Find a decision of the United States Supreme Court issued between 2022 to the present day that touches on a criminal law issue discussed in our readings or discuss the long-term impacts of the Black Lives Matter movement on criminal law.
If you opt to discuss a recent Supreme Court case, please summarize the case and then discuss the implications of the case.
If you opt to discuss the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement, please try to focus on changes to criminal law and not policing.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Long-Term Impacts of the Black Lives Matter Movement on Criminal Law
In recent years, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has sparked widespread discussions and actions aimed at addressing systemic racism and injustice within the criminal justice system. While many associate the BLM movement with police reform, its influence on criminal law itself cannot be overlooked. The movement has raised important questions about fairness, equality, and accountability within the legal system, leading to significant shifts in how criminal laws are interpreted and applied.
One of the key impacts of the Black Lives Matter movement on criminal law has been a heightened focus on racial disparities in sentencing and prosecution. Studies have shown that Black individuals are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, facing harsher sentences and greater likelihood of being convicted compared to their white counterparts. In response to these disparities, there has been a growing push for sentencing reform and efforts to address racial bias at all levels of the criminal justice process.
Additionally, the Black Lives Matter movement has brought attention to the need for greater transparency and accountability in the legal system. Cases of police brutality and misconduct have underscored the importance of holding law enforcement officers and prosecutors accountable for their actions. This call for accountability has extended to judges and lawmakers as well, with demands for more oversight and scrutiny to ensure that decisions made within the criminal justice system are fair and just.
Furthermore, the Black Lives Matter movement has influenced discussions around criminal justice reform, with a focus on alternatives to incarceration and strategies to address the root causes of crime. Calls for investment in community programs, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment have gained traction as a means to reduce reliance on punitive measures and promote rehabilitation and reintegration.
In conclusion, the Black Lives Matter movement has had a profound impact on criminal law by highlighting racial disparities, emphasizing accountability and transparency, and promoting reform efforts aimed at creating a more equitable and just legal system. Moving forward, it is essential for policymakers, lawmakers, and legal professionals to continue engaging with the issues raised by the movement and work towards implementing meaningful changes that address systemic injustices within the criminal justice system.
