Capital Punishment

905 Words2 Pages

Capital Punishment

In my opinion capital punishment is wrong. The death penalty is the center of much debate in society. This is due, in part, to the fact that people see only the act of killing a criminal, and not the social effects the death penalty has on society as a whole. Upon reading about the death penalty, it was found to be an unethical practice. It promotes a violent and inhumane society in which killing is considered okay. Since there are alternatives, the death penalty should be abolished. Some people believe capital punishment to be cruel and unusual. Others believe that a person who kills, should themselves be killed. This statement alone raises the question, "How should they be killed?" The question that should really be asked is, "Should we kill at all?" Would it be morally correct to kill someone just because they have killed someone else?

In 1972, capital punishment (in any form) was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States. The decision was reversed in 1976, when new methods of execution were introduced. These new methods included death by lethal injection. Does this mean that it is okay to kill as long as we use a method that is not considered cruel or unusual by society? The death penalty is considered the harshest form of punishment enforced today. Once a jury has convicted a criminal, they go to the second part of the trial, the punishment phase. If the jury recommends the death penalty and the judge agrees that this punishment is deserving of the crime, the criminal will face some form of execution. Contrary to popular belief, the electric chair is not the most common way of executing somebody. Death by lethal injection accounts for the majority of the executions toda...

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...he right person is being sentenced to their death, unless a confession is presented. Even if a confession is presented, it is not morally right to kill another person because they have once killed. This is not to say that I am totally against killing in society. If one must kill another person in order to protect him/herself, then I feel that killing in self-defense is justified. Killing a criminal because someone decided that they "deserve to die" is not justified. If a criminal is convicted of murder (and would normally be sentenced to death), I believe that they should be locked up in prison for the rest of their natural life. Killing a criminal will only create more violence in

society. With more violence comes more crime, which leads to more criminal convictions, and the whole process repeats itself. The death penalty is unethical and should be abolished.

Capital Punishment
1397 Words | 3 Pages
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1345 Words | 3 Pages
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520 Words | 2 Pages
It is unnerving to think that everyday some of the most unspeakable murders and killings take place just under the noses of the authorities and normal people. The killers responsible for these crimes are threats to society and deserve capital punishment. The death penalty is an acceptable and fair method of punishment because it serves justice, provides victim’s families with closure, and increases safety.
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Capital Punishment Essay - Benefits of the Death Penalty
1419 Words | 3 Pages
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The Death Penalty is Cruel and Unusual Punishment
1325 Words | 3 Pages
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983 Words | 2 Pages
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467 Words | 1 Pages
The death penalty; is it ok for the deserving criminal or should it be outlawed completely? In today’s society, the view of capital punishment varies from country to country; where countries in the commonwealth are against it while in the USA and some Southern Asian countries it is still used to this day. There are many for and against arguments for this topic, which includes the person has done the crime to deserve it, it will stop sick people form re entering the community, all life is sacred in the eyes of the church and it doesn’t allow the criminal to redeem and rehabilitate themselves in the prison system.
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623 Words | 2 Pages
Some even claim that it is cruel and unusual punishment. I would like to shed light on the issue and inform everyone as to why we should keep the death penalty and possibly even use it more than we do now. First of all, it is hard for anyone to argue that we already use the death penalty too much because facts say that we hardly use it at all. Since 1967, there has been one execution for every 1,600 murders. There have been approximately 560,000 murders and 358 executions between 1967 and 1996(UCR and BJS).
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916 Words | 2 Pages
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Capital Punishment