The film "Dead Man Walking" debuted thirty years ago and became a cultural phenomenon, earning critical acclaim and an Academy Award for lead actress Susan Sarandon. The film's portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean, who advocates against the death penalty, brought attention to the moral implications of capital punishment from a Catholic perspective. Prejean's activism emphasized the value of every life, challenging contemporary societal views on crime and punishment. Recent trends show a decrease in support for the death penalty in America, with proponents claiming church teachings have helped shape this shift.
Prejean later wrote, "I touched him in the only way I could. I told him: 'Look at my face. I will be the face of Christ, the face of love for you.'"
She made it her mission to show that "everybody's worth more than the worst thing they've ever done in their life."
As she once told an interviewer, "Jesus said, 'Love your enemy.' Jesus didn't say, 'Execute the hell out of the enemy.'"
Support for the death penalty has declined to around 50%, marking a significant shift in public sentiment.
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