Gandalf, the powerful wizard of The Lord of the Rings, sagely reminds us “Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life.” (Tolkien 92). There are arguments both for and against administration of capital punishment in our society. This paper will list a few arguments that oppose the death penalty. In this time when advanced technology assists in collecting and interpreting evidence, it is incredible that we still make mistakes in our legal administration and our decision-making. Also, there is an argument that the death penalty discriminates on the basis of race and economic status. Lastly, the administration of the death penalty violates the Biblical right to life. Perhaps the death penalty could be viewed as cruel and unusual punishment, which would make it a violation of our Constitution. For these reasons, the death penalty should be abolished. Proponents of the death penalty present a number of reasons for deserved capital punishment. Agencies whose purpose is to deter crime believe that punishing wrongdoers may reduce crimes and save lives. Society has the right to keep murderers from ever killing again and criminals should be held fully responsible for the crimes they commit. Supporters of the death penalty believe that science can be used effectively to free the innocent as well as to identify the guilty. They believe that the justice system receives scrutiny to protect a person charged from injustice. Those that oppose the death penalty also have compelling arguments. The death penalty should be abolished because mistakes can and have been made and sometimes a person is put to death who is innocent. The courts and legal branches of our government try to carry out their jobs with accuracy, fai... ... middle of paper ... ... "Death Penalty Information and Resources." 1987. Death Penalty Information. American Society of Criminology. 21 Nov. 2004 . Millett, Frederick C. "End the Death Penalty." 08 2002. Part I: Moral Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty. 16 Nov. 2004 . O’Conner, Tom. "Death Penalty Arguments & Internet Resources." 2004. Death Penalty Arguments & Resources. Class syllabus 2004. 21 Nov. 2004 . Staples, Brent. "Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space." MS Magazine September 1986: 155-157. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings: Part One The Fellowship of the Ring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1954.
Aristophanes was a craft comedy poet in the fourth century B.C. during the time of the Peloponnesian War. Aristophanes’ usual style was to be satirical, and suggesting the eccentric. The most absurd and humorous of Aristophanes’ comedies are those in which the main characters, the heroes of the story, are women. Smart women. One of the most famous of Aristophanes’ comedies portraying powerfully capable women is Lysistrata, named after the female lead character of the play. It depicts Athenian Lysistrata and the women of Athens teaming up with the women of Sparta to force their husbands to conclude the Peloponnesian War. The play is a comedy, which appears to be written for the amusement of men. The play can be seen as a historical reference to ancient Greece, but it seems highly unlikely that women would talk with such a crude sexual tone. Instead Lysistrata is strictly a satirical play written maybe even to make men doubt the innocence of a woman.
The federal government has an obligation to make just laws. Currently, US laws allow for the death penalty for certain heinous crimes. The supporters argue that the 5th Amendment, which guarantees that no one shall be deprived of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,” implies that depriving someone of his or her life is permissible under the constitution as long as there is due process. However, there are several reasons why the federal government must abolish the death penalty - it weakens US moral authority over other nations; there have been too many wrongful convictions for death penalty in the US; the death penalty is in conflict with the 8th amendment of the US constitution; and finally, the cost of death penalty prosecution compared to sentencing someone to life in prison is very high.
In the time of war between the men of Athenian, Lysistrata calls upon all the women of Athenian to give up all acts of sex towards the men in combat. Empowered by her idea of celibacy, Lysistrata preaches to the women, “From now on, no more penises for you!” (Lysistrata 829). In unison, the women of Athenian chant a promise to stay abstinent until all chaos is resolved. Furthering into the strike, many women have tended to feel deprived of sex, as well as lust. Lysistrata massive persistence in staying true to the seldom promise veers the weak into a hopeful direction. In conclusion to the Greek mythology of “Lysistrata”, the abstain notions of interacting in sex, lead to the war ending. Lysistrata was praised as a heroic figure and respected by her district of
Murray, Gregg R. "Raising Considerations: Public Opinion And The Fair Application Of The Death Penalty." Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell) 84.4 (2003): 753-770. Business Source Complete. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
Staples, Brent. “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space.” 50 Essays. Ed. Samuel Cohen.
In conclusion, our justice system is full of flaws and proves to show why the death penalty should be abolished. The reasons for it to be abolished include: financials cost, long drawn out process, more effective sentencing styles, the conviction and execution of an innocent person and the violation of the “cruel and unusual” punishment clause in the Bill of Rights. While the death penalty may seem like the right thing to do under the philosophy of “Eye for Eye”, it only encourages the ongoing process of criminal behavior. Our criminal justice system is blurred and sometimes ineffective when it comes to certain cases. Moreover, justice can be bought rather served.
Liptak, Adam “Does Death Penalty Save Lives? A New Debate. New York Times. New York Times, 18 Nov 2007. Web. 9 Jul 2014.
The Death Penalty should be discontinued to the families, human rights, and statistics. The families of the victim and the family of the one, who committed the crime, have no closure at all. The death penalty is killing a human for being convicted of a terrible crime one family may think its right but both suffer by their lost ones. “Although true closure is never really possible for the families, studies have shown that the continual process, along with the returning to court for many years, force families to confront the gruesome details of the crime many times over, making it impossible to get on with their lives.
“Lysistrata,” written following the trouncing of Athenian forces in Sicily in 413 BC, harkens back to this time of war. As is traditional in Athenian theater, males in drag played all of the female parts. This ritual increases the play’s absurdity. The play begins with the streets empty as the men are at war. The women speak to each other of both emotional and sexual starvation. They both
Civil Liberties. (2013, June 1). 5 Arguments for the Death Penalty. Retrieved February 25, 2014, from listserve.com/2013/06/01/5-arguments-for-against-the-death-penalty/
Death penalty is not quite a familiar term among people. Yet, has become one of the most controversial topics over the last years. “Capital punishment or the death penalty is a legal process whereby a person is put to death as a punishment for a crime” (Wikipedia, 2014 ).According to Wikipedia, it is currently used in thirty four countries, with the modern methods like electrocution , gas chamber, and hanging. There are a lot of people who support death penalty; there is also a large population who want to abolish it. Capital punishment should be allowed because it’s an effective way to ban criminals in society, people should be treated with justice, and.
Although women did attend Shakespeare’s plays in astounding numbers compared to before, some considered it “too public a role for women… having women in the audience distracted from the stage performance and incited lewd behavior in men” (THEATREUNBOUND.COM). This could be one of the reasons why women were forbidden from performing in the plays due to their gender being too emphasized and sexualized. In Ancient Greece, the audiences were comprised solely of men, and women not being allowed to attend could have been a reason why Lysistrata was a thoroughly misogynistic play. In his productions, Aristophanes used characters and instances that would resonate with his male audience, so that included harping on a woman’s role as dutiful domestic beings, with the women revolting against the men using spindles and wool baskets (ARISTOPHANES). The exaggerated and vulgar performances were also a common occurrence to take advantage of the fact that women weren’t in attendance. These outlandish performances added to the comedic effect of the text. Overall, the possibility of women in the audience affected the way the playwright wrote the text and largely how it was
The death penalty is a cruel and unnecessary punishment. It promotes violence and terrorism. The death penalty does not deter a crime, and it costs millions of dollars. The death penalty does not reduce crimes. The death penalty is immoral and it shows discrimination. The death penalty is unfair. The death penalty needs to be abolished because no one deserves to die. Two wrongs do not make a right. Twenty percent have showed that people who were executed was found not guilty.
The death penalty is unjust, equally sinful, and improper as the crime that was committed. The U.S. Constitution comprises and protects the rights and freedom of our people yet it finds capital punishment acceptable. What kind of country have we become that intentionally taking anyone’s life is acceptable. The death penalty has become a fatal attraction that should be abolished.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” is how the saying goes. Coined by the infamous Hammurabi’s Code around 1700 BC, this ancient expression has become the basis of a great political debate over the past several decades – the death penalty. While the conflict can be whittled down to a matter of morals, a more pragmatic approach shows defendable points that are far more evidence backed. Supporters of the death penalty advocate that it deters crime, provides closure, and is a just punishment for those who choose to take a human life. Those against the death penalty argue that execution is a betrayal of basic human rights, an ineffective crime deterrent, an economically wasteful option, and an outdated method. The debate has experienced varying levels of attention over the years, but has always kept in the eye of the public. While many still advocate for the continued use of capital punishment, the process is not the most cost effective, efficient, consistent, or up-to-date means of punishment that America could be using today.