Description
Book Synopsis: Is capital punishment just? Does it deter people from murder? What is the risk that we will execute innocent people? These are the usual questions at the heart of the increasingly heated debate about capital punishment in America. In this bold and impassioned book, Austin Sarat seeks to change the terms of that debate. Capital punishment must be stopped, Sarat argues, because it undermines our democratic society. Sarat unflinchingly exposes us to the realities of state killing. He examines its foundations in ideas about revenge and retribution. He takes us inside the courtroom of a capital trial, interviews jurors and lawyers who make decisions about life and death, and assesses the arguments swirling around Timothy McVeigh and his trial for the bombing in Oklahoma City. Aided by a series of unsettling color photographs, he traces Americans' evolving quest for new methods of execution, and explores the place of capital punishment in popular culture by examining such films as Dead Man Walking, The Last Dance, and The Green Mile. Sarat argues that state executions, once used by monarchs as symbolic displays of power, gained acceptance among Americans as a sign of the people's sovereignty. Yet today when the state kills, it does so in a bureaucratic procedure hidden from view and for which no one in particular takes responsibility. He uncovers the forces that sustain America's killing culture, including overheated political rhetoric, racial prejudice, and the desire for a world without moral ambiguity. Capital punishment, Sarat shows, ultimately leaves Americans more divided, hostile, indifferent to life's complexities, and much further from solving the nation's ills. In short, it leaves us with an impoverished democracy. The book's powerful and sobering conclusions point to a new abolitionist politics, in which capital punishment should be banned not only on ethical grounds but also for what it does to Americans and what we cherish.
Details
Discover the thought-provoking book that is changing the way we view capital punishment in America. "When the State Kills: Capital Punishment and the American Condition" by Austin Sarat challenges conventional beliefs about this controversial topic. With a strong and persuasive voice, Sarat argues that capital punishment undermines our democratic society.
In this gripping book, Sarat takes readers on a journey inside the courtroom, offering a unique perspective on a capital trial. Through interviews with jurors and lawyers who make life and death decisions, Sarat exposes the harsh realities of state killing. Accompanied by unsettling color photographs, he traces the evolving methods of execution and explores the role of capital punishment in popular culture.
Sarat delves into the roots of state killing, examining ideas of revenge and retribution that have shaped its foundations. He highlights the dangers of executing innocent people and questions whether capital punishment truly deters murder. By shedding light on these crucial issues, Sarat calls for an end to the practice of capital punishment.
When the State Kills argues that America's pro-death penalty stance divides the nation, fosters racial prejudice, and diminishes our democracy. By banning capital punishment, we can take a stand against a bureaucratic procedure hidden from public view. This powerful book ultimately challenges us to reevaluate our values and fight for a future without moral ambiguity.
Join the movement for abolition and get your copy of When the State Kills: Capital Punishment and the American Condition today. Take action to shape a more just society, Order Now!
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