Abolishing the Death Penalty

925 Words2 Pages

A number 1263 men and women have been executed in the United States in the twenty five years ever since the Supreme Court has reintroduced the death penalty in 1976. Executions have been carried in the 34 states with the death penalty, with more than 80% taking place in the south. Texas and Virginia being the two top death penalty states with a shared number of 580 people executed.

The death penalty is a controversial issue that has been debated for years. Proponents of the death penalty say it is justice better served, away of retribution or “an eye for an eye,” to bring closure to the families of murder victims. They also argue that it is a form of crime deterrent. In contrast, opponents of the death penalty claim this form of punishment doesn’t deter crime. Anti death penalty advocates argue it is morally wrong, and it only gives the government the power to take human life. This side also claims that the system due to its flaws runs the risk of executing innocent people. The death penalty should be outlawed for it is unjust and an inappropriate sanction and life in prison is clearly a better alternative.

First, the death penalty should be abolished because it is morally unacceptable. No one has the right to take another life, god created life so only he could take it. The immoral practice of taking someone’s life is as to take all human life. In “The Death Penalty Violates Human Rights” published in The Ethics of Capital Punishment. The article discusses the flaws of the death penalty. The piece also references Amnesty International, an activist organization that seeks to protect human rights worldwide. According to Amnesty International, “Every human being has certain basic human rights, the most fundamental of ...

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...vices, 29 June 2009. Web. 29 July 2011. .

"The Death Penalty Violates Human Rights." The Ethics of Capital Punishment. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 29 July 2011.

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"Executed But Possibly Innocent." Death Penalty Information Center. John R. MacArthur. Web. 01 Aug. 2011. .

"Facts about the Death Penalty." DEATH PENALTY INFORMATION CENTER. John R. MacArthur. Web. 30 July 2011. .

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