Death and Justice A Response :: essays papers

Death and Justice A Response In reading Mr. Koch’s article Death and Justice, I was quite impressed with his opinions and ability to articulate them. I must say that I too am a supporter of the death penalty and would be hard pressed to argue my point more convincingly than Mr. Koch. Mr. Koch mentions several points, but the three that are the most poignant are his arguments concerning the barbaric, murderous, and imperfect aspects of the death penalty. First, I do not feel that the death penalty is barbaric at all. As Mr. Koch points out, we have come a long way from drawing and quartering our criminals. Lethal injection is no more barbaric then a flu-shot. Many people are more concerned with the comfort and well being of our felons than our neighbors. What is barbaric is allowing a man to live after he heinously raped and murdered a young girl. I personally have no objection to the use of many long-forgotten methods, such as the guillotine, noose, firing squad, or headman’s axe. Specifically, murder is defined as the unlawful premeditated killing of a human being. Government-sanctioned executions, which follow the laws of the state, are not murder by this standard. Koch writes â€Å"The execution of a lawfully condemned killer is no more murder than is legal imprisonment kidnapping.† I feel this sums it up quite eloquently. The government is not an individual and is not limited by the rights and responsibilities of individuals. People who call the death penalty murder do so out of a sense of moral outrage rather then an intellectual consideration. While our system of government, just like all others, is imperfect, we have several checks and balances built into the system to help ensure accuracy. There are rare occasions when the innocent are punished, but until all the criminals come forward on their own to admit their crimes, we can only continue on. Those people who are convicted are given chances to appeal their sentences. We cannot, for fear of making a mistake, bring our justice system to a halt. I also believe in Karma and believe that if someone is wrongly punished, then it either is retribution for other misdeeds or it will be made up to them in another life.

Failures of Reconstruction Essay

General William T. Sherman’s meeting with the black leaders who would go successful and outstanding leaders of black people in the United States of America on January 12. 1865 somehow foreshadowed the coming of Reconstruction in this epoch. The meeting which united both white and black Americans who wished for the abolishment of bondage was besides the start of the partnership between these progressives and the inkinesss. In a decennary. several incidents happened which marked the greatest times in the black American history. Four yearss after the meeting. a land was given to the black Americans and mules that were non being used by the ground forces were besides given to them. This land will be the abode of more than 40. 000 freed slaves. Because of this. they hoped that their emancipation will non merely free them from bondage but besides give them the freedom to be economically independent and have genuine freedom. However. it seems that the battle for freedom can be forgotten and Reconstruction. that thing which should be unifying the tattered state will neglect and go one of the greatest failures in the American history. Why did Reconstruction neglect? Who was the one to fault? While there are these black Americans who extremely anticipated their freedom and progressives worked in redefining freedom for the remainder of both the black and white Americans. there will be a job that will neglect the Reconstruction epoch. After a decennary. people got tired of contending for freedom and shortly. there are jobs in line with the new disposal. After the black Americans were so successful to set up their ain lives and edifice churches. schools for black kids and establishments. a decennary subsequently. the battle for their freedom and rights all of a sudden met silence. Andrew Johnson confiscated all lands that were given to black Americans therefore get downing the failure in land reform which was given in 1865. At the same clip. he is non in favour of the rights being pushed by the Republicans for the interest of the Black Americans. His positions sing the freedom of the African-Americans were non in line with what these former slaves ought to hold. Hence. his thoughts of Reconstruction were the same ground why it failed. The politicians from the South can non accept emancipation and the autonomy that slaves must hold while the president is non in favour of the Reconstruction being pushed by the slaves and the Republicans. The failure of Reconstruction was brought by the fact that there are people who can non accept the world of emancipation and pushed what they wanted best for themselves than what is right for the remainder of the United States of America. Plants Cited Eric Foner. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 2e Volume II eBook from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. wwnorton. com/college/history/foner2v2_ebook/welcome. asp

Modern American And Ancient Jewish Social Hierarchy Essay

Children are a gift from God, in fact, one might say raising a child is the greatest pleasure anyone can have. However, children are often marginalized and considered lesser until they become a young adult. The disenfranchising of children occurred even back in the time of Jesus. One might question, what does God think about children. How does God’s view of children fit within society? This paper will equate the human constructs of modern American and ancient Jewish social hierarchy, specifically how children fit in, and differentiate them from God’s view of children. As part of the Jewish social structure, children were placed in low regard often filing in close to the bottom of the order. Halvor Moxnes a Professor of New Testament at the University of Oslo and writer of â€Å"The Social Context of Luke s Community† places an emphasis on two groups in the society the elite and non-elite. â€Å"The elite made up only a small fraction of the population but contro lled the land and its production as well as the political, social, and religious system.† The elite have privilege, prominence, and power in Jewish society while the non-elite consisted of poverty, pettiness, and proclivity. â€Å"The non-elite, that is the great bulk of the population, comprised a large variety of groups. 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