of oxygen, but their death is only a matter of time. I believe all methods are "cruel and unusual" according to the Eighth Amendment, except that of lethal injection and firing squad. From statistics, lethal injection is the most common way to execute if the state allows the death penalty. I was not surprised for this is the most humane way to "put someone down," as they always phrase it. But some argue that this does not allow enough pain and suffer becuase the chemicals are injected, and it is over. So how much should someone suffer? What seems reasonable?
Illinois at some point had the death penalty and had an average rate of 6.0 homicides per 100,000 people. The lowest rate was 0 with New Hampshire who doesn't have the death penalty and 18.8 in Puerto Rico; the average rate which I see around the nation is around 4.5. The death row by ethnicity and gender reallly surprised me. Blacks had the highest rates, up to 252 people in California and as low as zero for thsoe states that do not have the death penalty. The next ethnicity i clicked on was Asian and it was a huge difference. almost every number dropped to zero on the map, except a few. California with 22 really caught my attention. Why does California always have such high numbers? I understand it is a large state, but so is Texas that only has four Asians and had 129 blacks; Florida even had 139 blacks. The numbers for whites was also pretty high. I was not surprised to see California and Texas with high numbers, but it did when I saw Florida with 221 whites. These differences in race really struck me becuase many people stereotype and associate blacks with crime. Now I can say that they truly are correct, but it this doesn't defeat the fact that it is wrong to follow stereotypes and base beliefs off them. For example, the numbers for whites and blacks were similar. But how come Asians weren't? Are they just more humble as they meditate (another stereotype? These statistics based on race really casued me to take a step back to try to make sense of the results. But I guess there isn't no real answer. Gender also really plays a big role, being that the numbers for males are significantly higher. Why is this? Because males are known to let their anger out more regularly? Because they have more strength and could carry out a murder? It really puzzled me to see such a large difference, but in a way I am glad that the females had lower numbers. Next I compared the total number of people on death row to executions. Generally, the numbers of executions was lower than the number of those on death row. Texas was the only state that really struck me, having 333 on death row and 466 executions. But what do these numbers mean? What can we conclude? Why do these differences create such a big gap between numbers within the nation, within states? I sadly can't answer these questions and only was able to provide theories.
Seeing all the different criminal offenses in Illinois really surprised me. I didn't realize that there can be so many different cases and situations regarding murder. The document on homicide goes into such detail that it in a way frightened me. Some of the crimes I hadn't even considered. It went into such detail about murder, death penalty, and exceptions. I understood that the process was long with all the trials, but this document really laid out the details and how they determine who gets the death penalty. I believe Illinois doesn't have the death penalty anymore because the process is so long. I looked at the statistics and when they did have the death penalty, many were acquitted, granted clemency, or got a lesser punishment. It is as if they tried to find reasons to keep them innocent. For example, 187 clemencies were granted and 20 people were freed from the death row.
The majority vote to choose a punishment other than the death penalty for murder was 61% in a study in 2010. So most people are against the death penalty, but so many states still have it. This seems contradicting, as if the government does not listen to its citizens. How can the government have support, if the majority is against what the justice system declares? Also the death penalty shows that many executions are not dependent on race. The leading race of executions is white with 56%, while the leading race of the victim is also white with 76%. Many believe that blacks would have the highest execution rate, but they are wrong. They are the second largest race, but still not as big as the white race. I was surprised by the study showing that a total of 138 people on death row were released due to evidence of innocence. Illinois was one of the top states with 20 releases. There obviously must have been a flaw in the justice system if so many people were released for innocence.
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