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Unit 11
Criminal Punishment and Crime Prevention
In-Class Reading
Death and Justice
Edward I. Koch
1 Last December a man named Robert Lee Willie, who had been convicted of raping and murdering an 18-year-old woman, was executed in the Louisiana state prison. In a statement issued several minutes before his death, Mr. Willie said: "Killing people was wrong... It makes no difference whether it's citizens, countries, or governments. Killing was wrong." Two weeks later in South Carolina, an admitted killer named Joseph Carl Shaw was put to death for murdering two teenagers. In an appeal to the governor for mercy, Mr. Shaw wrote: "Killing was wrong when I did it. Killing is wrong when you do it. I hope you have the courage and moral strength to stop the killing."
2 It is a curiosity of modern life that we find ourselves being lectured on morality by cold-blooded killers. I can't help wondering why these murderers spoke out against killing as they approached their own death. Did the new respect for life stem from the realization that they were about to lose their own?
3 Life is indeed precious, and I believe the death penalty helps to affirm this fact. Had the death penalty been a real concept in the minds of these murderers, they might well have stopped their acts of murder. They might have shown moral awareness before their victims died, and not after. Consider the tragic death of Rosa Velez, who happened to be home when a man named Luis Vera burglarized her apartment in Brooklyn. "Yeah, I shot her," Vera admitted. "She knew me, and I knew I wouldn't go to the electric chair."
4 During my 22 years in public service, I have heard the pros and cons of capital punishment expressed with vigor. I still support the death penalty by examining the arguments most frequently opposing it.
5 The death penalty is "barbaric". Sometimes opponents of capital punishment shock us with tales of painful death by hanging, of faulty electric chairs, or of agony in the gas chamber. Partly in response to such protests, several states such as North Carolina and Texas switched to execution by lethal injection. The condemned person is put to death painlessly, without ropes, electricity, bullets, or gas. Did this answer the objections of death penalty opponents? Of course not. On June 22, 1984, The New York Times published an editorial that attacked the new "hygienic" method of death by injection, and stated that "execution can never be made humane through science". So it's not the method that really troubles opponents. It's the death itself they consider barbaric.
6 Admittedly, capital punishment is not a pleasant topic. However, one does not have to like the death penalty in order to support it any more than one must like major surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy when treating cancer. Ultimately we may learn how to cure cancer with a simple pill someday. Unfortunately, that is not yet possible. Today we are faced with the choice of letting the cancer spread out or trying to cure it with the methods available, methods that one day will almost certainly be considered crude. But to give up and do nothing would be far less effective and would certainly delay the discovery of an eventual cure. The analogy between cancer and murder is imperfect, because the "disease" is injustice, not murder. We may not like the death penalty, but it must be available to punish crimes of cold-blooded murder, cases in which any other form of punishment would be inadequate and, therefore, unjust. If we create a society in which injustice is not tolerated, incidents of murder--the most evident form of injustice--will diminish.
7 Capital punishment cheapens the value of human life. On the contrary, it can be easily demonstrated that the death penalty strengthens the value of human life. If the penalty for rape were reduced, clearly it would signal a reduced regard for the victims' suffering, humiliation, and personal integrity. It would cheapen their horrible experience, and expose them to an increased danger of recurrence. When we lower the penalty for murder, it signals a lowered regard for the value of the victim's life. Some critics of capital punishment, such as columnist Jimmy Breslin, have suggested that a life sentence" is actually a harsher penalty for murder than death. I don't agree with this. A few killers may decide not to appeal a death sentence, but the overwhelming majority make every effort to stay alive. It is by imposing the death penalty for the taking of human life that we affirm the highest value of human life.
8 The death penalty is state-sanctioned murder. This is the defense with which Messrs. Willie and Shaw hoped to soften the resolve of those who sentenced them to death. By saying in effect, "You're no better than I am," the murderer seeks to bring his accusers down to his own level. It is also a popular argument among opponents of capital punishment, but an obviously false one. Simply put, the state has rights that the private individual does not. In a democracy, those rights are given to the state by the electorate. The execution of a lawfully convicted killer is no more an act of murder than is legal imprisonment an act of kidnapping. If an individual forces a neighbor to pay him money under threat of punishment, it's called extortion. If the state does it, it's called taxation. Rights and responsibilities given by the individual are what give the state its power to govern. This contract is the foundation of civilization itself.
9 Everyone wants his or her rights and will defend them strongly. Not everyone, however, wants responsibilities, especially the painful responsibilities that come with law enforcement. Twenty-one years ago a woman named Kitty Genovese was assaulted and murdered on a street in New York. Dozens of neighbors heard her cries for help but did nothing to assist her. They didn't even call the police. In such a climate the criminal understandably grows bolder. In the presence of moral cowardice, he lectures us on our supposed failings and tries to equate his crimes with our quest for justice.
10 The death of anyone--even a convicted killer--diminishes us all. But we are diminished even more by a justice system that fails to function. It is an illusion to let ourselves believe that doing away with capital punishment removes the murderer's deed from our conscience. The rights of society are essential. When we protect guilty lives, we give up innocent lives in exchange. When opponents of capital punishment say to the state: "I will not let you kill in my name," they are also saying to murderers: "You can kill in your own name as long as I have an excuse for not getting involved."
11 It is hard to imagine anything worse than being murdered while neighbors do nothing. But something worse exists. When those same neighbors shrink back from justly punishing the murderer, the victim dies twice. (1171 words)
Time taken: _______ minutes
Proper Names
Edward I. Koch
（男子名）爱德华.I.科克
Jimmy Breslin
（男子名）吉米·布雷斯林
Joseph Carl Shaw
（男子名）约瑟夫·卡尔·肖
Kitty Genovese
（女子名）基蒂·吉诺维斯
Luis Vera
（男子名）刘易斯·凡拉
Robert Lee Willie
（男子名）罗伯特·李·威利
Rosa Velez
（女子名）罗莎·弗莱兹
New Words
accuser *
n. a person who charges others with a fault, offense, or crime 控告者，指责者
e.g. She finally confronted her accuser and was proved innocent.
admittedly *
adv. as is or must be admitted 不可否认地，诚然
e.g. The policy is seen to have failed, although admittedly it was never treated fairly by the press.
agony
n. extreme mental or physical suffering (精神或肉体的)极大痛苦，创伤
e.g. They suffered the agony of watching him burn to death.
assault
1) v. attack someone in a violent way 猛烈地攻击，袭击
e.g. He got two years' imprisonment for assaulting a police officer.
2) n. sudden violent attack 突然而猛烈的攻击
e.g. The roar of city traffic is a steady assault on one's nerves.
barbaric
adj. of or like barbarians, extremely wild, rough, cruel or rude 野蛮（人）的，极其粗野、粗鲁、残忍或残暴的
e.g. That type of barbaric behavior will not be tolerated.
bullet
n. a type of shot fired from a gun, usually long and with a rounded or pointed end 子弹
e.g. This pistol holds six bullets.
burglarize
v. get into a building illegally and steal things from it or from the people inside 入室盗窃
e.g. Mary knew her house had been burglarized-things had been thrown everywhere.
chamber
n.
1) a room set aside for a special purpose 作特殊用途的房间
e.g. This is the death chamber where murderers wait to be put to death.
2) (old use) a room, especially a bedroom 室，房间，（尤指）寝室，卧室
e.g. The king retired to his chamber.
cheapen *
v.
1) make something or someone seem to have lower moral standards than they had before 降低（某事物/某人）的身价，贬低
e.g. I would not cheapen myself by doing such a thing.
2) become or make something become lower in price or value 降价
e.g. The dollar's increase in value has cheapened imports.
columnist
n. someone who writes articles, especially about a particular subject, that appear regularly in a newspaper or magazine 专栏作家
con
n. used in the phrase "the pros and cons", which means "arguments for and against something" 反对的理由、论点或立场
e.g. We considered all the pros and cons very carefully before deciding to buy a bigger house.
cowardice
n. lack of courage 胆小，怯懦
e.g. A battle was lost owing to the troops' cowardice in the face of the enemy.
electorate
n. all the people in a country who have the right to vote 全体选民
eventual *
adj. happening at last as a result, ultimate 最后的，最终的
e.g. The Swedish were the eventual winners of the tournament.
extortion
n. the act of getting money by threats of future harm 敲诈，勒索
e.g. He was found guilty of obtaining the money by extortion.
hygienic
adj. free from germs that cause disease, clean 卫生的，清洁的
e.g. It isn't hygienic to let the cat sit on the dining table.
imprisonment *
n. the state of being in prison or the time someone spends there 关押，监禁，坐牢
e.g. She's been sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
justly
adv. in a morally right and proper manner, fairly 公正地，正当地
e.g. The teacher acted justly in punishing all the children,
kidnap
v. take someone away by force, especially in order to make a demand for something 拐，绑架，劫持（某人）
e.g. Two businessmen have been kidnapped by terrorists.
lawfully *
adv. legally 依法地，法定地，合法地
e.g. Such a policy could not be lawfully adopted.
Messrs.
abbreviation of the French word Messieurs
Mr.的复数
objection
n.
1) a statement or feeling of disapproval or opposition 不赞成，反对
e.g. My objection to going to the zoo is that it is too hot today.
2) a reason or argument against 异议，反对的理由
e.g. The only objection we have is that it may cost us more than you think.
oppose
v. disagree with (something or someone), often by speaking or fighting against them 反对某事，抵制，反抗
e.g. The panel (专家小组) opposed bringing back old-fashioned laws and restrictions.
painlessly *
adv. without pain 无痛苦地
recurrence
n. (instance of) recurring, repetition 复发，反复，重现
e.g. He was aware of the possibility of a recurrence of his illness.
rope
n. (a piece of) strong thick cord made by twisting 绳子
e.g. A sailor threw a rope ashore and we tied the boat to a post.
sanction
v. give one's permission for (something), authorize or approve 同意（某事），批准，认可
e.g. They won't sanction our spending on this scale.
n.
1) approval by an authority to do something, permission 批准，认可
e.g. He tried to get official sanction for his scheme.
2) a restriction placed against a country that has done something wrong 国际制裁
e.g. Many nations have imposed sanctions on that country because of its attacks on its own people.
soften *
v.
1) make something less strict and more sympathetic 缓和，减轻
e.g. Local police have softened their attitude towards young people who live on the streets.
2) become softer or make something softer 变软，软化
e.g. Cook the onion until it has softened.
taxation
n. (system of) raising money by taxes 征税
e.g. The city resorted to taxation to pay for the stadium's construction.
unjust
adj. not just, not fair or deserved 非正义的，不公正的，不公平的，不该受的
e.g. The protesters felt that the death penalty was unjust.
vigor
n. active strength or force, intensity, energy 活力，力量
e.g. These problems were discussed with great vigor.
yeah
adv. casual pronunciation of "yes" "是"的俗音
e.g. "Do you like your job?" "Yeah, it's all right I suppose."
Phrases and Expressions
do away with
get rid of, abolish 摆脱，废除
e.g. They did away with uniforms at that school years ago.
in something or somebody's name
= in the name of something or somebody by the right of or for the advantage of something or somebody 凭......的权威，以......的名义
e.g. As members of the union we have the right to know what action the union is taking in our name.
shrink back from
move back or withdraw from, especially through fear or disgust 退缩，畏缩
e.g. She always shrank back from actual commitment.
speak out (against)
say boldly and clearly what one thinks (in opposition to something) 大胆明确地说出（反对某事物）的意见
e.g. If no one has the courage to speak out against what is wrong, things will never improve.
the pros and cons
arguments for and against something 赞成和反对的论据
e.g. Much has been written on the pros and cons of mixed schooling.
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