North
Carolina Death Row Inmate Writes Letter About Life of 'Leisure'
Danny
Robbie Hembree Jr. is on death row in Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was convicted of murder
of a 17-year-old girl in 2011 and has been accused of two other murders. He
wrote a letter to the Ganston Gazette telling how he lives such a “luxurious
lifestyle” on death row. He explains how it is truly not that bad and that he
“spits in the face of the justice system” because he probably won’t even be
executed.
Choose at least one question to analyze:
1. How does the
reporters’ tone and wording choice affect viewer’s take on the story?
2. How does Hembree’s
letter convey his lack of fear towards the death penalty?
3. How may this
letter affect people’s opinion about the death penalty in North Carolina?
4. North Carolina
State Representative Paul Stam calls the letter “a travesty of justice”. How
does this reflect his opinion of the justice system?
20 comments:
Hembree show's a very interesting and different mood than most inmates for being on death row. Instead of being afraid of death and living in fear, he lives in lesiure and comfort. In parts of his letter he describes how he "naps at will" and "watches color television and reads." He also states how he doesn't even think he'll actually be executed. These sentences show that he lives just like every citizen in the U.S. The way he writes sounds almost as if he's messing with that family. Telling them that he lives a normal life, contradicting what the family is probably thinking. Most people think life on death row is miserbale; thinking about death and just waiting for the enevitable. But this man brings about another view and point. Is the justice system flawed? How will this affect public opinion of the justice system? These are questions that the government will have to find answers for.
Hembree is most clearly not afraid of death. By writing a letter to explain the state of his living conditions, he is only proving his own point: he has plenty of time to do the things he wants. He goes on to list many reasons of why he wawnts to be there, rather than focusing of the negative aspects of death row.
Hembree justifies his embrace for death with this letter. After considering how much time will elapse before he would even face lethal injection, he points out that he may have already died from natural causes by then. He has no reason to be afraid of death from natural causes, considering this is the normal event for most people. Once and if he does face the death penalty, he would already be considered elderly, in which case his life is nearing end in either situation.
Until he dies, whether it be from natural causes or lethal injection, he is living a life of luxury. He points out that he has is much better than many homeless, and impoverished individuals. So until his dying day (whether it be from lethal injection or natural causes) he is sitting comfortably with himself, doing whatever he pleases.
I think this letter will take people’s opinions of the death penalties to the extreme. People that believe in the death penalty will advocate more for it. They will use the fact that the inmates have a good life, which they don’t deserve if they are on death row. Also, Hembree’s mocking tone will enrage them even more and they will demand for a more prompt execution. The report mentioned that the family was very upset about the message and people will argue that he has already done enough and want him to be executed right away. On the other hand I think the people against the death penalty will take an even stronger stance. There are people that think he should have to reflect on his crime for a longer time and say he shouldn’t be killed because he still doesn’t understand what he did. Also, at the end of his letter he says that he is not guilty and I think there are people out there that wouldn’t want the death penalty carried out if there is any chance that he could be innocent. Overall, I think that both sides of the death penalty debate will take a stronger stand for what they believe is right, because of this letter.
Hembree’s letter makes the death penalty in North Carolina seem like a normal, living environment. He claims that he is “watching color TV in the A.C., reading, taking naps at will, eating three well balanced hot meals a day” in prison. These descriptions obviously do not describe what people in America tend to think when they think about the situation in prison. An irony is that Hembree gets “free medical care 24/7” while he’s on death row. If he’s sentenced to death, it wouldn’t make sense for him to have medical care to be healthy and to extend his life span. The judicial system seems to take good care of the prisoners in North Carolina.
He shows his lack of fear towards the death penalty just by sending his letter to the newspaper to be read by numerous people in the nation. His letter makes us aware of how lightly we are handling the death penalty in North Carolina and how we should change the system so that the prisoners get their punishment. Additionally, he challenges the judicial system by laughing at how luxurious his life is in prison. He writes, “Kill me if you can suckers. Ha! Ha! Ha!” Taunting them to try to kill him, he’s obviously not afraid of what the outcome could be- his death. The article also mentions how Hembree tells the citizens in North Carolina should “petition that state and force them to carry out his ‘murder sentence’.” Unlike ordinary prisoners, he encourages the people to change the judicial system by having North Carolina actually perform the death penalties.
Hembree clearly states in his letter that he highly doubts that he will even be executed by the state of North Carolina. Hembree has evidence to back his claim up, because in the past 6 years the state has not executed anyone. Hembree has a cocky tone towards the justice system, and it conveys that he has a real lack of fear that North Carolina will punish him in any other way, than allowing him to watch color television and nap whenever he pleases.
This letter would greatly affect people's opinion about the death penalty in North Carolina. Mainly, because the fact that there have been no executions in such a large period of time, it gives criminals a peace of mind that they won't be held accountable for there terrible crimes. They have no fear, for their actions, because they know that no matter how terrible the crime is they will not be executed. So I think when people hear about this article, that they are appalled with the justice system, because maniacs like this man are understand that there is a flaw in the system, and flaunt themselves around with no fear whatsoever.
Hebree clearly expresses his view on the death penalty and his attitude towards the North Carolina Justice system. By his unexpected explanation of how he "lives in leisure," he was able to attract the public and gain attention from not only the family and immediate friends that may had been effected, but the justice system as well. As if the letter did not impact people enough, Hebree continued to "stir the pot" by addressing the family on how he lives such a enjoyable life on death row- thus bringing attention to the purpose that death row may actually be serving.
When North Carolina State Representative Paul Stam calls the letter “a travesty of justice," he is indirectly implying that there are flaws in the Judicial system. He, as well as many other North Carolinians, are now concerned as to whether or not the concept of "death row" is actually being taken seriously.
Is Hembree purposely trying to gain the medias attention by implementing this letter to the family? Or is life in prison really that much better than just being homeless? Regardless of the situation, the Judicial system will need to address this issue and find alternative ways to enforce the meaning behind "life in prison" and the establishment of "death row".
Hembree clearly does not fear death as he mocks the judicial sysyem in his letter to the Ganston Gazette. He states, "I laugh at you self righteous clowns and I spit in the face of your so called justice system. The state of North Carolina has sentenced me to death but it's not real." Many people who have the power to excute Hembree read this letter. However Hembree clearly did not care. His tone throughout the letter actually indicates that he does not care if he lives or dies. He is happy now, he will be happy if and when he dies. He believes he will never actually be executed and says the chances are very slim. Living now is not even so bad for him. Hembree asked in his letter, "Is the public aware that I am a gentleman of leisure, watching color TV in the A.C., reading, taking naps at will, eating three well balanced hot meals a day... I'm housed in a building that connects to the new 55 million dollar hospital with round the clock free medical care 24/7." He seems to be enjoying life much more than inmates should. He also seems to be rubbing it in the family's face that even though he killed their daughter, he is livng the good life. He has everything taken care for him and is even doing things he enjoys like watching TV and reading. Many people believe that death row is miserable, sitting just waiting for death. Hembree clearly does not view it this way, which should affect people's opinion about the death penalty in North Carolina. This letter may make many residents of North Carolina furious and outraged at our goverment. And it should. Hembree is living a better life than many poverty strucken and homeless people. North Carolina and America in general need to make some extreme changes when it comes to inmates and the death penalty.
Hembree’s letter convey his lack of fear towards the death penalty by stating that he’s very much enjoying the life in the prison. And even though he has been sentenced to death, he’s still alive and it’s very likely Hembree will just die of natural course instead of legal punishment. On the other hand, it’s the published statement of Hembree that shows that he really has no fear to die. However, maybe that’s not the truth because Hembree just envy normal people and he get crazy about his life and he states in a contrary way.
People’s opinion about the death penalty in North Carolina would change due to this letter. The reason is that people may doubt the justice, efficiency and righteousness of it. After all, how can one person who has already been sentenced to death still enjoy and have the chance to mock normal people and the justice system?
Paul’s statement may reflect his opinion that the problems exist in the justice system and there are still so many things to do with the system.
In the story about Danny Robbie Hembree Jr. the reporters exert an influence on the opinion of the viewer. In the news clip both reporters repeat phrases such as “death row,” and “murder.” This strengthens the negative images of Hembree. This word choice makes a viewer feel angry, for Hembree killed at least one person, and is now on “death row,” yet he is mocking everyone in his defiance of the justice system. The reporters also emphasize words such as “taunting,” and “spit” in the phrase, “I spit in the face of your so called justice system.” The weight on these particular words places the viewers in the shoes of the family of the dead teenager. The viewer feels ridiculed for allowing the inmate to live such a comfortable life, when someone else is dead. The reporters’ tone and wording cause the viewer to feel scorned.
Hembree’s letter expresses his lack of fear by taunting the audience. He is supposed to be receiving a terrible punishment, yet he has become a “gentleman of leisure.” This phrase indicates power: he has both time, and ability to enjoy himself. The phrase seems to demonstrate that Hembree lives a worry free life. The man also conveys his fearlessness in his letter when he states, “Kill me if you can suckers. Ha!” This confirms the man’s confident attitude toward the death penalty. Hembree does not believe he will die.
In Hembree's letter, one can almost sense an absence of fear in facing a death penalty. He puts about an atmosphere of aloofness, as though the death sentence does not even affect nor concern him. All things aside, the fact that he was charged 2 years ago and remains alive gives a little more credibility to his claim.
Holding on to another fact that NC has not given anyone the death sentence in 6 years, Hembree further boosts his confidence that it would not happen to him. There are still many pending debates regarding whether the way death sentence is given is humane. This however demeans the severity of an inhumane act he committed in the first place.
Boasting throughout his letter, Hembree has totally disregarded the possibility of him facing death. He prides himself in the luxurious treatment in the cell, the availability of facilities and food that people have to work hard for. Fear in the death sentence means fear of losing life. On the other hand, is Hembree not instead gaining life? Life in terms of quality living, healthcare, shelter? Think about it.
Hembree's letter conveys his lack of fear towards the death penalty in a way that most people probably wouldn't expect. I personally would think that a life on death row would be miserable and far from anything pleasant but according to Hembree it is the exact opposite. By saying that he is "a man of leisure" is just an absolute shocker to the ears of all who read this article. How can a man who is accused of murdering three women be able to live leisurely while waiting to get executed? Apparently he can thanks to the justice system that even the state representative knows is flawed and that is exactly why Hembree mocks it in his letter. By getting fed three hot meals a day and free medical care I guess for Hembree this really is a great life to live but because of what he is accused of doing, there should be no way that this is allowed. Overall, through his letter, he is able to mock the justice system by writing in a manner that makes him seem like a happy man that has nothing to worry about, especially since he doesn't think he will ever even be executed.
Hembree's letter to the Ganston Gazette may be played off as a bold and terrifying statement to our judicial system, but justice will be served as it always is. There are many details about this man's story that provokes the public to anger, but it’s his choice of tone that really serves to anger the families of the victims and the whole state of North Carolina. Danny writes his letter with an unwavering confidence and snobbish attitude about how great he believes his life to be. This man, a murderer of three, wakes up with no fear in his heart partly because he's a soulless killer but also because he has nothing to fear about his situation. The fact that he has "24/7 healthcare, color TV and three well balanced hot meals a day is an outrage and downright insult to the American judicial system. This man needs to be shown his due punishment, and that is most certainly the death penalty. Without it, he will continue to represent a common ground between regular citizens and cold-blooded killers where there shouldn’t be even the slightest comparison.
The reporters' tones remain constant troughout the report, but the choice of words such as 'provocative letter' add to the excitement and suspense to the viewer at the very start of the report. Another example would be when the second reporter seemed to agree to the statement Danny said about how slim his chance of being executed is. The reporter justifies Danny's words through facts about the state of North Carolina, which add to the distrust of the viewer to the safety and wellbeing of people in the prescence of such criminal judgements.
Danny states that life in the jail he is in is one of leisure and comfort, but the veiwer's instinct would lead one not to beleive that statement; however, he uses the words, "Is the public aware?" followed by, "I spit in the face of your so called justice system," both add to the viewer's confidence that Danny was not scared of the system, and assures the audience by showing his disrespect to the system as well.
The death penalty in North Carolina does not seem to be that of a worry to Danny, as he shows the public how happy he feels in the prison he is in. He explains to us, the viewers, how relaxed he is and uses the words, "take a nap by will," to emphasise that no one is imposing any threat or problem on the so called prisoner. The second reporter confirms the abscence of a death punishment for the past six years in North Carolina, which makes everyone watching the news report feel under threat, especially in North Carolina, since any criminal may emerge with ease and not worry about being punished, therefore posing a threat on the people, without having to pay for his/her mistake.
The State representative describes his opinion of Danny's letter by stating that it was a comedy describing justice, or more of a form of laughter at the justice system; however the article does not mention, wether the State representative agrees with Danny's words or not, but describing it as a travesty, he is somewhat denying Danny's words, which were confirmed by the reporter, which adds even more to the worry of the North Carolina people, or to that of the overall public in general, leading to less trust in the overall state and justice system.
Hembree's letter shows us a lot. It shows us he does not fear death in any way and is not thinking they will ever actually kill him. This also shows us that our justice system may have a few flaws. It questions if we are actually making those sentenced actually have any personal pentence. The letter in itself should show us all we need to change the system. He should not be able to sit and do nothing, we should make him have to do things that contribute to society in a possitive way. That is how we fix the system to prevent this from ossuring again.
I feel this letter greatly affects the opinions about the death penalty in North Carolina in a negative way. The family of Hembree's victim felt they had closure thinking the man who dealt them so much pain would be put to death. Instead, they find out not only hasn't that happened but Hembree claims hes living a "luxurious lifestyle." That information must be unsettling to many people. I don't think a criminal sentenced to the death penalty should ever have the opportunity to feel how Hembree says he does and I'm sure I'm not alone. There's a flaw in the way the system works when criminals of this status are able to live this way. Hembree's letter will raise a lot of questions and possibly even a rethinking of North Carolina's justice system.
This letter will affect how many people in North Carolina view the death penalty. If people believe that convicted murderers and rapists are living a life of luxury and not paying for the crimes they have committed, outrage is sure to spark a flood of people who want the death penalty to be upheld. People are sure to think that the justice system is flawed if it allows people like Hembree to enjoy “a life of luxury” after what he has done. I’m sure that there are going to be some big debates going on in the state of North Carolina about how to handle matters such as this in the future.
Hembree expresses his opinion towards the death penalty in a very interesting way. His way of coping with his punishment is using a comical mechanism to make his death seem like its not a big deal. He uses a sarcastic tone throughout the article, and is making fun of the court and jail system the entire time. I believe this is his way of getting rid of his fear, and turning it back onto the public. If he doesn't think about it too much, and just makes fun of the whole process, it will seem easier when it is actually time for him to receive the penalty. Although this may seem like he is not afraid of death, or the punishment, I think this shows how much of a coward he is and truly is very afraid to be serving the sentence. Taunting the public, and getting everyone worked up about his letter is exactly what he wanted to happen. He probably feels accomplished now that his story is all over the news and is what a lot of people are talking about.
Hembree is not at all afraid of death and punishment. For a killer who has killed 3 women is supposed to be in the jail and have nothing to do but repent and wait to die. However, “I am a gentleman of leisure, watching color TV in the A.C., reading, taking naps at will, eating three well balanced hot meals a day," and "I'm housed in a building that connects to the new 55 million dollar hospital with round the clock free medical care 24/7"is definitely a man with joyful life write about. And probably it is a life that many people dream about. He even thought he couldn’t be executed in part of his letter. He described a life with high quality and leisure as if going to jail is the guarantee of better life. If some children or people with low life guarantee read his letter, they probably will have the idea of conducting a crime and spend their rest lazy life in the jail. He’s kind of encouraging people to do something bad and mocking the justice system as he did. "I am a man who is ready to except [sic] his unjustful punishment and face God almighty with a clean conscience unlike you cowards and your cowardly system," and also “Kill me if you can suckers. Ha! Ha! Ha!" are the words trying to say he is the hero done the right thing so he’s not afraid of any punishment. On the contrary, the justice system is the bad guy.
Hembree's letter conveys his lack of fear towards the death penalty throughout the entire article. He knows that the state of North Carolina has not executed prisoners on death row for quite some time. "I am a man who is ready to except [sic] his unjustful punishment and face God almighty with a clean conscience unlike you cowards and your cowardly system," Hembree wrote. "Kill me if you can suckers. Ha! Ha! Ha!" This quote in particular shows his extreme disdain towards the capital punishment system. He has no fear of death, as he knows that his punishment will come for many years, or maybe not even at all. His conditions are better than most homeless people, so I see no reason why he should not be happy with his position. He is in a state that basically provides for his every need, but is too uneasy with the death penalty to kill him. He continues to reap the benefits of death row, and he realizes that he might not even die because of his punishment.
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