Death Of Matthew example essay topic

The death penalty is the most severe of all punishments. It has been banned in many states in the United States and others states are resorting to capital punishment for serious offenses such as murder. An eye for an eye, a life for a life, but as Mahatma Gandhi once said, "An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind". Do we really have the right to kill those who we believe has killed? The death penalty is a cruel and uncivilized way of punishment. In "Dead Man Walking" directed by Tim Robbins, both supporters and objectors share their points of view.

The director shows he objects to the death penalty through different sequences when the "dead man walking", Matthew Poncelet reveals the truth of the murder, his last words before death, and his touching conversations with his family. 'I know that it is not a question of malice or ill will or meanness of spirit that prompts our citizens to support executions. It is quite simply that people don't know the truth about what is really going on'. Sister Prejean speaks directly of the theme of the movie: the morality of capital punishment. She further speaks of the morals behind killing a human being and about the government which allows it. Towards the end of the movie, Matthew Poncelet is waiting for an appeal after his lie detector test.

He is gathered with his family. This scene shows the audience that Matthew Poncelet is a human being and is loved by his family much like their own family. They reminisce of the old times they had together. As it is time for the family to leave, the mother is harshly not allowed to hug Matthew Poncelet because of security reasons.

We slowly feel sympathetic towards Matthew, a murder waiting to be executed. By talking and sharing with Sister Prejean, Matthew slowly realizes and confesses his wrong. One of the greatest emotional parts of the movie was when Matthew finally confesses killing the teenagers and that he was truly sorry. From there, he was able to die with dignity and give the audience another side of him to reason upon.

This is the first time I believe he is weeping. Sister Prejean says, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free". As Matthew is strapped to the "cross" to die, he asks Walter, the father of the victim, for forgiveness and accept that he know what he had done was wrong and should be punished for it. Hope's father does forgive him at the end of the movie. He arrives at his funeral. I believe he realizes the death of Matthew did not bring him closure and did not gain anything.

Matthew accepts responsibility of the girl's death and Sister Helen explains that by doing so he is now a son of God and can die with dignity. I believe the state murdering people because of their crimes does not equate to justice and strongly disagree with capital punishment. The death penalty is abounded with so many injustices and faults that it's an embarrassment to our entire due process of law. Prosecutors of Lawrence Jacobs Jr. were seen wearing a tie with a picture of a noose. A prosecutor was also heard saying, "We " re going to hang you, boy". The flaws of capital punishment can be clearly seen here.

Racism and hate play a major fact in the decision of the death penalty. In "Dead Man Walking", Matthew Poncelet's co-defendant is spared and is sentenced to life in prison because of his wealth and his lawyers. Innocent people being sent to death and being released within weeks of execution are becoming frequent stories. The legal system is disturbingly putting innocent people to death. A Supreme Court justice, Harry A. Blackmun wrote a letter of his opinion of capital punishment. He starts by explaining the execution of Bruce Edwin Calling.

He describes the cold process of lethal injection. 'Twenty years have passed since this court declared that the death penalty must be imposed fairly and with reasonable conscience or not at all, and despite the effort of the states and courts to devise legal formulas and procedural rules to meet this challenge, the death penalty remains fraught with arbitrariness, discrimination, and mistake". (New York Post).