Apologies that I'm not there with you today. I had hoped to be able to discuss the film in some detail in class today but since I'm out with a significant flu bug, I thought the easiest way to do so would be to do it via your blogs. I've posted some topics and discussion questions in relation to the film below. I've put you in groups based on those topics and questions. On your blogs, please post a response to the film that incorporates responses to the questions. When finished, go to the blogs of the other people in your group and respond to what they wrote. Begin with the people that wrote about the same question as you and then move on to those with the same topic. As the period goes on, return to your blog and respond to the comments that people have made. Think about this as a discussion so continue to comment on each others' blogs until the discussion runs out or gets repetitive. If the discussion runs its course, go to some of the blogs of people doing other topics or questions. This does NOT count as your blog for the week.
Race and Class
It is impossible to examine the system of
capital punishment in the United States without considering the implication
that race and class has on its structure.
• David Keaton was sentenced to death in
Florida. Seven years later, he was
proven innocent of the crime, exonerated, and released. In Deadline,
his brother says, “Growing up black in this state, you know, you really didn’t
have a chance when it came to a crime. You know, they say that justice
is blind, but justice really isn’t blind.” How would you respond to this
statement? From watching the film, what role do you think race plays in capital
cases? (Abbie, Alex, Ash)
• More than 80% of the people who have
been executed, have been executed for the murder of white victims. How do you
account for this? What effect might this have on perceptions of the justice
system among people of color? (Andrew, Ben, Carly)
• Statistically, people of color and
low-income people are more likely to be sentenced to death. Why do you think this
is? How might vestiges of legal segregation and historic race-based policies
impact the modern U.S. justice system? What measures could be taken to ensure a
fairer system of justice? (Chloe, David, Dia)
Law and Politics (Elaine, Ethan, Jeff, John, Justin, Landen, Luke, Maddy, Marni, Matt G)
Deadline explores the death penalty in a political
and legal context. The courtroom is one lens through which viewers can examine
capital punishment. The role of politics, and in particular the strong role of Governor
Ryan in this case, is also central to the issue.
• The film frequently references the 1972 Furman
v. Georgia decision that the death penalty was in violation of the 8th
Amendment of the Constitution. The 8th Amendment states: “Excessive
bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual
punishments inflicted.” How does this constitutional issue play a
role in your opinions for or against the death penalty?
• There are currently over 3,000 men and
women sentenced to death in the United States. Approximately 65 percent of American
voters approve of the death penalty in states where capital punishment is
legal. Why do you think the death penalty is so widely supported in this
country? What forces do you think shape public opinion on the death penalty?
The Bigger Picture (Matt W., Megan, Michael, Ryan, Sam M., Sammy F., Tali, Tasha, Zach)
Deadline explores the legal, political, and
familial aspects of the death penalty within the context of the Illinois
justice system. All of these issues can easily be expanded to a broader
discussion of justice.
• Deadline depicts two inmates who
were wrongfully sentenced and later exonerated (David Keaton and Gary Gauger),
and other inmates whose guilt was not in question. Is there one position on the
death penalty that you think is satisfactory in all cases? Do you think it is possible
for a state to construct a foolproof capital punishment system where there is
no risk of executing an innocent person? Is some margin of possible error acceptable?(Matt W, Megan, Michael)
• Some of Deadline’s most moving
scenes consist of testimonials by murder victims’ families during the clemency
hearings. What might you say to these family members, if given the opportunity?
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? What place is there for
the wishes and needs of victims’ families within America’s justice system? (Ryan, Sam M., Sammy F.)
• What is your reaction to Stephen Bright’s
quote about the exonerated prisoners?
“This was the third person released by the journalism students
at Northwestern, and of course it doesn’t say much for our legal system when
people spend sixteen years on death row for a crime they… didn’t commit. And that
ultimately comes to light not because of the police or the prosecution, or the defense
lawyers or the judicial system, but because a journalism class at Northwestern took
it on as a class project to see whether or not these people were guilty or not.
You know, if those students had taken chemistry that semester, these folks
would have been executed.” Stephen
Bright, Director, Southern Center for Human Rights (Tali, Tasha, Zach)
