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Capital punishment solutions
Capital punishment solutions
Alternatives to the death penalty
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Speech: Against Capital Punishment
MOTION: " We believe that capital punishment is not needed in a
civilised community."
Imagine yourself in a small, isolated cabin waiting to be led to your
execution. A small, scrawny man comes to collect you. Your whole life
rushes past you as you take your few, final footsteps to the execution
chamber.
This is the thought 7,000 people have experienced in the last 18
months. These people were executed cruelly by capital punishment in
countries all over the globe. 970 of these people were women and
children. The countries allowing this barbaric method of punishment to
happen have probably never thought about whether this scheme of
punishment is actually successful in the deterring of crime. I have
many reasons for arguing against capital punishment. Firstly, I
believe that it is a failure as a deterrent of crime, which can be
seen by comparing the criminal statistics of those countries where the
punishment is in use, with those countries where it has been
abolished.
Capital punishment violates the right to live, a right everyone has
even if they are mass murderers. Crimes punishable by death include
rape, murder, adultery and kidnapping, all which should be punishable
in a more civilized way and not by the death sentence. All in all,
there are thirty-five crimes punishable by death, ranging from
assassinations to shoplifting. As a community, we should attempt to
help these people by giving them counselling, for example, instead of
execution. No person should be killed for a crime, no matter what the
crime is, because two wrongs do not make a right. No problems would be
solved, but w...
... middle of paper ...
...here is no such thing as a humane way of putting someone to death.
Every type of execution causes the prisoner physical suffering, some
methods perhaps cause less than others, but be in no doubt that being
executed is a terrifying and gruesome ordeal for everyone What is
often also overlooked upon is the extreme mental torture that the
person suffers leading up to the execution, especially if they are
innocent. How would you feel if you knew you were going to die
tomorrow morning at 8 a.m?
Barbarians, that is what we have become, barbarians. We kill each
other and instead of mourning the tragedy, we want to satisfy our
bloodlust by killing the murderer. We must learn to deal with these
people while we have control over them. Yes, we should punish them,
but do not become them. Otherwise we are not much better, are we?
Opponents of capital punishment are outspoken and vehement in their arguments. They believe the death penalty does not does not deter crime. They also hold the opinion that endin...
Capital punishment is an age-old practice. It has been used in civilizations for millennia, and will continue to be used for millennia to come. Whether used for the right or wrong reasons, capital punishment is unmistakable in its various forms. From hangings, to firing squads, to lethal injections, capital punishment and the associated proceeding have evolved over time. There have been many arguments against capital punishment, many of which still hold true. As capital punishment has evolved over time, however, many of the most valid arguments have been proven all but null. Capital punishment still has its ethical and moral concerns, but as it has evolved over time these concerns have not necessarily become less valid, but fewer in number when specifically addressing capital punishment. The proceedings that come hand-in-hand with capital punishment, however, have become increasingly more rigorous and controversial and are the main focus of most capital punishment concerns.
Capital punishment is a hotly debated topic in the United States, it has and will continue to be a controversial social issue. Arguments from each viewpoint are valid, but the view with the most reasons and well thought out arguments is that of those against capital punishment. It is faulty in its ways of executing innocent people. Unethical and immoral, when it is not used fairly. It causes some to take discriminatory actions towards African Americans and the mentally ill. Capital punishment is costly, it is practically destroying the United States economy. Lastly, it is a violation of our humanitarian rights. We should not resort to such harsh methods of punishment when there are other perfectly good ways to punish those who have done wrong. With the abolition of capital punishment, we can end a cycle of violence.
Narration: When it comes to the death penalty there are Opponents and Proponents and although both aim to defend and protect society from crime their beliefs differ in how to accomplish this.
Using capital punishment would put an end to the killer’s suffering, and let him leave the world peacefully. With the death penalty in place, the victim’s family can finally get closure. Families that have been through the intense experience of losing a loved one might call for lex talionis, or eye for an eye. They could believe that the killer took their loved one from them and the only acceptable recourse would be to take the murderer’s life. This retaliation for the family might be the most important reason to instill the death penalty in today’s
Capital punishment is a form of taking someone 's life in order to repay for the crime that they have committed. Almost all capital punishment sentences in the United States of America have been imposed for homicide since the 1970 's. Ever since the reinstatement after 38 years of being banned, there has been intense debate among Americans regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment. Critics say that executions are violations of the “cruel and unusual punishment” provision of the Eighth Amendment. Some capital punishment cases require a separate penalty trial to be made, at which time the jury reviews if there is the need for capital punishment. In 1982, the first lethal injection execution was performed in Texas. Some other common methods of execution used are electrocution, a firing squad, and lethal gas. In recent years, the US Supreme Court has made it more difficult for death row prisoners to file appeals. Nearly 75 percent of Americans support the death sentence as an acceptable form of punishment. The other fourth have condemned it. Some major disagreements between supporters and non-supporters include issues of deterrence,
...realize the numerous drawbacks of the death penalty and are better understanding the more logical alternatives. A nation that previously had overwhelming support for the death penalty is slowly, but surely, shifting towards a more liberal view. Last year’s Gallup poll revealed that support for the death penalty in America has dropped from 80% to 60%, the lowest in nearly 40 years. This is also reflected in many state governments, as 29 states have not carried out an execution in the last 5 years and many vigorous repeal campaigns are underway. Last year, California’s Prop 34 narrowly failed to pass by about 250,000 votes. Prop 34 would have replaced the death penalty in California with the sentence of life without the possibility of parole. However, we are certainly moving in the right direction. It is only a matter of time before the death penalty is abolished.
“Our position… is that there is no place for capital punishment… We believe that justice for all is better served by a sentence of life imprisonment.”(Szumski 170) The administration of Capital punishment in the United States has been a failed experiment. Capital punishment or “The death penalty” is the legally authorized killing of a human being as punishment for a crime. The entire process of Capital punishment is fraught with error, since 1973, over 87 inmates have been released from death row due to their innocence being proven. (Blecker, 12) Capital punishment attacks the poor, as well as the black community. For the worst crimes, life without parole is better. Not only is the death penalty discriminatory and unethical, it violates the
Capital punishment is the execution of a perpetrator for committing a heinous crime (homicide), and it is a hotly debated topic in our society. The basic issue is whether capital punishment should be allowed as it is today, or abolished in part or in whole. My argument is that:
One of the most repetitive and controversial topics discussed in the criminal justice system, is the death penalty. Capital punishment has been a part of our nation’s history since the creation of our constitution. In fact, as of January 1st, 2016, 2,943 inmates were awaiting their fate on death row (Death Penalty Information Center). Throughout my life, I have always been a strong advocate for the death penalty. During the majority of my undergraduate degree, I was a fierce supporter of capital punishment when discussing the topic in classes. However, throughout many criminal justice courses, I found myself in the minority, regarding the abolishment of the death penalty. While debating this topic, I would always find myself sympathetic to the victims and their families, as one should be, wanting those who were responsible for heinous crimes to
The death penalty has been around since the beginning of time and historians trace it back to the 1600’s (“Death Penalty Information”). It is considered the ultimate form of justice, an eye for an eye. While it might seem only logical that a murderer does not deserve to live any longer, the severe cost makes it a total waste. However, changing the public’s mind on an issue like this has proven to be difficult. To a family member who has lost someone to a murder, the only true form of justice they can look forward to is the execution. Telling the family the murderer will spend the rest of his life in jail with free health care and meals simply does not have the same ring to it. Nonetheless many other countries across the world have chosen to stop capital punishment, and are now enjoying the extra cash flow. In the year 2015 there are still 32 states that administer the death penalty, and only 18 states that have abolished it (“Death Penalty Information”). Capital punishment is controversial for many reasons, but the cost it puts on the tax payers is something everyone should be concerned with.
There are many pros to the death penalty. Some claim that there is a preventative effect on potential murderers, although there is a lot of debate about this and just about every other argument for or against capital punishment. Another is the idea of incapacitation. Truthfully, why should someone have the right to live if they have taken that right from another person? The purpose why this writer supports capital punishment is because in observing victims’ families and their grief over murdered loved ones. This writer believes anyone who murders should be put to death. One reason for this is because people should not have the right to live after they have killed a fellow human being. The death penalty is a topic dealing with ethics, a set of moral principles or values. This issue is constantly filled with mix feelings and attitudes which the writer will attempt to present in the following paragraphs.
While we may all want murders off the street, the problem we come to face is that capital punishment is being used for vengeance or as a deterrent. Capital punishment has been used worldwide, not only by the governments to instill fear, but to show that there are repercussions to ones actions. From the time we are born, we are taught to learn the difference between right and wrong. It is ingrained in our brains, what happens to people that do bad things? Capital punishment is renowned for being the worst thing that could be brought amongst ones life.
Our discussion accordingly turned to the question of life imprisonment. While this admittedly looks attractive when compared to the death penalty, considered in itself it is a terrible thing. However antiseptic and humane his quarters might be, the thought of a human being locked up for life gives pause. Surely only the most grievous offenses could warrant such severe punishment. Are there really any offenses that severe? In Italy, later in the spring, I became aware of a campaign against life imprisonment.
Capital Punishment has always been a big question in peoples lives when asking how to deal with a prisoner dealing with life imprisonment. These prisoners have to put their lives in the hands of the judge and jury when putting out the punishment they get for the crime they committed. People have to decide if the crime the committed is worth ending someones life then and there or letting them live their life in prison. The death penalty to me is a horrible but needed part of life to prove a point to people who think getting away with crimes worthy of this punishment is worth doing. It puts the fear of god into people cause you are playing with god and your life when you have to decide between life and prison and lethal injection. Many states are still deciding whether or not they want their state to use the death penalty and that has kicked up a lot of controversy in there states population. Many different people on both sides of the debate on how to handle these types of criminals based on the crimes they have committed.