Crime

Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Power of Context, provides insight into the rise and fall of crime in New York City. Gladwell compiled sets of information and questions the ultimate reasons behind the crimes in New York. Meanwhile, Martha Stout’s presentation on her patients’ psychology is an important factor in understanding the motives behind the crimes Some people believe that crime has something to do with the mental well-being of the person committing the crimes. Bernard Goetz, the man responsible for shooting four young black men on the subway, can be viewed as a criminal, for attempting murder, or a hero, for putting the boys into place and ultimately raising awareness of subway crimes. Stout, as a psychologist, spends a lot of time with her patients and tries to grasp an understanding of what causes them to behave in a certain manner. Her patients have taught many that traumatic experiences often become the culprit in situations like Goetz.

The link between psychology and trauma strongly correlate to committed crimes and continues to be studied in order to reach a higher understanding of human behaviors Trauma greatly impacts a person’s life, often causing them to become forward and highly motivated or reserved and cautious. Bernard has had a traumatic past experience of being mugged by three black men Goetz was also embittered by the fact that one of the doormen, whom he was close to, was beaten badly by muggers. Traumatic experiences influence the victim, in some cases, in a positive way, leading to reform through no use of violence. In others, it creates a violent situation, one that could lead to the same outcome but, in a more painful and tragic way. These traumatizing experiences Bernard went through influenced him in a negative way.

He became highly motivated, to the point of an obsession, in cleaning up the streets of New York. Goetz took an apartment in Manhattan, on a city block heavy with homelessness and drug dealing. Goetz was known to complain often about a vacant newsstand, piled in trash and urine, a symbol for the ‘troublemakers’ in the neighborhood. One day it was mysteriously burned down and the next day he was seen sweeping up the debris. Later on Goetz stated at a community meeting that the only way to clean up the street was to “get rid of all the spies and niggers” (Gladwell 155). Bernard didn‘t stop there.

He also illegally took possession of a gun, which he carried around with him While the possession of a gun could easily be seen as just a form of self-defense, the fact he shot the boys in the subway rather than scaring them into leaving him alone proves otherwise. Goetz has purposefully placed himself in a rat hole Dissociation Stout’s patients dissociate due to a trigger, one that may remind them of their traumatic experiences, which often forces them into a dissociate statei. Even while in a dissociated state, the patients continue their daily tasks without being conscious. One of Stout’s patients who suffer from dissociation is Lilai Lila, referring to her ‘flyaway self’, who states “I had an argument with the cashier at the seven-eleven store.

I gave him a twenty and he said I gave him a ten. He wouldn’t give me my other ten dollars back. The way he looked at me— it was the same way my stepfather used to, like I was stupid like I was dirt. I knew he wasn’t my stepfather but all the feelings were there anyway. After a minute, Ijust couldn’t argue about it. I left without my money, and by the time I got back home, my flyaway self thing had already started” (Stout 433). There is deep connection between Lila’s dissociation and Bernard’s behavior. As previously stated, Bernard took it upon himself to move to a troublesome neighborhood. Between the shooting, the racist remarks, moving to a poor neighborhood, and illegally carrying a gun, Goetz‘s behavior and attitude shows a pattern. He desperately wants to get rid of the black population.

Goetz, the man who seemed oblivious of what he was getting himself into, was set off by Canty’s “shining eyes and the big smile on his face, that showed he was enjoying himself.” Goetz pulled out his gun and fired at the youths. After firing at Darrel Cabey for the first time, Goetz walked over and said, “You seem all right, Here‘s another,” right before firing a second bullet at Cabey. After the incident, the subway conductor asked him why he shot at the boys. Goetz only response was that he didn’t know why he did it. This suggests that Goetz was not himself at the moment. He felt threatened, and like a dissociate person, acted without being conscious. One way to look at this is through an example Goetz provided himself, “What you are capable of changes. Your field of View acted vicious and savagely… If you corner a rat and you are about to butcher it, okay? The way I responded was viciously and savagely, just like that, like a rat”.

This suggests that Bernard’s instincts took over and that he, like Stout‘s patients, was acting without being fully conscious Goetz was focused on hurting them. After firing at Darrel Cabey for the first time, Goetz walked over and said, “You seem all right. Here‘s another,” right before firing a second bullet at Cabey (Gladwell 149). His aggression was taken out on the boys and ultimately led them to be seriously injured. The connection between Lila and Bernard is solid. Both were set off by triggers, certain facial expressions within the moment that made them remember their traumatic past experiences, and led Lhem to dissociate. Understanding why Goetz acted in such a way and linking crimes to psychology helps many understand exactly what led up to the rise and fall of crime in the state of New York. The Broken Windows theory is one of the candidates that assisted in the reversal of the crime epidemic.

The Broken Windows theory bases its logic on the example of a broken window and how if it is left alone and no one fixes it, then the people who walk by conclude that no one cares enough to fix it and that no one is in charge. They applied this concept to the streets of New York City and its subway systems. The subway systems were failing to bring in as much revenue as expected because people refused to take it with the rising crime rates. However, once the Broken Windows theory was applied, there was an increase of transit officers in the stations, the old train cars were replaced with new ones, and the city was being cleaned up. Any time there would be any sign of vandalism, the city made sure to clean it up. What occurred was that, over time, they started giving up the vandalism and graffiti art, while the people entering and riding the subway no longer evaded paying the fees.

The criminals were shown that there was someone that has asserted their dominance and was now in charge of the city. The criminals decided it was better to avoid any conflict so that they wouldn‘t be caught. Although Bernard was morally wrong in shooting the youths through a violent confrontation, he was the stepping stone for the city clean up. No matter how he was viewed, as a criminal or a hero, people were motivated to put an end to all the crimes. A lot of effort was put into the clean up of the city and, ultimately, it worked. If the Broken windows theory had been applied earlier, then maybe the violent crimes and muggings would not have happened but, unfortunately, in order to make a change, there usually has to be a large and negative situation in order to motivate people.

Psychology greatly impacts crimes in a few ways, whether it be in understanding why a crime was committed or used in order to prevent crime. Stout presentation on psychology, through the use of her patients, provided interesting information on dissociation and trauma. This information gave many a new knowledge and has helped in understanding Goetz’s reality and violent actions, Based on his background, some may question if what he did was intentional. When a person looks at the information provided, they see that Goetz placed himself in an area full of the homeless and drug dealers Goetz also had an obsession with cleaning up the street he lived on, commenting on the need to get rid of the blacks.

This was his way to target his rage and hatredl. His traumatic experience of being mugged led to a great change in himself. A small but mighty link between trauma, psychology and crime rates has been identified thanks to the situation between Bernard Goetz and the four youths in the subway, Goetz became a symbol of change in the city and is even recognized by some as a hero. Why might this be? This incident called for higher security in all of New York City’s subway stations, Bratton and Gunn put the Broken Windows Theory to test, ending the ongoing cycle of crime. The subway trains were completely changed and kept clean, Criminals then started to follow the rules and New York City’s crime rate dropped severelyl It all goes back to Goetz, and the Violent incident that occurred in the subway The understanding of psychology has proven to be the greatest hero in this context.

Policing of communities can take form in many different ways. These ways include plenty of patrol day and night. little patrol or no patrol. and or foot patrol. Both of these articles: “Poking Holes in the Theory of ‘Broken Windows”. by D.W. Miller: and “Broken Windows: The police and neighborhood safety”. by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling talk about the different theories on hoW to lower crime rates Within the community. “Broken Windows” presents the theory that if little things are neglected then bigger things in turn Will arise. “Broken Windows. The police and neighborhood safety“ was written before the other article to establish its idea. as stated above. The second article. “Poking Holes in the Theory of ‘Broken Windows.

Was composed in order to get the point across that the “Broken Windows” theory is incorrect. The article “Broken Windows The police and neighborhood safety” brings about the theory that “one unrepaired broken window is a signal that no one cares and so breaking more windows costs nothing”. They are saying that if the community lets some crime go then it is just going to be the beginning of more serious crime. The police are not helping reduce the crime rate due to the fact that the “police exist to regulate behaVIor. not to maintain the racial or ethnic purity of a neighborhood.

“To the residents. the police who arrive in squad cars are either ineffective or uncaring”. So in turn they came up with the theory that making foot patrol in neighborhoods more readily available to the people would better deter crime. “To the surprise of hardly anyone. that foot patrol had not reduced crime rates. But reSIdents of foot- patrolled neighborhoods seemed to feel more secure than persons in other areas, tended to believe that crime had been reduced”. By using this technique to try lowering crime rates they actually only fooled the public by making them feel more secure. when really they were not.

The anicle “Poking Holes in the Theory of ‘Broken Windows”. talked about how the article “Broken Windows” is “only a theory”. They came to this conclusion through the “reverse of Murphy‘s Law: Virtually everything that could go right. did. Turf wars in the crack trade died down. The number of young males between the ages of 187247 the crime , prone years , shrank. Unbroken economic growth provided disadvantaged young people with alternatives to crime”. in the essence when they thought their theory on cutting crime was working. it in fact was humanity that was changing for the better. provmg their theory to be right. In reading the two assigned articles.

“Broken Windows: The police and neighborhood safety” and “Poking Holes in the Theory of ‘Broken Window’,” it can be said that the second article contradicts the message that the first article was trying to get across. The “Broken Window” theory states that if little things are neglected then bigger things in turn Will arise. in contrast to that. the second articles goes to show how the theory in the first one was wrong by pointing out how humanity changed as a whole. It made this change through great economic growth. which boosted people’s finances. and resulted in a decrease in criminal activities. instead of decreasing crime rates through increasing the policing of neighborhoods.

The two topics I learned the most about in module six were the purposes for mapping and analysis in the field of law enforcement as well as the strategies to reduce crime and disorder in communities. The systematic process of mapping and analysis by law enforcement agencies is a strategy of researching maps of high-crime areas and databases in order to gather information and recognize patterns. The blueprint of communities plays a big part in crime opportunities. Mapping and analysis used to be done physically, with maps and pins on boards. Now it is done with computers and virtual mapping programs, such as LexisNexis, Maptitude, and geographic information systems (GIS).

The types of information it gathers is location, distance, direction, and patterns. Location and patterns are the most important pieces of information, as they can help determine hotspots. Hotspots are areas in which crime is most likely to happen because it has happened there before. Crime happens more often in places that have been victims of crime before, so knowing where has been hit is helpful in preventing future crimes. In rural areas, hotspots may not exist, so in these cases, other information provided by the program has to be used. It also shows where places like alleyways and abandoned buildings are in relation to other places like schools and daycares. These data bases also show different information such as the time of the crime, day of week the crime took place, crime comparisons, and specific crime types.

This includes accidents, citations, arrests, sex offenses, etc. This can also help departments connect certain crimes. Law enforcement agencies are able to share information they have received. No one person or agency may be able to see the full picture, but if they come together, the connections will be discovered. Not only does mapping and analysis help u figure out where crime is happening, and where it may happen in the future, but it also can help in emergency situations. For example, if a terrorist attack was to occur, the map would show evacuation routes, shelters, populations affected, etc. Overall, mapping an analysis programs and procedures are important in order to determine crime, future crime, and also help in emergencies.

Hot Spot Policing is a very effective strategy used by law enforcement and has been proven to decrease criminal activity in areas that it is being used in. Hot spots are small areas where crime occurs and they are not big landscapes, instead, they are spots where police frequently have to visit. According to the article, “Do not inevitably lead to the implementation of criminal issues”. Most people would think that hot spot policing, where police focus more on the areas where crime is frequently occurring, the criminals would simply move to different areas, but that is not the case. It is actually the opposite, it reduces crime in surrounding areas also. Mapping is done where crimes are entered into a system that places the crimes on a grid, showing where crime is frequently being committed. Systems such as GIS (Geographic information systems) are used by analysts, where it is used to pinpoint the troubled area, identify the nature of activity occurring within that area, then strategies are developed to battle the crime occurring.

There are some theories that explain why crime occurs in these hot spots, such as broken windows theory and routine activity theory. Hot spot policing is a proficient technique for police to combat crime. Crime is mapped, using systems such as CrimeStat, where points that represent crime are mapped onto a grid. Afterwards, police departments can determine what policing techniques can be put forth to battle the crime that is occurring within these hot spots. Also, hot spots are not an entire landscape, instead clusters. Another benefit about hot spot policing is that it also decreases crime in surrounding areas and as a result, the displacement of criminal activity does not occur due to hot spot policing. Police departments may use a variety of strategies once hot spots are developed to combat crime, such as an increase of police patrolling that specific hotspot.

Bill of Rights Paper

The Bill of Rights is composed of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. They were written by James Madison in order to better secure the public’s individual rights and limit governmental power over them. George Mason, founder of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, inspired the call for a bill of rights for all of America.

While the Virginia Declaration of Rights focused more on proclaiming the essential rights’ of men and the right to reform or abolish incompetent governments, the Bill of Rights focuses more on appeasing the Anti-Federalists demand for personal freedoms and limit on government control as well as reserving certain rights to the states and the public.

According to the Bill Of Rights Institute, of the original twenty-seven amendments, “the House [of Representatives] approved 17 amendments. Of these 17, the Senate approved 12. Those 12 were sent to the states for approval in August of 1789. Of those 12, 10 were quickly approved (or, ratified). Virginia’s legislature became the last to ratify the amendments on December 15, 1791”. The ten official amendments, which are most commonly known to the public, range from the right to freedom of speech to power given to the states and the people.

This list of amendments was extremely important to the colonists, especially the Anti-Federalists, because it protected their individual liberties and rights. It also allowed them to feel some type of security and defense against the government in case they tried to oppress them again. In addition to those reasons, the Bill of Rights was important for balancing the government’s power with those powers of the state and the public. Moreover, these amendments provided the colonists relief from fear of oppression, safekeeping over their civil rights, and peace of mind.

I believe that the Bill of Rights is still extremely important today. Our laws are based upon them and they protect us from violations against our civil liberties. They balance out our rights with the public safety and encourage proper ways of policing and handling certain situations. Throughout history, many people have died trying to protect these documents and constitutional rights. The colonists never expected those rights they proposed to be used in the ways they are used today. However, today they are still used and officers and lawmakers etc. stand by these original rights to help them dictate how to execute their occupational duties.

The amendments that pertain to criminal law include the fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth amendments. The fourth amendment states “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized”.  This amendment basically protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures.

The fifth amendment states, “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation”.

This amendment basically protects individuals from self-incrimination and double jeopardy, and gives them the right to a lawyer as well as due process by law.

The sixth amendment states, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense”.

This amendment basically gives the public the right to a speedy trial by an impartial jury of their peers. It also gives the public the right to confront witnesses against them. The eighth amendment states, “[the right against] excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted”. This amendment basically protects individuals from being given excessive amounts of bail and protects them from punishment that does not fit the crime.

In conclusion, all ten amendments whether or not they pertain to criminal law protect our civil liberties today just as much as they did back then in the 1700’s and 1800’s for the colonists. They are part of the foundation of America and create security for the people of this country.

The Darfur conflict that had been raging since 2003 had already displaced 2. 7 million people by the continuous fighting of government troops and rebel forces. People are constantly fleeing their homes and villages and they have no means to build their lives with some sense of permanence and security. Niemat Ahmadi, the Darfur Liaison Officer of the Save Darfur Coalition testified before the United Nations on the violence against women.

She reported that women were mostly affected with their forced displacement. They continue to be victims of emotional, sexual, and physical violence in the humiliation, rape and beatings that are committed against them daily. They are subjected to brutality in all forms including starvation and death. Niemat Ahmadi noted that “in Darfur, rape is being used as a weapon of war. ” She appealed to the United States of America and the rest of the world to help end the suffering of women in Darfur.

In April 2007, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants for Ahmad Harun, Sudan’s government minister and Ali Kushayb, a Janjaweed leader for leading the attacks on civilians in West Darfur. In July 2008 a warrant was also issued to the president of Sudan, Omar al Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The Sudanese government refused to cooperate and arrest Harun and Kashayb. As for Bashir, Sudan mounted a diplomatic offensive and successfully worked for a deferment of the investigation.

Sudan presents a different picture of Darfur to the world, claiming that it is willing to proceed with measures to achieve peace and justice in Darfur, contrary to what their actions reveal. Meantime, 12 rebels accused of participation in the assault on Khartoum where 200 were killed were sentenced to death by a Sudanese court. Government forces and the rebels continue to fight it out in Darfur.

Works Cited

• Ahmadi, Niemat. “Written Testimony. ” 13 May 2009.15 June 2009
• “Rhetoric Vs. Reality: The Situation in Darfur. ” Executive Summary. 15 June 2009 s
• Agence France-Presse. “ICC Prosecutor urges Sudan to arrest Beshir. ” 08 June 2009 15 June 2009.
• Reuters. “Sudan Court sentences 12 Darfur rebels to death. ” 09 June 2009 15 June 2009.

Political corruption has existed throughout the ages and will continue to exist. It’s believed to be most present in positions of power, because of the role money plays in giving people power. However, throughout the years corruption has changed so much that there is no simple definition of corruption.

The broadest, most suitable definition which exists today simply states that corruption is any illegal act performed by a politician to produce results which would have been otherwise impossible. In some cases, government, politicians, and criminals entwine for the sake of amassing money in order to secure their own jobs. This form of corruption was apparent in the mafia’s association with the government in the early 1900’s. Once government involvement takes place, the force foreign to the government gains enough power and evidence against the government that this kind of corruption becomes extremely difficult to stop.

Political corruption, however, is most visible in governments in which an elite, or an elite few, holds absolute power, and keeps the saying “absolute power corrupts absolutely” true to this day. In other cases, dictatorships can be the source of corruption. With absolute power, there is nothing to stop you from abusing your power. Political corruption in dictatorships can easily be seen as a mode of survival in countries that lack the stability for work opportunities. In the world today, countries lacking sufficient law enforcement see superfluous amounts of corruption. In cases of poverty, however, corruption is merely a mode of sustenance. In countries in which there is little to no income, there are very few options that allow for a bearable life without some form of illegality. Often times, ambiguities in laws give way to an opportunity to abuse power This paired with poor law enforcement yields an impossibly hard to get rid of corruption.

In Kenya, political corruption has grown rampant. People, who are supposed to be representing the interests of their constituency, instead take money from the constituents to keep their representative positions. Political corruption is parasitic; it finds a host, and can almost always find a way to survive. Eventually, people grow dependent on this corruption as a means for income, thus forming a symbiosis between the people who benefit from it, and the elites that regulate it. People sometimes ignore the corruption surrounding them, feeling that as long as the politicians do their jobs well, their ‘extra salary’ can’t hurt (BNS).

Generally after revolutions take place, anarchy exists. No new government simply moves into place. During this time, it is easiest for Corruption to take hold of this Government as it forms, limiting or halting the true development of a government for the people. In an environment infested with corruption, any acts of corruption simply become commonplace. Where anarchy exists, people lack the power of representation. If there is a government in which corruption exists, people lack a voice with which to take action. A government is necessary for the growth of people and nations as a whole. If the government is not legitimate, it will only act as a parasite to its host – the people and the country’s economy. Various steps have been taken to reduce the growth of corruption.

For example, every time a president’s term ends in Kenya, a man offers the new ex-president five million dollars to step down peacefully. In countries with a weak economy, a job with lots of political power, influence, and money, it is easy to get tempted to not stay down, and with the proper abuse of political power, it becomes possible. Anyone with political power can ensure the safety of their job with abuse of their power.The primary of goal of leaders now is to make Corruption more traceable, so that people will be deterred from even the thought of corruption. Kenya is currently taking steps to reduce corruption.

The first three solutions include: “the rule of law, transparency and accountability.” Kenya plans to oversee the actions of their political leaders and make sure all the corrupt will be held accountable for their actions. The other steps include: “inculcating a culture of compliance with laws and decent human behavior and to change legislation that is clearly not conducive to the creation of a good business environment” (Kibaki). These steps will void people, who were possibly or would possibly become corrupt, of any opportunities to abuse their power.Another problem with political corruption is the fact that it could affect anyone with power.

The prospect of losing their job, to some people, may make them steep to new low. If anyone with power wanted to keep from losing their job, they could. And in an environment in which corruption is common, and the law is not inculcated, it becomes infinitely more difficult to extirpate corruption. An even more widespread problem is corruption within law-enforcement. If no one enforces the laws, then people are free to abuse the laws as they wish. One of the primary problems of corruption in law-enforcement is that it exists just as much in developed countries as it does in underdeveloped countries (Ebbe). With the police’s job of enforcing the law, it would be easy for them to allow some violations of the law occur to their benefit (Ebbe). If this occurs, it makes it harder to trace political corruption.

Corruption with law-enforcement has some of the greatest impact on a company because not only does it make way for other kinds of corruption, but it makes people lose faith in their nation as a whole. Creating a nation in which corruption is impossible is far from the present, however, with proper action, a nation such as this can be created. It requires the participation of its people, its elites, and its law-enforcement. A problem with a country’s constitution would be the primary problem of any country. Ghana exemplifies this. Their constitution allowed the military, in a country that was previously a military-based dictatorship, constitutional immunity to the law (Africa News). This gave the military too much power over the government, making it hard for the new president, in a newly formed democracy, to exert any real form of power.

If a country has a revolution, someone must make sure that the reform assures the people of that country their basic rights. Otherwise, this leads to an endless chain of corruption; elections would be corrupt, and people would lack their basic rights, simply making them ghosts in a nation overrun with corruption.Bangladesh currently faces problems similar to those in Kenya. They are currently looking to keep their parliament clean as well as holding whole groups responsible for any corruption they take part in. People have begun losing faith in their government. The future of Bangladesh is solely dependent on its politicians (Knox). The people of a nation are the basis of the nation.

A government, let alone a nation, can’t work without the consent of its people (Keeping the Republic). For a nation to be free of corruption, the people must also be willing to do their part in keeping the nation free of corruption. Corruption exists anywhere where people allow it to exist. If we take any steps we can to extirpate corruption, we reinstate people’s faith in their democratically dead nations, and raise the strength of the country to that of other developed nations. In the case of developed nations, it can strengthen the economy as well as the willingness of the people to do their jobs.

It is absolutely necessary, for the future of democracy, to rid the countries of any form corruption that inhibits the growth of nations. Out of all of the forms of corruption that affect politics, corruption within politics and corruption, which impacts politics, they all have the same solution. It is absolutely necessary for every person of their nation to take part and take action in stopping corruption, not only in their own country, but on a global scale. If corruption exists, people must take action to report it. People must do anything they can to deter corruption and keep it from continuing.

Works Cited

• Berlinski, C.. “The Dark Figure of Corruption. ” Policy Review 155 (2009): 71-81. ProQuest Political Science, ProQuest. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
• Ebbe, Obi N. I. “Political Corruption.” Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment. 2002. SAGE Publications. 19 Feb. 2010

In Coretta Scott King’s “The Death Penalty Is a Step Back” and Mike Royko’s “Death to the Killers,” each author presents their individual analysis on the topic of capital punishment. The writers discuss their personal opinions on the issue of the death penalty, while giving several reasons to support their convictions. The authors have dissimilar views on the controversial issue of capital punishment. On one hand, King exclaims: “America took another step backwards towards legitimizing murder as a way of dealing with evil in our society.” In a desperate attempt to figure out the reasoning of those in favor of the death penalty, she asks: “Can we expect a decent society if the state is allowed to kill its own people?” In addition, the writer explains that because American violence has escalated over the last few years, the government and its citizens have begun reinforcing the act of the death penalty. However, she argues that no matter how much “we abhor violence,” executing criminals is neither moral nor constitutional, and it will not deter others from committing the same crimes. On the other hand, Royko initially explains that he doesn’t really like to “make fun of people who oppose the death penalty because they are so sincere.” Nevertheless, he wishes they would come up with new reasons as to why the government should put a stop to the death penalty. The author exemplifies his strong perspective on capital punishment by explaining many individual cases in which people “suffered a terrible loss, and live with terrible memories.”

He declares that every one of these families share “the knowledge that the killers are alive,” and they will not gain vengeance until it is evident that the criminals are not being “cared for by society.” Royko demands that the “opponents of the death penalty” should think about what the families of these criminals have had to go through, and then explain to them “just how cruel it is to kill someone.” In each article, the writers explain their reasons for taking one side. King points out that taking lives will not solve society’s problems: “An evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed of retaliation. Justice is never advanced in the taking never upheld by legalized murder.” First, she makes comments about several instances in which people have been “mistakenly convicted.” The author explains that even if specters have only had this happen once, “that is too often.” Second, she indicates there have also been cases where the judge assumes the criminal is “beyond rehabilitation.” King continues to say that even in a situation like that, “Who shall make that determination?” Third, the writer disputes the fact that half of the “persons now on death row are black.” She believes this is a “racist application of laws,” and even a Florida survey shows that this is not just an “accurate reflection of guilt and homicide trends.” In contrast, Royko tells of the “worn out” arguments relayed by those in opposition to the death penalty. First, he speaks of how the public thinks that psychiatrists should study the killers to find out why they commit these crimes. The author replies that it takes a psychiatrist five years to figure out “why a guy wants to stop for two drinks after work and won’t quit smoking,” so why would they want to sit for even more years and listen to “Willie the Wolfman describe his ax murders.” Next, the writer talks about how people want to know what right society has “to take a life if an individual can’t.” He responds by saying “the individuals who make up a society give it that right” because the government does numerous things that individuals cannot do, such as delegating the right to use guns to the police but not to citizens. Third, Royko mentions how society assumes that “the death penalty doesn’t deter crime.” The author retorts that in most cases criminals do not consider the future consequences when they’re committing the crime. In conclusion, the authors of “The Death Penalty Is a Step Back” and “Death to the Killers,” utilize personal experiences to sustain their principles about the death penalty. Coretta Scott King and Mike Royko argue two sides of an issue that will continue to be a controversy for years to come.