Deadline - Part 2
I have been thinking about this documentary since last night and have a few more comments that I want to make.
In my last post, I mentioned that 12 of the 25 inmates on death row had their sentences commuted to life without parole. I have also read that the ex-Governor of Illinois has commuted the sentences of all 170 inmates facing the death penalty. I am not sure what the difference is between the two numbers. Maybe the 25 inmates on death row have exhausted all of their appeals? The remainder are still appealing their death sentences?
Secondly, while the documentary was very calm and fact-based, it did not seem unbiased to me. The people making the film were clearly opponents of the death penalty. They did not make much of an effort to show the pro-death penalty side of the discussion. This fact does not diminish the film for me, but it is important to recognize what the film is.
Finally, the more I think about the movie, the more I am impressed with the ex-Governor, George Ryan. Ryan was a small town pharmacist before entering politics. This does not match my idea of an Illinois politician. I think of a sophisticated, slick person coming out of the Chicago political machine. When entering the Governor's office, Ryan was known as being "tough on law" and being a strong proponent of the death penalty. Yet, he comes across as being very open-minded and thoughtful on the issue. When he saw the article in the Chicago Tribune, he did not write it off as newsmen trying to criticize his administration, instead he saw that it could be a very real problem. When setting up the investigation, he did not fill it with his political cronies; he did not set it up with staunchly pro-death penalty people. Instead he set it up with open-minded experts in this area. When the investigation came back with it's results, he did not dismiss them. On the other hand, he did not automatically commute all of the sentences. Instead he ordered clemency hearings for all 170 cases.
He clearly listened closely to the arguments from the families of the victims as well as the families of the accused. In the end Ryan decided to commute the sentences of all 170 inmates. The movie closes with a speech that Ryan makes to explain his decision. He has clearly spent a great deal of time gathering information, seriously considering the different alternatives and coming to a very difficult decision. I am not sure why Ryan decided to leave politics, however I consider it to be a great shame. We need more people like him in political positions.
In my last post, I mentioned that 12 of the 25 inmates on death row had their sentences commuted to life without parole. I have also read that the ex-Governor of Illinois has commuted the sentences of all 170 inmates facing the death penalty. I am not sure what the difference is between the two numbers. Maybe the 25 inmates on death row have exhausted all of their appeals? The remainder are still appealing their death sentences?
Secondly, while the documentary was very calm and fact-based, it did not seem unbiased to me. The people making the film were clearly opponents of the death penalty. They did not make much of an effort to show the pro-death penalty side of the discussion. This fact does not diminish the film for me, but it is important to recognize what the film is.
Finally, the more I think about the movie, the more I am impressed with the ex-Governor, George Ryan. Ryan was a small town pharmacist before entering politics. This does not match my idea of an Illinois politician. I think of a sophisticated, slick person coming out of the Chicago political machine. When entering the Governor's office, Ryan was known as being "tough on law" and being a strong proponent of the death penalty. Yet, he comes across as being very open-minded and thoughtful on the issue. When he saw the article in the Chicago Tribune, he did not write it off as newsmen trying to criticize his administration, instead he saw that it could be a very real problem. When setting up the investigation, he did not fill it with his political cronies; he did not set it up with staunchly pro-death penalty people. Instead he set it up with open-minded experts in this area. When the investigation came back with it's results, he did not dismiss them. On the other hand, he did not automatically commute all of the sentences. Instead he ordered clemency hearings for all 170 cases.
He clearly listened closely to the arguments from the families of the victims as well as the families of the accused. In the end Ryan decided to commute the sentences of all 170 inmates. The movie closes with a speech that Ryan makes to explain his decision. He has clearly spent a great deal of time gathering information, seriously considering the different alternatives and coming to a very difficult decision. I am not sure why Ryan decided to leave politics, however I consider it to be a great shame. We need more people like him in political positions.
posted by Steve @ 7:56 AM
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