Hullo David,

I largely agree with you. That said my experience in Rwanda in 1994 as a UN peace-keeper where I "visited" prisons designed to hold 700 people but actually holding several thousand political prisoners showed me the depravity that mankind can stoop to. One prison was full of males but had about a dozen females who were constantly sexually assaulted - the women were little better than zombies! Some of the men were complicit in the genocide and have since been convicted, but it has been a difficult road. I sometimes wonder why we bothered, but at the end of the day I do believe we made a difference.

I have previously shared with you my presentation on ethical dilemmas which is available on my website. The death sentence also is an ethical dilemma. On a rare occasion I think it may be warranted - perhaps for proven perpetrators of genocide. I am uncomfortable with this but some crimes are so horrible they afront all decency. I have witnessed first-hand such crimes, and was powerless at the time. I also know what I would have done at the time had I had the authority and the means!

Dave

The Hanks movie you are thinking of is called The Green Mile, but, yes, it does cover the death penalty issue. Dead Man Walking starred Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn and I must admit that I cried the first time I saw it.

In this theme, I would recommend a seventies film called Kill Me If You Can, which starred Alan Alda, and was based on the true story of Caryl Chessman. I was so moved when I saw this that I made sure that our school library ordered a copy of Chessman's book Cell 2455 Death Row. If you can track down a copy of this book, it is a compelling read.

Oh, and surprise, surprise, Henry got his job back...

Dave

The Hanks movie you are thinking of is called The Green Mile, but, yes, it does cover the death penalty issue. Dead Man Walking starred Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn and I must admit that I cried the first time I saw it.

In this theme, I would recommend a seventies film called Kill Me If You Can, which starred Alan Alda, and was based on the true story of Caryl Chessman. I was so moved when I saw this that I made sure that our school library ordered a copy of Chessman's book Cell 2455 Death Row (one of the perks of the job as the head librarian). If you can track down a copy of this book, it is a compelling read.

Oh, and surprise, surprise, Henry got his job back...

Paul

Dave,

It's a quibble, but Dead Man Walking is a Susan Sarandon film. The Tom Hanks film you're probably thinking of is The Green Mile.

Thanks for the corrections guys
Graham's post on ethics is worth reading and his experiences harrowing. I still think that we can argue against the death penalty however; there is a difference between someone deserving death and the state having the right to dispense death.