While Capital Punishment has been one of the most feared things of our
time, it is still being questioned if it is unconstitutional. The Death Penalty
is being enforced in more than 100 countries in the world and are usually
used in politically-related cases. Although it has been the case in many
countries throughout the world it has been said that the Death Penalty is "cruel
and unusual punishment" which is a direct violation to the Bill of Rights.
Capital Punishment is a certain copy of the earliest days of slavery, when you
had no rights or any different opinion, and like then, executions have no place
in our civilized society. The Death Penalty, throughout it's years of existence,
has always been against the views of the people, either because of it's
brutality or because of it's lack of effectiveness.
The Death Penalty has been opposed by the people since the beginning of
it's era, which was around 1976, when the United States Supreme Court declared
that the death penalty was not against the Constitution. But if read directly
the Eight Amendment of the U.S. Constitution "prohibits cruel and unusual
punishments" and not only that but abolitionists also think that Capital
Punishment ensures Americans equality for all . The abolitionists also did a
poll which ensured that there was "no support for the view that the death
penalty provides a more effective deterrent to police homicides than alternative
sanctions. Not for a single year was evidence found that police are safer in
jurisdictions that provide for capital punishment" The highest homicide rates
were also in Death Penalty states with executions: 9.7 homicides per 100,000
people...
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...of the crime
committed by the convicted person because it is judicial murder. Capital
Punishment is a brutal act that does not enhance respect for human life, it
cheapens and degrades it . Abolitionists also believe that "the state is a
teacher and when it kills, it teaches vengeance and hatred. If the "barbaric
practice of execution has been abolished in most major industrial countries,
even in south Africa, so can the United States ("Death"2). "An execution is a
dramatic, public spectacle of official, violent homicide that teaches the
permissibility of killing people to solve social problems--the worst possible
example to set for society" Will society put money into schools, rehabilitation,
community services, and jobs, or will it bankrupt itself with more prisons and
more victims? The death penalty is no solution to violence.
The death penalty is a very heavily debated upon topic, especially in the US. I am against capital punishment because it is expensive, targets minorities, and is abused in certain states. There are many alternatives that are less expensive and can keep innocent people from being executed for crimes they didn’t
Many call capital punishment unconstitutional and point to the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution for support. The amendment states that, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines be imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment be inflicted." Those who oppose the death penalty target the 'cruel and unusual' phrase as an explanation of why it is unconstitutional. Since the Framers of the Constitution are no longer with us and we base our nation on the words in which that document contains, the legality of the death penalty is subject to interpretation. Since there is some ambiguity or lack of preciseness in the Constitution, heated debate surrounding this issue has risen in the last ten years.
Anti-death penalty supporters argue the death penalty is unconstitutional -- "Capital punishment is a barbaric remnant of an uncivilized society. It is immoral in principle, and unfair and discriminatory in practice. It assures the execution of some innocent people. As a remedy for crime, it has no purpose and no effect (American Civil Liberties Union National Office 2-16-95)."
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is defined as the pre-meditated or planned taking of a human life by a government in response to a crime committed by that legally convicted person. It has been discussed extensively over the years by many people. There are many reasons to agree or disagree with capital punishment, but the reasons against it completely outweigh the ones that support it. Many of the justifications for affirming the death penalty either do not apply wholly to our justice system, are misunderstood, or just do not make sense. There is no justification for killing other human beings and all of the arguments cannot change this. Since 1976, over one thousand people have been executed by the government.
“ An eye for an eye leaves us all blind doesn’t it “. Capital punishment cost the United states a lot of money. The death penalty can be unfair and can cause innocent lives to be took. The death penalty should be abolished because it is an ineffective way of punishment. There are trials that are unjust and many innocent people that have been killed. Putting people to death cost more than sending people to jail for the rest of their lives. Capital punishment doesn’t affect change.
One of the most widely debated and criticized methods of punishment in the United States is the Death Penalty. The Death Penalty is an issue that has the United States quite divided. While there are many supporters of it, there is also a large amount of opposition. Currently, there are thirty-three states in which the death penalty is legal and seventeen states that have abolished it according to the Death Penalty Information Center. There is no question that killing another person is the most atrocious criminal act that one can commit. I am not sure why, but it seems that the United States government is being hypocritical when it says that capital punishment is acceptable because a criminal did murder an innocent victim, and therefore should be killed (Philips, 2013). This is rule is known as the "eye-for-an-eye, and tooth-for-a- tooth theory." Of course, if we used this system all the time, there would be no need for laws. A second argument that some people use to support capital punishment is that the fear of being given the death penalty is going to stop criminals from murdering. How many criminals would murder in the first place, even in a state where there is no capital punishment, if they thought there was a chance of getting caught? Most murderers feel that they have a plan to get away with murder (Philips, 2013). Unfortunately, most are right. In response to this I believe that the United States Bill of Rights in the Constitution prohibits cruel an unusual punishment. There is nothing more cruel or unusual than taking someone’s life.
...es, even though 80% of the population is in favor of it, because of the numerous ethical and practical issues that must be taken into consideration (Winters139-144). Experts on both sides of the argument have numerous statistics and studies to back up their claims and to refute the claims of their opponents. Death penalty supporters hold that the death penalty is a deterrent to crime, and brings justice to killers. However, death penalty opponents maintain that the death penalty does not deter criminals, and desensitizes people to violence. There are no easy answers to the questions surrounding the imposition of the death penalty in the United States. Thus one should pursue this question with an open mind and consider all sides of the argument, because as Thomas Jefferson once said, "difference of opinion leads to inquiry, and inquiry leads to truth" (Winters 11).
Capital punishment is unconstitutional, and violates human rights; a point of view rarely seen when debating the topic. Everyone talks about deterrence, everyone talks about justice for the victim, but no one seems to remember that even though the person responsible for a crime, whatever the nature of this crime is, is still a human being with constitutional, and human rights just like all of us.
In conclusion, the death penalty is inhumane because it goes against the constitution and violates the eight amendment by showing cruel and unusual punishment towards people who have been put on death row. People on death row experience abuse both physically and emotionally. The death penalty is also an unsuccessful fear tactic and arbitrary because some criminals will commit crime no matter what the consequences are , and it is arbitrary cause it is a random selection process for who will be sentenced to death and who will not be sentenced to death. The death penalty is also biased because men and African Americans are more likely to be sentenced to death . The reasons stated above are just some of the reasons the death penalty should be abolished.
The death penalty ?cruel and unusual punishment.? At one time in history around six hundred people were executed, and in those six-hundred eighty of them were innocent but still executed (Thomas 2). Many people say that the death penalty is lawful. They think that if the punishment is carried out by the government and not by one person it is fine, and it is not cruel and unusual punishment (Carmical 2). Yes, the men who constructed the constitution supported the death penalty, but times have changed and so has the constitution. The constitution should abolish the death penalty (Carmical 5).
To this date, Seven hundred and seventy two criminals in the U.S. alone have been
Americans have argued over the death penalty since the early days of our country. In the United States only 38 states have capital punishment statutes. As of year ended in 1999, in Texas, the state had executed 496 prisoners since 1930. The laws in the United States have change drastically in regards to capital punishment. An example of this would be the years from 1968 to 1977 due to the nearly 10 year moratorium. During those years, the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment violated the Eight Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. However, this ended in 1976, when the Supreme Court reversed the ruling. They stated that the punishment of sentencing one to death does not perpetually infringe the Constitution. Richard Nixon said, “Contrary to the views of some social theorists, I am convinced that the death penalty can be an effective deterrent against specific crimes.”1 Whether the case be morally, monetarily, or just pure disagreement, citizens have argued the benefits of capital punishment. While we may all want murders off the street, the problem we come to face is that is capital punishment being used for vengeance or as a deterrent.
The death penalty has been around for centuries. It dates back to when Hammurabi had his laws codified; it was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. Capital punishment in America started when spies were caught, put on trial and hung. In the past and still today people argue that, the death penalty is cruel, unusual punishment and should be illegal. Yet many people argue that it is in fact justifiable and it is not cruel and unusual. Capital punishment is not cruel and unusual; the death penalty is fair and there is evidence that the death penalty deters crime.
All throughout the media, one hears of murders and homicides. It is a crime to kill someone, but the government "murders" people all the time without thinking twice. There is a risk when pulling the trigger that this horrible fate will happen. If it is not right to kill someone, why does the government kill people all the time?
I would characterize the public opinion on the death penalty as being an uninformed opinion. More people are in favor of the death penalty, now then back a few decades ago. People are not well informed on the statistics of the death penalty, like the number of prisoners, or the racial discrimination etc. I think that if more people were informed that some opinions would be changed.