Capital Punishment In Dead Man Walking

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Many people have very strong feelings about the use of capital punishment. Some people believe that the death penalty gives murderers what they deserve, while others believe killing anyone is wrong. The film Dead Man Walking is a movie about a nun, Sister Helen Prejean, who visits a man named Matthew Poncelet who is sitting on death row for the rape and murder of two teenagers. Although he is a murderer, Matthew Poncelet should not have been sentenced to die because he is poor and cannot afford a good defense lawyer. Secondly, the govenor does not give Poncelet an appeal because he is running for re-election and he wants everyone to think he is “getting tough on crime”. Finally, the movie shows killing anyone, even a murderer like Poncelet, is cruel and inhumane. Therefore, Matthew Poncelet in the film Dead Man Walking should not have been executed because he is poor, he is a victim of politics, and his death is immoral. First of all, Matthew Poncelet is poor which is the only reason why he is given the death penalty. He cannot afford to pay for a strong defense lawyer and his court-appointed attorney raises only one objection at his trial. Everyone has the right to a strong legal defense but Poncelet’s lawyer did nothing to help him. If Poncelet could have afforded a better …show more content…
First of all, Poncelet only receives the death penalty because he cannot afford a good defense lawyer and his court-appointed attorney does not defend him. Next, the governor uses Poncelet’s execution to help himself get re-elected. Finally, if killing is considered immoral, this should include death-row murderers, and the State should not be in the business of killing people. The movie Dead Man Walking looks at all these complex issues surrounding capital punishment and forces its audience to take

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