Since I have gotten many requests to either share or email my death penalty research from several people, I decided that I would publish the entries here, on my blog. The portfolio I completed was a combination of months of research on the subject of women and race, in relation to the administration of the death penalty. Some of the events/topics discussed are graphic in nature, but it is important to understand the death penalty process including the uncomfortable aspects, in order to gain a well-rounded knowledge of the subject. There is a lot of hype when it comes to the administration of the death penalty, and after research and a college Criminology class on the subject, my views of the penalty have changed completely. My aim here is to shed some light on the pressing issues in relation to the death penalty and its administration, while at the same time offering information not commonly known to the average American.
Another thing I would like to share:
One thing that was particularly interesting during my death penalty class was an activity we did. At the beginning of the semester, our professor had us write down our opinion of the death penalty and our personal justifications for it. Then she had us seal it in an envelope which she kept in her office until the end of the semester. On the last day of class, she handed back those envelopes and after taking my final and being mentally exhausted, I sat in my car and stared at my envelope knowing full well that most of what I had used for justification, had been proven wrong throughout the semester as well as in my research. It wasn’t until I got home that I opened the sealed envelope, read my answer to the question my professor asked on the very first day of class, and realized that my opinion had completely changed. Not only that, but everything I had been taught growing up, my family beliefs, we’re wrong. And not wrong in even the moral sense, but wrong in every sense. (NOTE: Please do not think that I am accusing those whose views differ from mine of being wrong; I am just speaking on pure facts and statistics in relation to my personal justifications which I used to support my personal opinion on the matter). I won’t reveal which side of the fence I am now on or where I started; that is outlined in the conclusion of my portfolio. Make sure to go into this with an open mind… things may turn out to be nothing like you suspected. I will also include links to actual FBI files for some of the cases discussed such as the Greenlease murder, and certain pages on the Death Penalty Information Center website so you can investigate on your own if you so choose. Like always, I have included a references page at the end of each entry as well.
If you do take the time to read the entire portfolio which consists of 12 short entries, all examining different aspects of the subject of women and race, I ask that you please comment, email, or send a message through my Facebook page and share your thoughts with me. I am also interested to know if your views too, have changed.
Please take a minute to answer the poll below before you start the series. I will be posting a new entry every week so stay tuned!
Happy reading! 🙂
❤ Webster
Webster's World 