Chapter 4 : The Old Rugged Cross

Author's Implied Argument

The authors implied argument is that The Death Penalty is being used without any reasoning.

• For instance, Hebert Richardson had no intention to kill anyone, but he was sentenced to death for a murder that he had no intention of doing.

Solutions

Bryan Stevenson wanted to stop The Death Penalty, but the solution is to use the death penalty when it's necessary and not accuse someone inoccent without any proof or evidence.

Bryan Stevenson also stated that in order to be accused of death penalty the murder has to be intended or provoked.

Chapter 4: The Old Rugged Cross

What does The Old Rugged Cross mean?

Author's Evidence:

• The title is an allusion to the hymn "The Old Rugged Cross."
• This hymn was played during the execution of Herbert Richarson (a Vietnam War veteran)
• The chapter is about death penalty being used unfairly when innocnet people are being killed even when they didn't intend to kill anyone.
• The hymn seems to imply that the people who crucified Jesus should be ashamed.
• It also suggest that people who execute others should be ashamed because who are they to kill?
• Its purpose of being used in this chapter is to imply that we shouldn't have the death penalty.

Problems

The author expose diferent cases.

• In Lindsey's case, the jury didn't stop his execution because the jury didn't want to go against the communitty wishes.
• In Dunkis's case, the jury decided to put him in death row even though he had "mental retardation." The correctional officials didn't connect the electrodes in the right place, so they electrocuded Dunkis two times.
• In Richardson's case, the jury put him in death row without taking into consideration that he was a poor child who lost his mother really young and suffer from physical abuse at the age of 7, he also was a teeneger struiggling with drugs and alcohol. He returned from Vietnam traumatized and disability. He only wanted to be a heroe and he didn't intend to kill anyone.

The chapter focused on people being sentenced to death penalty without any reasoning or any evidence that they are proven guilty.

Statistic Evidence:

"Since 1976, judges in Alabama have overridden jurry sentencing verdicts in capital cases 111 times. In 91% of these cases, Judges replaced life verdicts from juries with death sentences" (Stevenson).

In Just Mercy Bryan mentions ,"Capital punishments is one thing , but the details of systematically killing someone who is not a threat are completely different."

Research pdate

The fewest number of people were sentenced to death in 2015 than in any year since the Supreme Court declared many states death penalty system "cruel and unusual". 2015 have been a historical year a total of 28 executions were carried out. The fewest number of executions since 1991.