the author is trying to make the point that the punishment you receive, is like spinning the reel on the price is right. however instead of winning you have a 5/8 chance of getting screwed with 3 of those 5 being death. it emphasizes the fact that our court system is unfair in its rulings and that abstract ways are as fair if not better than what you would have had to go through otherwise. i personally think its wrong and that we need to clean up everything not just our judicial system
As pundits have argued for years, America is the only modern, Western country to still use the death penalty. This punishment puts America with the likes of Saudi Arabia, Iran and China which are all great human rights violators. Thus, from just reading the title one sees that the cartoonist started the attack on capital punishment and thus our judicial system through an ad hominem that was achieved through negative associations. The cartoon uses ethos to criticize capital punishment at large. By using the spinner as a way to show the impracticality of the death penalty, it shows that people's lives are being played by chance. This is obviously an allusion to the subjective nature of any jury, no matter how objective one might try to make the process of jury selection. This ethical component is thus extended by showing how unfair the justice system can be. The repercussions of this are provided by the bold letters that read "DEATH". This is clearly an emotional appeal showing the effects of an unfair system. The other options on the spinner include an option to allow the charges to be dropped. Thus, the cartoon uses an oversimplification of the justice system (ignoring the intricate appeals process and other court measures to avoid the death penalty) to state that innocent people are often put to death and guilty people are often set free by the justice system. This clearly appeals to the emotions of many people who see this as an encroachment on liberty. The hierarchal scale that the judge and the prisoner are presented on only adds to the tone of the cartoon which is the oppressive nature of the justice system. To use an association, it is like a scene in a movie I once watched. A mob leader decides the fate of rival gang members by rolling a dice. Furthermore, the absurd statement by the judge that ignores the central issue at hand about the death penalty reflects the often ignorant role of the justice system. The judge does not consider the worries of the prisoner but rather tells him that this is as good as a trial. This conflicts with the understanding that American trials are fair and unbiased. This establishes an irony into the trial system and true justice. If a conflict does exist, the cartoon makes a valid assertion that it would not be logical to use a system that cannot relate the two, especially when a life is as stake (another emotional appeal). To answer the question about my own personal beliefs, I will simply present how I see the philosophical underpinnings of the issue. Based on Hammurabi’s eye for an eye concept, it cannot be justified for one man to take another one's life without an equitable punishment. However, the cartoon clearly has its merit in pointing out the fallacies in using the death penalty.
The cartoonist is trying to make the point that our current judicial system is not very reliable because of the strong use of the death penalty even when the death penalty is unnecessary, and that there is only a small chance the person is not guilty. It basically is saying that the fate of a person is no longer because of a fair trial, but now based more on luck and fate. I do agree that sometimes court cases can be filled with corruption and manipulation on both parts by lawyers, and sometimes murderers walk and innocent people are put to death. However I do not entirely agree with the point that everything is left up to chance or luck, because I do still have some faith in our judicial system, even if mistakes can be made.
the cartoonist is trying to show how precedence doesnt really play much part in the judicial system even now. Cases that have give the defendent the death penalty could be quite similar to another case and that person could get jail time. Also giving the death penalty ends up being the same as a person getting jail time because of the long waiting list for execution. Some die on death row after using up all their appeals and dont end up even getting the death penalty.
This cartoon shows parallelism to game shows like the wheel of fortune.... only in this cartoon it is the wheel of your fate (or misfortune) since there are far more unfortunate punishments. This also shows how our idea of capital punishment is all by chance.... and that is doesn't have a set direction to figure out the punishment of an inmate.
The cartoonist is mocking the justice system by claiming that it lacks enough checks to give consistent reliable decisions and instead can very on individual factors and opinions. He does this by representing it as spinning a wheel, saying that the system is so lacking in reliability and structure that it is just as good as leaving the pursuit of the truth and justice up to chance. It does this in a humorous why by presenting our justice system treating the future of a person's life more like a game. While this can be considered valid when you look at how much the system varies based on single perceptions, and how those convicted of nearly identical crimes can receive completely different punishments, but it does not consider the excess of thought and care behind the inner workings of the justice system.
What point is the Cartoonist trying to make about our current judicial system? Do you agree or disagree with his opinion?
6 comments:
the author is trying to make the point that the punishment you receive, is like spinning the reel on the price is right. however instead of winning you have a 5/8 chance of getting screwed with 3 of those 5 being death. it emphasizes the fact that our court system is unfair in its rulings and that abstract ways are as fair if not better than what you would have had to go through otherwise.
i personally think its wrong and that we need to clean up everything not just our judicial system
As pundits have argued for years, America is the only modern, Western country to still use the death penalty. This punishment puts America with the likes of Saudi Arabia, Iran and China which are all great human rights violators. Thus, from just reading the title one sees that the cartoonist started the attack on capital punishment and thus our judicial system through an ad hominem that was achieved through negative associations. The cartoon uses ethos to criticize capital punishment at large. By using the spinner as a way to show the impracticality of the death penalty, it shows that people's lives are being played by chance. This is obviously an allusion to the subjective nature of any jury, no matter how objective one might try to make the process of jury selection. This ethical component is thus extended by showing how unfair the justice system can be. The repercussions of this are provided by the bold letters that read "DEATH". This is clearly an emotional appeal showing the effects of an unfair system. The other options on the spinner include an option to allow the charges to be dropped. Thus, the cartoon uses an oversimplification of the justice system (ignoring the intricate appeals process and other court measures to avoid the death penalty) to state that innocent people are often put to death and guilty people are often set free by the justice system. This clearly appeals to the emotions of many people who see this as an encroachment on liberty. The hierarchal scale that the judge and the prisoner are presented on only adds to the tone of the cartoon which is the oppressive nature of the justice system. To use an association, it is like a scene in a movie I once watched. A mob leader decides the fate of rival gang members by rolling a dice. Furthermore, the absurd statement by the judge that ignores the central issue at hand about the death penalty reflects the often ignorant role of the justice system. The judge does not consider the worries of the prisoner but rather tells him that this is as good as a trial. This conflicts with the understanding that American trials are fair and unbiased. This establishes an irony into the trial system and true justice. If a conflict does exist, the cartoon makes a valid assertion that it would not be logical to use a system that cannot relate the two, especially when a life is as stake (another emotional appeal). To answer the question about my own personal beliefs, I will simply present how I see the philosophical underpinnings of the issue. Based on Hammurabi’s eye for an eye concept, it cannot be justified for one man to take another one's life without an equitable punishment. However, the cartoon clearly has its merit in pointing out the fallacies in using the death penalty.
The cartoonist is trying to make the point that our current judicial system is not very reliable because of the strong use of the death penalty even when the death penalty is unnecessary, and that there is only a small chance the person is not guilty. It basically is saying that the fate of a person is no longer because of a fair trial, but now based more on luck and fate. I do agree that sometimes court cases can be filled with corruption and manipulation on both parts by lawyers, and sometimes murderers walk and innocent people are put to death. However I do not entirely agree with the point that everything is left up to chance or luck, because I do still have some faith in our judicial system, even if mistakes can be made.
the cartoonist is trying to show how precedence doesnt really play much part in the judicial system even now. Cases that have give the defendent the death penalty could be quite similar to another case and that person could get jail time. Also giving the death penalty ends up being the same as a person getting jail time because of the long waiting list for execution. Some die on death row after using up all their appeals and dont end up even getting the death penalty.
This cartoon shows parallelism to game shows like the wheel of fortune.... only in this cartoon it is the wheel of your fate (or misfortune) since there are far more unfortunate punishments. This also shows how our idea of capital punishment is all by chance.... and that is doesn't have a set direction to figure out the punishment of an inmate.
The cartoonist is mocking the justice system by claiming that it lacks enough checks to give consistent reliable decisions and instead can very on individual factors and opinions. He does this by representing it as spinning a wheel, saying that the system is so lacking in reliability and structure that it is just as good as leaving the pursuit of the truth and justice up to chance. It does this in a humorous why by presenting our justice system treating the future of a person's life more like a game. While this can be considered valid when you look at how much the system varies based on single perceptions, and how those convicted of nearly identical crimes can receive completely different punishments, but it does not consider the excess of thought and care behind the inner workings of the justice system.
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