Killing people is always wrong | Richard Bourke | TEDxSydney

TEDx Talks

1 Jul 201513:40

Summary

TLDRThe narrator, a capital defense attorney, recounts personal and professional experiences dealing with life and death, including his wife's pregnancy complications during Hurricane Katrina and their work representing clients on death row. The story contrasts the powerlessness felt when faced with natural death versus the choice to kill made by the state through executions. It highlights the emotional and moral complexities of the death penalty, showcasing moments of humanity, compassion, and the profound impact of choosing not to take a life.

Takeaways

👶 The speaker and his wife were facing a personal crisis, waiting for an ultrasound to see if their unborn child was alive during a stressful time as Hurricane Katrina refugees.
⚖️ Both the speaker and his wife are capital defense attorneys, working tirelessly on a death row case while dealing with their own personal struggles.
💔 The speaker describes their powerless feeling as they awaited news about their child, paralleling it with the fight to save their client, Danny, from execution.
📞 Despite their efforts, Danny was executed. The speaker received a call from the U.S. Supreme Court's death clerk informing him that the court would not hear Danny's appeal.
😔 The speaker reflects on the guilt of losing clients to execution, stating that despite doing everything possible, they were powerless to stop the system from killing.
😢 The execution of another client, Jackie, profoundly affected the speaker, especially witnessing Jackie's final moments with his son, who was only allowed to touch his father at the funeral.
👨‍⚕️ The speaker’s father, a doctor, emphasized that witnessing the natural end of life is fundamentally different from watching an execution, as the latter involves a deliberate choice to kill.
🙏 The speaker shares a powerful moment of forgiveness when the mother of a murder victim chose to spare the life of her daughter’s killer, demonstrating an act of transformative grace.
💡 The speaker describes the death penalty jury selection process as deeply dispiriting, as jurors must be willing to vote for execution to serve. He shares a moving story of a juror who refused the death penalty after witnessing its effect on a victim’s family.
🌿 The speaker concludes by reflecting on death as an inevitable part of life but argues that choosing to kill, through the death penalty or otherwise, is wrong.

Q & A

What was the setting of the narrator's story in October 2005?
-In October 2005, the narrator and his wife Christine were sitting in a corridor at a doctor's clinic in Houston, Texas, waiting for an ultrasound to determine if their unborn child was still alive. They were in Houston as refugees after Hurricane Katrina.
What were the narrator and his wife’s professions?
-The narrator and his wife, Christine, were both capital defense attorneys, working for the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center in New Orleans.
Why were they in Houston instead of New Orleans?
-They were in Houston as refugees after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, making it impossible for them to continue their regular work in Louisiana.
Who was Danny, and what was the narrator doing for him?
-Danny was a client on death row in Texas whose execution was scheduled in a few weeks. The narrator and his wife were working tirelessly to stop his execution and save his life.
What was the outcome of Danny’s case?
-Despite the narrator's efforts, the Supreme Court declined to hear Danny's appeal, and Danny was executed. The narrator visited Danny a few hours before the execution.
What emotional struggle does the narrator describe in relation to his wife’s pregnancy and their work?
-The narrator felt powerless while waiting to learn about their unborn child's fate, contrasting it with the efforts they were making to save their client Danny, whose life could still have been saved. He struggled with the helplessness in both personal and professional contexts.
What was the significance of Jackie’s execution for the narrator?
-Jackie’s execution deeply impacted the narrator, especially as he witnessed Jackie saying 'I love you' to his son before being executed. The event highlighted the cruelty of the death penalty, further solidifying the narrator's opposition to it.
How did the narrator’s father react when they discussed death and execution?
-The narrator’s father, a doctor, had a strong reaction when his son compared watching an execution to seeing patients die. His father emphasized that there is no comparison between a natural death and the act of killing a healthy person through execution.
What transformative experience does the narrator describe involving Chuck and the victim’s family?
-The narrator recalls a powerful moment when the mother of a murder victim chose to forgive Chuck, the man responsible for her daughter’s death. She met with him, hugged him, and fought to spare him from the death penalty, showing great compassion and dignity.
What insight does the narrator gain from his experience with death penalty cases?
-The narrator learned that while death is inevitable, the choice to kill someone is a moral decision. He realized that choosing not to kill, even in cases involving heinous crimes, is a transformative and humane act.
What message does the narrator convey in the conclusion of his speech?
-The narrator concludes by emphasizing that although death is inevitable for everyone, choosing to kill is a deliberate moral decision, and it is wrong to take someone’s life through the death penalty.

Outlines

00:00

💔 A Moment of Powerlessness and Fear

The author recounts a difficult time in October 2005 when he and his wife Christine, who were both capital defense attorneys, were awaiting an ultrasound in Houston, Texas to find out if their unborn child was still alive. They were refugees from Hurricane Katrina, living in tough conditions and fighting tirelessly to save a client named Danny from death row in Texas. The waiting period was filled with a sense of powerlessness, as they couldn’t control the outcome of the pregnancy. Despite all their efforts to save Danny’s life, they were ultimately unsuccessful, and he was executed. The author reflects on the helplessness they felt, contrasting it with their ability to fight for Danny, even though it wasn't enough to prevent his death.

05:02

💔 The Tragedy of Jackie's Execution

The author describes witnessing the execution of another client, Jackie, in Texas. Jackie had been separated from his son for years, and the state only allowed them to interact through a glass partition during visits. The author notes the cruelty of the situation, as Jackie's son only got to physically touch his father at Jackie's funeral. The execution itself was a somber, horrific event, contrasting the state's routine, indifferent killing with Jackie's final moments of love for his family. The author’s father, a doctor, had warned him about the emotional toll such work could take, emphasizing that watching a planned execution is far more disturbing than witnessing a natural death.

10:06

🌱 A Mother’s Forgiveness Saves a Life

The author shares a transformative experience where the mother of a murder victim chose to spare the life of her daughter’s killer, Chuck. This decision came after she met Chuck and saw a video where he expressed remorse for his actions. The mother, who had been advocating for the death penalty, changed her mind after connecting with Chuck in person, eventually fighting to save his life in court. The moment was deeply emotional, with the author describing it as a rare instance of dignity and forgiveness in a painful situation. This experience profoundly impacted the author, illustrating the power of mercy.

🗣️ Jury Selection and Moral Conviction

The author reflects on the frustrating and dehumanizing process of jury selection in death penalty cases, where only those willing to sentence someone to death are allowed to serve. He recalls a poignant moment when a quiet man shared his personal reasons for opposing the death penalty, stemming from witnessing a friend choose forgiveness over revenge. His statement temporarily silenced the pro-death penalty voices in the courtroom. This man’s act of moral courage highlighted the profound impact that choosing not to seek death can have on those involved.

💊 The Contrast Between Death and Dignity

In this final reflection, the author discusses the contrast between natural death and the state-administered death penalty. He recalls how his father, who passed away in Australia, was given a small dose of a sedative to ease his discomfort in his final moments. Days later, the same drug was used in Florida to execute a man, underscoring the disturbing misuse of medical advancements for killing. The author closes by reflecting on how death penalty work has taught him the importance of the choice to kill or not. Despite the inevitability of death, he asserts that choosing to kill is a deliberate and morally wrong action.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Death Penalty

The death penalty refers to the state-sanctioned execution of individuals as punishment for certain crimes, often serious offenses like murder. In the video, the speaker reflects on his experiences as a capital defense attorney, fighting to prevent the execution of his clients. The narrative contrasts the moral and emotional toll of the death penalty with moments of hope and mercy, emphasizing the devastating consequences of state-led executions.

💡Capital Defense Attorney

A capital defense attorney is a lawyer who represents individuals facing the death penalty. The speaker and his wife, both capital defense attorneys, work tirelessly to save their clients from execution. Their profession forms the backdrop of the story, illustrating the emotional and psychological toll of trying to save lives in a system that actively pushes for executions.

💡Execution

Execution is the act of putting someone to death, typically as a legal penalty. In the video, the speaker recalls witnessing the execution of his clients, including Danny and Jackie. These moments are depicted as tragic and avoidable, contrasting the stark reality of state-sanctioned killing with the personal and moral dilemmas faced by those involved.

💡Supreme Court

The United States Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the U.S., and it plays a pivotal role in deciding whether to hear appeals in death penalty cases. In the video, the speaker mentions receiving a call from the 'death clerk' of the Supreme Court informing him that the justices had chosen not to hear Danny's appeal, leading to his execution. This illustrates the limited avenues for recourse in death penalty cases.

💡Mercy

Mercy refers to compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone, especially by someone in power. In the video, the concept of mercy is embodied by the mother of a murder victim who ultimately chooses to spare the life of her daughter's killer, despite her deep pain and loss. This act of mercy stands in contrast to the cruelty of the death penalty and represents a transformative choice.

💡Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was a devastating natural disaster that struck the Gulf Coast of the U.S. in 2005, displacing millions. The speaker and his wife were refugees in Houston because of the hurricane, adding a layer of personal hardship to their work as they struggled with both the aftermath of the storm and the emotional toll of their client's impending execution. This context highlights their resilience and dedication.

💡Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system refers to the network of institutions (courts, police, and prisons) responsible for upholding laws, delivering justice, and administering punishment. In the video, the speaker critiques the system, particularly Texas' approach to capital punishment, suggesting that the system's choice to execute prisoners like Danny is one of policy rather than necessity. This critique is central to the video’s message about the morality of the death penalty.

💡Plea Bargain

A plea bargain is a legal agreement where the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a reduced sentence. The speaker references negotiating a plea deal for Chuck, a man facing the death penalty, where the victim's family eventually agrees to a sentence less than death. This moment illustrates how plea bargains can be a pathway to mercy and reflect the complexities of seeking justice in capital cases.

💡Natural Death vs. Execution

The contrast between natural death and execution is a major theme in the video. The speaker's father, a doctor, emphasizes the difference between witnessing a natural death and watching an execution, noting that the latter involves a deliberate and dark choice to kill. This distinction underlines the speaker’s argument that while death is inevitable, executions transform death into something much more disturbing and morally fraught.

💡Hope

Hope plays a dual role in the video, representing both the emotional fuel for the speaker’s legal work and the fragile, often futile, belief that a client's life might be spared. Despite the slim chances, the speaker clings to hope in each of his cases, whether it's awaiting a last-minute decision from the Supreme Court or witnessing moments of mercy from victims' families. This hope is ultimately contrasted with the harsh realities of the justice system.

Highlights

In October 2005, the speaker and his wife Christine were in a Houston clinic, waiting for an ultrasound to determine the fate of their unborn child while also dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Christine and the speaker were capital defense attorneys working to save a client, Danny, from execution in Texas, even as they faced their personal crisis.

The speaker reflects on their powerlessness in the clinic corridor, contrasting it with their tireless efforts to save Danny's life.

Despite their efforts, Danny was executed, and the speaker received a call from the U.S. Supreme Court's death clerk informing them of the rejection of Danny's appeal.

The speaker recalls the emotional burden of watching another client, Jackie, be executed in Texas, highlighting the inhumanity of the death penalty.

Jackie's execution left a profound impact on the speaker, who witnessed Jackie's son touch his father for the first time at the funeral.

The speaker contrasts the natural death of his father, a doctor, with the state-sanctioned killing of healthy prisoners, emphasizing the moral difference.

The speaker shares a poignant story of a mother who forgave Chuck, a man responsible for her daughter's death, and fought to spare him from the death penalty.

The speaker describes the powerful moment in court when the forgiving mother spoke about her daughter's loss and her decision to oppose the death penalty.

During a jury selection in Florida, the speaker was moved by a man who opposed the death penalty because he had seen the liberating effect of forgiveness on a friend who had lost her husband.

The speaker reflects on his father's death, noting the contrast with the state's use of the same drug, midazolam, in executions.

The speaker highlights the dignity and transformation seen in those who choose not to kill, underscoring the potential for change and compassion.

The narrative underscores the speaker's belief that while death is inevitable, the choice to kill is not, and it is inherently wrong.

The speaker concludes by reiterating the moral lesson learned from his experiences: we have no choice about dying, but we can choose not to kill.

The emotional and ethical journey of the speaker, marked by personal loss and professional battles, illustrates the deep conflict between justice and compassion in the context of the death penalty.