Capital Punishment and Death by Fire 1. View the film, “Death by Fire” at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/death-by-fire/ (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. Please watch until the end as there is an interesting update. 2. We will cover some introductory issues on the death penalty and the “pro” arguments in class.
For this assignment, familiarize yourself with the arguments from the following websites. Note: You should be aware that the sites take an “anti” position and are not neutral on the issue. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. –Try looking under the “issues” tab and the “resources” tab for most of your information. http://conservativesconcerned.org/why-were-concerned/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/01/death-penalty-convictions-decreased-in-broke-counties-nationwide/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. After seeing the film and analyzing the websites, fully discuss these questions. Provide supporting evidence from the websites and film. 1) Cost: Does the death penalty or life in prison cost more? Why? Does this matter to you? Why? 2) What factors do you believe most contributed to Willingham receiving the death penalty in this case? 3) How does socioeconomic status play into the punishment (if you believe it played into it at all)? 4) We will discuss issues of legal representation in class, but 1) how did Willingham receive legal representation (hired or appointed by the courts)? 2) From the film, do you think his attorney did an effective job of representing Willingham? 5) Does the Death Penalty deter crime? Does the answer to this question matter to you? Why or why not? 6) Based on the websites, how does race affect the Death Penalty? (Make sure that you fully explore this question).
