Racism in America

I disagree with Mr. Smiley because I do not believe that racism is the most intractable issue facing our nation today. Instead, I believe that poverty and unemployment are the most difficult issues that the country must confront. However, I do agree with Mr. Smiley somewhat because I definitely think that most people are uncomfortable, and sometimes, unwilling, to discuss race in the United States because of the fear of not being politically correct and offending a group of people. However, the only way that the citizens of the United States will be able to sort out their mixed feelings about race will be if a candid conversation about race and racism takes place, preferably on a national scale, with representatives of every racial group represented in America. The way to make such a conversation easier and smooth would be if everyone involved did not try to be politically correct, while showing basic respect for the dignity of every person involved. During this conversation, the racism that has occurred in the past in this country would not be forgotten, but would be used as a cautionary tale against racism ever taking place ever again.

"Dead Man Walking"

My own views regarding capital punishment were not affected by the movie, “Dead Man Walking.” I think this is because the movie does an excellent job of not attempting to sway the audience’s opinions about capital punishment. The movie presents both sides of the issue, and during parts of the movie, I felt sympathy for both the families of the victims, but also for Matthew Poncelet. In presenting different views about capital punishment, the movie helps to facilitate conversation about the death penalty. I learned that Pennsylvania has the death penalty, but that it has not been used in years, and I also learned that usually, it costs taxpayers more for the government to carry out executions than for prisoners to be kept in jail for the rest of their lives.

"Restorative Justice"

I think that “restorative justice” is an excellent alternative to the usual justice system. If the family of the victim, and even the family of the criminal, are willing to participate, I think that it is a wonderful way for the families to find healing after a tragic event occurs that affects them forever. In the case of Connor McBride, since he was barely an adult, I think this process was necessary in order for him to find redemption, but also to sit face-to-face with the family of Ann and realize just how his actions had permanently changed that family. Also, the process was beneficial for the family of Ann because they because they wanted to shorten Connor’s jail time, because they think that a person should not be judged by their worst act. I think that “restorative justice” is only realistic if the criminal has the will to participate; otherwise, the process will be pointless. “Restorative justice” is more in keeping with Catholic Social Teaching, because one of the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching is that forgiveness should always be given to someone who has done wrong, especially if the person seeks forgiveness.

Hotel Rwanda

I think that Jack is right for the vast majority of people. Many individuals see news stories about horrific events and say that they will do anything they can to help, when in reality they just move on with their lives and forget about suffering that is occurring across the world, or even in their own country. However, I disagree with Jack slightly because I do not believe that most people are indifferent to the suffering of others; on the contrary, I just think that they lose interest in learning more about one catastrophic event when another one occurs. Most of the time, I think that people want to help alleviate the suffering of their dear neighbor, but they are intimidated by the scale of the problem and do not think that their contribution would be of any significance. However, several Church leaders, such as Mother Teresa, have preached that doing little things end up solving problems better than trying to tackle the entire issue at once. I would try to get people to help, because I believe that most people are good at heart and have the desire to help others who are suffering. Once given an opportunity to help, most individuals will rise to the challenge and make a difference in the world.