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Friday, August 5, 2016

Capital Punishment

Child abuse is very real and serious

Capital punishment is a controversial topic that sweeps over the world. Many people don’t know whether to consider the death penalty as murder, or as beneficial to society. In some heinous cases, it seems almost justified to bring a criminal to an end, but where is the line? What is too awful of a crime, and what is not worthy of execution? In

It could be because they are poor so they have to steal to survive, or because they are mentally ill and do not comprehend the difference between right and wrong. Nowadays, drugs are a major factor for crime. Addicts need drugs to keep themselves functioning. (continued on p. 2)

“Art”chitectureWhen old buildings stand on certain ground that modern planners feel could be better used for modern purposes, the building’s historic qualities should be given precedence over modern development. Buildings are art. In some cases, I feel that destroying a building with historic properties is like destroying national monuments, it should not be done. William Morris stated, “These old buildings do not belong to us only, they belong to our forefathers and they will belong to our descendants unless we play them false. They are not in any sense our own property to do with as we like with

The 39 Steps

Hitchcock Scores AgainWith 98% from Rotten Tomatoes, I expected The 39 Steps to be captivating, comedic, and over-all fantastic. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. This movie was interesting, surprising, and funny. The 39 Steps was released in 1935, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with its screenplay written by Charles Bennett and Ian Hay. This film stars Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim,

cases like child abuse, molestation and rape, it may seem like a fairly clear line.Committing any crime includes attempting or committing an action that goes against the laws of a society. This can go from anywhere from stealing a candy bar, to murder. There are many reasons behind why people commit a crime.

Capital Punishment, cont’d

There are so many ways to punish criminals but it is not, and should not, be all about punishing them. What about the cause at the root of these problems? Although punishment can be used as a deterrent to stop the criminal committing crime, It can also be a form of “revenge” on the criminal for his actions. It makes them suffer for their crime. The punishment can also protect society from the criminal. The criminal could be dangerous. Punishment can also be used to give the criminal a chance to restructure his life, so they can change their ways and make him less likely to commit another crime. If a person is coldly killing people, the person may have a problem, possibly mental health issues, and should see a psychiatrist rather than being locked up.

Some say that we could just lock these criminals up in jail. But once the accused has served their prison sentence, they will be released again and therefore be a threat to society again, and will be able to re-commit more crimes. If they are put to death, they will not be able to re-offend and consequently not be able to be a threat to society any more. It costs the taxpayer too much money to keep a criminal in jail.

Can someone's actions ever be justified or given mercy if they have committed such a crime to someone as innocent as a child? These cases may start out as seemingly small (misdemeanor level)

them. We are only trustees for those that come after us.” This means that it is our responsibility to maintain and respect the significance of anything historical. Who is to say that an old building cannot serve a new purpose just as well as a new building could anyway? (continued on p. 2)Artchitecture, cont’d

If our founding fathers saw what we have destroyed, architecturally and historically speaking thus far, they would be incredibly disappointed. In 1963, Penn Station, a beautiful structure made of pink granite and classical Grecian columns went under demolition. A New York Times editorial stated on the destruction of Penn Station, “We will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.” Why bring such a beautiful structure to the ground? Is is really beneficial to us to modernize everything? Or will it make us completely forget where our roots came from, where architecture wasn’t always just clean lines and tall buildings? Architecture was art.

From a different perspective, what about renovation? Robert Hughes once said, “Memory is reality. It is better to recycle what exists, to avoid mortgaging a workable past to a non-existent future, and to think small. In the life of cities, only conservation is sanity.” If we can learn from anything, it is history. The technologies and advancements we have learned should improve, not rebuild, our world. Renovation and preservation of historical buildings would be better than just tearing them down.

Winston Churchill said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter, our buildings shape us.” Personally, I would prefer the shape of beauty, history, and mystery rather than boring, functional, and tall.

Now, new buildings aren’t all bad, they help us advance and learn. Take a walk along the streets of any of our major

and Godfrey Tearle.

Richard Hannay runs into a strange woman named Annabella Smith in London while on holiday, who, in short, reveals that there is an international spy ring called the 39 steps. (continued on p. 2)

Hitchcock, cont’d

After becoming privy to and involved in this whirlwind that is in the 39 steps wake, he has to avoid police, fight for his life, and outsmart some of the smartest people internationally. He is aided in his efforts by many friends along the way, but most notably, Pamela.

One thing that I loved most about this film, was in fact, the treatment of the women by Richard. Not only was this film containing strong female roles, in the 1930’s, but Richard was, for the most part, kind, respectful, and loving towards Annabella and Pamela (almost too loving) from the very beginning. I found this surprising mostly because of the time frame it was released in. Having a woman be an able-bodied and main part of the action is quite remarkable. This film definitely was part of the beginning of an era of a new type of genre.

Even though the version I watched was in the original black and white, I also feel that this film was shot in such a unique and intriguing way. Every angle tells a story and speaks for itself. This helps show the actors feelings in such a way that even the actor doesn’t have to convey. A nice example of this is when Richard is reading the paper on the train. He’s feeling afraid, on edge, and like he’s being followed or watched. The shot cuts to him reading in a strained and stressed way, as he reads that he is the target of a manhunt, just by showing the upper half of his face over the newspaper, and then pans to a man smoking a pipe watching him over the top of the paper from his point of

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and then suddenly when the same person is put back in prison or back on parole for something on a felony-level, it can become a huge problem. In many cases, a man may be put in jail for repeat molestation or something equivalent, and then when he is released on parole, he skips town and neglects to report back to his officer, and then later is found guilty of kidnap, mugging and rape in some new town.

Capital Punishment, cont’dIs there a way to crack down on these laws and make parole allowances stricter, the death penalty more utilized, and bring these people to an end? Tax dollars pay so much to keep people sitting in prison for awful crimes they have committed. If we’re looking for a way to improve America’s debt in this day and age, why not start by saving money on incarceration fees and expenses?

So many people these days are looking for popular, organic and non-animal-tested products. Could a better option be to test it on than people on death row? This way they are giving something to society.

Some may argue that the death penalty and building upon parole restrictions is violating a person’s right to the Eighth Amendment. The Eighth Amendment states that, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” It's possible our government has already thrown this amendment out the window. In many cases, the legal system will incarcerate someone and post millions of dollars for their bail, allow there to be no bail to release the person, or permanently punish them and put them in prison for life. So why is it so frowned upon to take the person out of the picture entirely? Tax dollars would be saved and America could be on its way to brighter future.

Many people would also argue that to

cities and this is definitely evident. It’s always great to have openness to new ideas, people, cultures and art. And architects need something to do, right? Construction just should not compromise the presence of history in our world, especially what little we have left of it. In the words of Victor Artchitecture, cont’d

Hugo, “Whatever may be the future of architecture, in whatever manner our young architects may one day solve the question of their art, let us, while waiting for new monuments, preserve the ancient monuments. Let us...inspire the nation with a love for national architecture.”

In the end, I think the best solution to this problem, as with most problems, is to be more aware and educated about it. I believe that if we can find a balance between modernization, renovation and preservation, we could make our cities the most beautiful and wonderful that they have the pot ential to be. I think that new architecture should have some recollection to historical architecture and vise-versa as we develop the need for renovation. Harmony and balance is the true answer to most problems, and I believe in this case, it is the best solution.

Old Pennsylvania Station

ReferencesAguayo, Terry. “Jury Advises Death Penalty in Girl’s Murder.” The New York Times. 15 March. 2007.

“Death Penalty.” CQ Researcher 15 June 2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.

view. This helped highlight his feelings of being on the spot, watched, and followed. I found this to be so fun to watch.

I felt that the plot moved extremely quickly. This however, was nice. I was afraid it would drag on and on. With captivating cinematography and gripping music to go along withHitchcock, cont’dsurprising twists, Hitchcock and his crew definitely intended this to be a film that keeps you on your toes. You can’t help but pay attention.

In conclusion, I thought this film was great. It was unexpectedly entertaining, balanced, thrilling and fun. I thought Robert Donat did an excellent job as a male protagonist who isn’t afraid to let the females in the film tell the story too. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who occasionally enjoys a throwback film, as well as anyone who enjoys any of Hitchcock’s work.

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put someone to death who has not committed murder would be cruel and unusual as well. In The Constitutionality of the Death Penalty for Repeat Child Molesters, Brian Sellers quotes Rayburn, who states “Some proponents of the capital child rape statutes would argue that the death penalty is justifiable because life for the rape victim is over or that the victim’s soul has died; therefore, the death penalty is not cruel and unusual, as this death of the soul occurs.”

Capital Punishment, cont’dIf a person refuses to treat other humans-especially innocent and helpless children- in a humane way, why should they be awarded the same luxury?

Back in 2005, in Miami, Florida, a young girl named Jessica Lunsford was kidnapped, sexually battered and murdered by John E. Couey. To come back to a point I made previously, earlier in his life, Mr. Couey was convicted ‘for exposing and fondling himself in the presence of a 5-year-old girl, was registered as a sex offender, but skipped counseling sessions and moved without telling parole officers.’ (Aguayo) If he was watched more carefully or had more of an incentive to report back to his parole officers this may have never happened. But no, instead he was in a position where he got away and let himself abduct, attack, rape and bury alive a young woman.

“Justice is not vengeance,” (Aguayo) Alan Fanter, Mr. Couey’s lawyer stated to the jury pleading to let his client live. What Alan meant by this is that the Jury should understand that by putting this man to death, it would not avenge what he did to Jessica Lunsford. Maybe this statement actually provoked the minds of the jurors. How else could his words be interpreted? These words mean that Justice and Vengeance are just completely different animals

"Farewell to Penn Station," New York Times editorial, October 30, 1963

Hughes, Robert. The Shock of the New: Art and the Century of Change. London: Thames and Hudson, 1991. Print.

Hugo, Victor. Works: Notre-dame De Paris. Place of Publication Not Identified: Nabu, 2012. 313. Print.

"Identifying Child Abuse - Health Features." CHOC Children's. N.p., 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 05 Aug. 2016.

Morris, William. Art and Socialism. London: E.E.M. and W.L.S., 1884. Print.

Rayburn, C. “Better Dead Than Raped?: The Patriarchal Rhetoric Driving Capital Rape Statutes.” St. John’s Law Review, 78, 1119-1165. Web. 2004.

Sellers, Brian. "The Constitutionality of the Death Penalty for RepeatChild Molesters." Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice 8.3 (2008): 225-43. Web.

Stebner, Beth. "Majestic Photos of Old Pennsylvania Station Show Its Architectural Splendour before It Was Demolished in 1963 to Make Way for Modern Madison Square Garden." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 05 Dec. 2012. Web. 05 Aug. 2016.

"Watch The 39 Steps, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 Classic." Open Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Aug. 2016.

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entirely. Vengeance has more malice behind it than Justice does. Justice is a balance of the scale, rightness and moral ethic. Justice values the individual having equal protection. Since Couey took Lunsford’s rights away, why should he get mercy and rights that she did not receive?

Many people say that criminals who commit these crimes may just be “crazy” or have some sort of mental illness or instability. In the case of Couey, his defense attorneys tried to use this to their advantage, ‘pleading crazy’ if you will. They ‘presented mental health experts who said Mr. Couey, 48, is retarded and has other mental problems. Experts called by the prosecution rejected those views. “Mental health issues had nothing to do with this crime,” the prosecutor, Ric Ridgeway, said in closing arguments. “If this is not the person who deserves the death penalty, who does?’ (Aguayo)

Capital Punishment, cont’dSo the question that is raised now is how you can know if a person is seriously mentally ill and committing crimes, and does this exempt them from penalties that would occur for a sane person.

Regardless of whether you are insane, sane, unstable, ill or crazy, you still committed a crime that took someone else’s choice away. And in this case, you took away a child’s right to choose. Mentally unstable or not, should we allow someone such as that to be specially treated because they had an ‘expert’ say they were crazy?

After the trial of Couey and Lunsford, Florida Legislature passed the Jessica Lunsford Act which requires prison sentences of at least 25 years for child molesting and permanent electronic monitoring for many sex offenders.

If someone is capable of hurting

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someone as innocent as a child, should they be loose in the world or given second chances to commit such a heinous act again? Capital punishment may be the right path in some circumstances such as these. Action can be taken to implement this through petitions and making the public’s opinion on this known, and perhaps, when this is done, it may even create a better and safer system.

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