Dead Man Walking

I still can't say that I have a firm "yes" or "no" stance on the death penalty, as I am not sure how I would feel if the victim were a family member or friend. Some people have committed serious atrocities, and keeping someone for a life in prison is expensive. On the other hand, I find it hard to grapple with the idea that the government is responsible for the daily and methodical executions of any of its citizens. The idea of being "put to death" almost seems barbaric. I can say that Dead Man Walking definitely made me put more thought into the subject of the death penalty, because before this movie it was something that I just accepted. From this movie and our discussion f the death penalty, I was disturbed to learn that certain states use the death penalty so often that tens to hundreds of criminals are executed yearly. I also think that the right to appeal a death sentence often is a good security for false accusations, but the subjection of the victims and victim's families to these trials give the victim little comfort and an unfair continuation of their victimization.