Shaka Sankofa: An Innocent Life Wasted? Essay

Have you ever heard, I saw you last night on Grand Avenue at seven p.m., but you werent there at that time? Well what if the same person thought they saw you shoot someone? This is exactly what happened to Shaka Sankofa. Sankofa was put to death based on the testimony of one witness, who identified him from her car in a parking lot, forty feet away, in the darkness of night, in the shooting of a grocery clerk. No murder weapon was found, and two other credible witnesses say that Sankofa was not the killer both were employees of the store and came within close contact of the killer on the night of the murder. These witnesses never saw the witness stand (Essence Magazine). This fact raises questions about Sankofas court appointed lawyer. In fact, Ronald G. Mock had been disciplined five times by the Texas bar association for a breakdown in the adversarial system of justice. If Sankofa had a better lawyer would he be a free man? If he could afford one would the other two credible witnesses been on the stand (Essence Magazine). The death penalty is, certainly, a very controversial issue. Many people are for it, and many people are against it. Throughout the years, society has changed their thoughts on the death penalty, but there has never been one worldwide view that has been the same. Some people think that it is a cruel and inhumane act, while others think that the person who committed the crime should pay. I will attempt to you show you that the death penalty is not morally justified. I will do this by showing you that one the death penalty is racist, two it is biased towards the economically distressed, and three it is grossly ineffective in the stopping of violent crimes and homicides in the United States legal system....

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Character Analysis of Basil Hallward in The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Novel by Oscar Wilde Essay

The main character in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian, is a man too easily influenced by his surroundings. He is quoted as saying, Basil Hallward is what I think I am Lord Henry is what the world thinks me Dorian is what I would like to bein other ages, perhaps (Wilde). This comparison falls in line with the moral of the story because Dorian is stuck with eternal youth and beauty even though he has a wicked soul. This causes different views of him by people who observe his daily life. Dorian is a sponge throughout the novel that absorbs everything and allows it to shape his personality, morals, and actions. Dorian Gray takes influence from Lord Henry, Basil Hallward, and the culture of society during which the novel was written. Lord Henry is the epitome of a wealthy, hedonistic gentleman seeking only pleasure, with little regard to cost or consequence. Lord Henry Wotton outwardly propounds hedonism, but it is his extreme egotism that drives him to manipulate both Basil Hallward a
Read more

An Analysis of the Character of Chichikov in the Poem, Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol Essay

Dead Souls takes place in the Russia of the late 1800s, where, unlike in America, one must be born into a prosperous family in order to have opportunities. The main character, Chichikov, is clever enough to develop a scheme in which he can rise from being a petty clerk to a respected landowner. In order to do this, Chichikov moves into a new town, pretending to already be a landowner, and begins a quest to buy the names of dead serfs who have not yet been officially reported dead. Each person that Chichkov presents this offer to has a different reaction, starting with the shy and introverted Manilov. Though he does not understand Chichikov's need for the names of these dead serfs, Manilov is a character that is so desperate for company that it does not take any effort to trick him into selling his dead souls cheaply. However, as Chichikov continues his journey, he starts to deal with more clever landowners who become suspicious of his scheme. Chichikov finds that the townsmen know
Read more

A Literary Analysis of the Third Twin by Ken Follett Essay

The Third TwinThe Third Twin by Ken Follett is a type of mystery book. It makes you look at different aspects of the story. When you think you know whats happening it is not always what you think.Dr. Jeannie Ferrami, a scientist funded by a university who is doing a study on twins is one of the main characters in the story. Jeannie Ferrami is tall with long brown hair and is also very athletic. Steve Logan a student at another college is also a very important character in the story. Berrington Jones the head of the college funds Dr. Jeannie Ferrami until Jeannie discovers something Berrington didnt want her to know. Ricky Phillips Berringtons son is a twin just and he plays a small part but with a big impact on the story. Lisa Miller who is Jeannies best friend comes early into the story playing a very dramatic role, another small character is Dennis Pinker one of the twins in the story who is a murderer and is also being studied He is one of Steve Logans twin brothers.Lisa Miller and
Read more