Controversial Issues Surrounding The Death Penalty

1621 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Death penalty morals argumentative essay

“If Capital Punishment is state sponsored murder, then any lesser punishment is a state sponsored murder of Justice…. It is Justice, not Laws that cures the society. And Capital Punishment is the only Justice that suits a murderer.”-Saqib Ali. Undeniably, the Death Penalty is among the most controversial issues of modern times. There are always going to be two standpoints on the issues. Some will hold life above justice, and on the other hand some will hold justice over life. There is and always will be much speculation and debate regarding the death penalty in the United States and worldwide. The death penalty is a necessary part of society if we are to deter heinous crimes such as murder, torture, etc. Opponents of this would challenge its morality, constituationality, and its ability to deter criminals from committing heinous acts. Many Scholars, Supreme Court justices, Presidents, and Governors have expressed support for the death penalty as well as a general consensus by society that it is acceptable.
The legal definition of the death penalty is a sentence of death imposed on a convicted criminal. It is quite common for the general public to not fully comprehend why the death penalty is given and what crimes are eligible for the death penalty. I am going to list as many crimes as possible that are eligible for the death penalty. The United States federal …show more content…

In my opinion, common sense tells me that the death penalty is going to deter individuals in society from committing murder. The fear of death alone will deter me from committing murder. Punishments such as life sentences are less feared by criminals facing those charges. How many murderers ask for the death penalty versus life in prison? Hardly any person would ask for something of that nature. The death penalty deters individuals from committing murder and it protects citizens from future

Show More
Related

  • Essay On The Death Penalty

    1306 Words  | 3 Pages

    A death penalty is the sentence of execution for murder and some other capital crimes. Capital punishment can also be applied for treason, espionage, and other crimes. The death penalty, or capital punishment, may be prescribed by Congress or any state legislature for murder and other capital crimes. The Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty is not a per se violation of the Eighth Amendment 's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

    Read More

  • Capital Punishment: A Failed Experiment By David Von Drehle

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    The death penalty has always been a subject of controversy. Some say that it is a barbaric practice that should be done away with while others claim it to be necessary to ensure the safety of modern society. Either way, capital punishment has always remained a grey area in the

    Read More

  • The Death Penalty In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    The death penalty is a punishment of execution, administered to someone legally for committing a capital crime. There are many ways in which someone can receive the punishment, such as, lethal injections, hanging, the electric chair, firing squad, beheading, and crucifixion. Some methods are more common than others. Many people have debated whether or not there should be a death penalty for criminals. Some believe that if there is a death penalty, then there will be less murders, rapes and other horrible crimes.

    Read More

  • The Pro And Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    Capital punishment is the type of punishment that allows the execution of prisoners who are charged and convicted because they committed a “capital crime.” Capital crime is a crime that is considered so horrible and terrifying that anyone who commits it should be punished with death (McMahon, Wallace). After so many years this type of punishment, also known as the “death penalty”, remains a very controversial topic all around the world, raising countless debates on whether it should be legalized or not.

    Read More

  • The Controversy Surrounding the Death Penalty

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    Is the death penalty fair? Is it humane? Does it deter crime? The answers to these questions vary depending on who answers them. The issue of capital punishment raises many debates. These same questions troubled Americans just as much in the day of the Salem witch trials as now in the say of Timothy McVeigh. During the time of the Salem witchcraft trials they had the same problem as present society faces. Twenty innocent people had been sentenced to death. It was too late to reverse the decision and the jurors admitted to their mistake. The execution of innocent people is still a major concern for American citizens today.

    Read More

  • Ethical Issues In The Death Penalty

    1624 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Death Penalty practice has always been a topic of major debate and ethical concern among citizens in society. The death penalty can be defined as the authorization to legally kill a person as punishment for committing a crime, this practice is also known as Capital Punishment. The purpose of creating a harsher punishment for criminals was to deter other people from committing atrocious crimes and it was also intended to serve as a way of incapacitation and retribution. In fact, deterrence, incapacitation, and retribution are some of the basic concepts in the justice system, which explain the intentions of creating punishments as a consequence for illegal conduct. In the United States, the Congress approved the federal death penalty on June 25, 1790 and according to the Death Penalty Focus (DPF, 2011) organization website “there have been 343 executions, two of which were women”.

    Read More

  • The Case Against The Death Penalty

    869 Words  | 2 Pages

    It's dark and cold, the fortress-like building has cinderblock walls, and death lurks around the perimeter. A man will die tonight. Under the blue sky, small black birds gather outside the fence that surrounds the building to flaunt their freedom. There is a gothic feel to the scene, as though you have stepped into a horror movie.

    Read More

  • The Controversy of Death Penalty in the US

    1313 Words  | 3 Pages

    The death penalty, ever since it was established, has created a huge controversy all throughout the world. Ever since the death penalty was created, there have been people who supported the death penalty and those who wanted to destroy it. When the death penalty was first created the methods that were used were gruesome and painful, it goes against the Eighth Amendment that was put in place many years later. The methods they used were focused on torturing the people and putting them through as much pain as possible. In today’s society the death penalty is quick and painless, it follows the Eighth Amendment. Still there are many people who are against capital punishment. The line of whether to kill a man or women for murder or to let him or her spend the rest one’s life in prison forever will never be drawn in a staight.

    Read More

  • The Death Penalty

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    The death penalty continues to be an issue of controversy and is an issue that will be debated in the United States for many years to come. According to Hugo A. Bedau, the writer of “The Death Penalty in America”, capital punishment is the lawful infliction of the death penalty. The death penalty has been used since ancient times for a variety of offenses. The Bible says that death should be done to anyone who commits murder, larceny, rapes, and burglary. It appears that public debate on the death penalty has changed over the years and is still changing, but there are still some out there who are for the death penalty and will continue to believe that it’s a good punishment. I always hear a lot of people say “an eye for an eye.” Most people feel strongly that if a criminal took the life of another, their’s should be taken away as well, and I don’t see how the death penalty could deter anyone from committing crimes if your going to do the crime then at that moment your not thinking about being on death role. I don’t think they should be put to death they should just sit in a cell for the rest of their life and think about how they destroy other families. A change in views and attitudes about the death penalty are likely attributed to results from social science research. The changes suggest a gradual movement toward the eventual abolition of capital punishment in America (Radelet and Borg, 2000).

    Read More

  • Is Capital Punishment Ethical?

    2399 Words  | 5 Pages

    On the other side of the debate, there are those that believe that the death penalty is a deterrent. For most criminals, they are aware of the fact that if they get caught, they will be sent to prison. However, other than being sent to prison, there are not really any other repercussions for committing a crime. They argue that if a person were to be presented with the possibility of the death penalty, they would more than likely think twice about their actions and realize that there are more risks than just im...

    Read More

  • The Ethics of Capital Punishment

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Pros and Cons of Death Penalty

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    The death penalty has been an issue of debate for several years. Whether or not we should murder murderer’s and basically commit the same crime that they are being killed for committing. People against the death penalty say that we should not use it for that very reason. They also make claims that innocent people who were wrongly convicted could be killed. Other claims include it not working as a deterrent, it being morally wrong, and that it discriminates.

    Read More

  • Capital Punishment Justified

    1152 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Common sense, lately bolstered by statistics, tells us that the death penalty will deter murder... People fear nothing more than death. Therefore, nothing will deter a criminal more than the fear of death... life in prison is less feared. Murderers clearly prefer it to execution -- otherwise, they would not try to be sentenced to life in prison instead of death... Therefore, a life sent...

    Read More

  • Capital Punishment is Necessary

    365 Words  | 1 Pages

    The death penalty deters murder and puts the fear of death into would be killers. A person is less likely to kill, if he fears a possible sentence for his action. Another way the death penalty may help deter murder is the fact that if the killer is death, he or she will not be able to kill again. There are two different opinions on the death penalty. There are those who think that murders deserve to live and serve a life sentence in jail, and those who are supporters of the death penalty as a form of revenge. Both groups want to make examples out of offenders so that the threat of death will be enough to deter from capitol offenses.

    Read More

  • Benefits of the Death Penalty

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    Have you ever thought about if the person next to you is a killer or a rapist? If he is, what would you want from the government if he had killed someone you know? He should receive the death penalty! Murderers and rapists should be punished for the crimes they have committed and should pay the price for their wrongdoing. Having the death penalty in our society is humane; it helps the overcrowding problem and gives relief to the families of the victims, who had to go through an event such as murder. Without the death penalty, criminals would be more inclined to commit additional violent crimes. Fear of death discourages people from committing crimes. If capital punishment were carried out more it would prove to be the crime preventative it was partly intended to be. Most criminals would think twice before committing murder if they knew their own lives were at stake. Use of the death penalty as intended by law could actually reduce the number of violent murders by eliminating some of the repeat offenders. The death penalty has always been and continues to be a very controversial issue. People on both sides of the issue argue endlessly to gain further support for their movements. While opponents of capital punishment are quick to point out that the United States remains one of the few Western countries that continue to support the death penalty. The deterrent effect of any punishment depends on how quickly the punishment is applied.

    Read More

More about Controversial Issues Surrounding The Death Penalty

Open Document