Social movements

Crystal Gutierrez

Social Movements

Mon./Wed. 3:30pm

 

"The Death Penalty is a Hate Crime": Bob Autobee Speaks Out to Spare Life of Son’s Killer

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/5/the_death_penalty_is_a_hate

     A prison inmate has been accused of beating a prison guard to death in 2002; at first the prison guard’s father was on board with serving the inmate with the death penalty but then he changed his mind. This court case has received a lot of attention and people were shocked to hear that Bob Autobee, the prison guard’s father, opposed the death sentence that was chosen for the inmate. Autobee stated that the death penalty is a crime against humanity; however, the Supreme Court isn’t going to allow any influence of what he says, dictate what sentence they should impose for the prison inmate.

Angela Davis on Prison Abolition, the War on Drugs and Why Social Movements Shouldn’t Wait on Obama

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/6/angela_davis_on_prison_abolition_the

     Angela Davis was involved in the black liberation movement in the 1970s and now she is a leading activist for prison abolition. There are issues within the justice court system usually related to harsh biases when sentencing someone. Davis suggests that we should think into how long we want people to be in prison and to imagine in the future not having any more prisons. She suggests other means of responding to issues of harm and unlawful deeds. I agree with that there are some sentences that are imposed unjustly; however, I don’t think getting rid of prisons will stop people from committing crimes.