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A review by thethirdcrouch
Dead Man Walking by Helen Prejean
5.0
I appreciate the honesty of sister Helen Prejean in telling how it is in dealing with death-row inmates and telling the side of victim's family. Death penalty is a really complicated subject because you clearly have valid points on either side of the conversation. This is especially divisive in US criminal justice system where black people are disproportionately and unjustly punished. At the latter part of this book sister Prejean was able to expose another fault in the justice system or the policing system, i think, which is the assistance towards the victim's family especially if they are not well-off. This is particularly hard in poor black communities. You understand how the police would choose not to go there because of high crime rate in those areas which others justify as to why police treat black people differently. #BlackLivesMatter is being criticized for not caring when it is a black on black crime which is absurd and beside the point. This movement started because of the police's different and often violent treatment of black 'criminals' mostly if you would compare them to white mass-shooters. George Floyd died with a cop pressing his knee on his neck. Cops were called for a possible forgery. You died due to a possible forgery but mass-shooters get handcuffed without getting a scratch! Sorry for veering off the book because first I'm reading this during the unprecedented protests that rose after seeing the video of the cop killing Floyd, and second you can't not include the african-american community in the criminal and prison system. A significant amount of state funding is given to the death penalty processes which is disheartening considering how little is provided in funding the betterment of communities especially the poor black communities. The US has not kept up yet on helping the african-american community, whose ancestors were pushed to do the hard work all work without pay without better living, to the same level of playing field as the white people. You don't expect them to make better with their lives if you left them in the dirt in the first place. Then public officials, left or right, is not doing anything to enrich these communities. It is too late now because the damage is so deep. It is not too late though to try.
I'm not sure if sister Prejean had not helped a black death-row inmate but not including one here, in more elaborate detail atleast, is a good decision I think. It brings the conversation to its basic questions of revenge, electric chair, death, sin. It gives more impact to bigger issue like racial injustice if you can establish that at its basic the death penalty and all its processes is not right.
Somehow the book doesn't preach us to pick the side of abolitionist. It tells us some stories of pain, death, revenge, hope, and forgiveness; on the side of abolitionist or the supporters, on the side of inmate or the victim's family. Sister Prejean was able to tell how death-penalty is not the answer, is not the best option not a good option. But this issue is not easy and that's what the books is showing us.
I'm not sure if sister Prejean had not helped a black death-row inmate but not including one here, in more elaborate detail atleast, is a good decision I think. It brings the conversation to its basic questions of revenge, electric chair, death, sin. It gives more impact to bigger issue like racial injustice if you can establish that at its basic the death penalty and all its processes is not right.
Somehow the book doesn't preach us to pick the side of abolitionist. It tells us some stories of pain, death, revenge, hope, and forgiveness; on the side of abolitionist or the supporters, on the side of inmate or the victim's family. Sister Prejean was able to tell how death-penalty is not the answer, is not the best option not a good option. But this issue is not easy and that's what the books is showing us.