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ethical issue of capital punishment
ethical issue of capital punishment
capital punishment controversy
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Capital Punishment
Capital Punishment: a.k.a. the death penalty. To kill or not to kill. This is an extremely controversial question in
today’s society. The number of people who are for it still believe in the saying, “ an eye for an eye, a tooth for a
tooth.” These are the people who feel if you intentionally take the life of someone else, then yours should be taken
as well. But then there are the other number of people who feel the death penalty should be banned because of its
cruel and unjust way of punishment. Should we keep it or not? And if it is kept, how do we determine who should be
sentenced to death? An easy way to answer these questions is to totally nullify capital punishment completely.
One reason why the death penalty is so controversial is because many feel its cruel ways of punishment are
unnecessary, even if the crime is murder, whether it be premeditated or unintentional. They believe there are other
ways of condemnation besides execution. In the case of an unintentional death feelings are that the perpetrators
should have the right to live, but have to face each day with the fact that they killed someone weighing on their
conscience. On the other hand, such as with a voluntary murder, the ideas are somewhat similar. They believe the
murderer doesn’t deserve the death penalty. Chances are if a person is insane enough to kill another human being in
the first place, they aren’t going to care what happens to them. They
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realize that their execution, in most cases, is going to be short and painless. This isn’t a just punishment for someone
who has inflicted severe pain upon another life. Our court system, after initiating a life sentence without parole,
should not offer these killers the comforts they have in jail. They should be treated more or less like animals. In
short, let the ones who institute a crime unwillingly live, but do not let the punishment be as severe as it would for a
voluntary criminal.
There are a vast number of people who believe that increasing the use of the death penalty will abate the crime rate.
Not true. While a criminal is in the process of committing a crime, chances are that he is not contemplating what his
punishment will be for his actions. More than likely his thoughts are upon getting what he wants, whether it be
something tangible, such as money, or something as ...
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... use of capital
punishment will not affect the crime rate of an area in any such way.
The third and possibly the most important reason why capital punishment should be eliminated is because what is
stated in the Bible. The sixth commandment specifically says “Thou shalt not kill.” If someone is executed, our
court system is deliberately defying our Lord’s laws. John 8:7 says, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
This supports the idea that only a man who is not a sinner has the right to eliminate someone from this Earth. Many
feel the only person or being who is without sin is God. They also believe that He is the only existence who has the
right to take someone’s life, or “cast the first stone.” Which in turn means we as humans are not entitled to that
privilege.
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The use of capital punishment in today’s society is an incredibly controversial issue which will require a great deal
of contemplation to answer the questions: to kill or not to kill? Many feel that the annihilation of this practice will
solve a large number of the problems and questions about the death penalty that haunt our society today.
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Capital punishment is one of the most controversial subjects in the world today. Many are advocates for it, many are advocates against it. It is either viewed as justice for a victim, or as playing God and taking a life when you do not have that authority. Over 14O countries have abolished the death penalty which leaves one-third of the world still practicing it today. A few
The death penalty, as administered by states based on their individual laws, is considered capital punishment, the purpose of which is to penalize criminals convicted of murder or other heinous crimes (Fabian). The death penalty issue has been the focus of much controversy in recent years, even though capital punishment has been a part of our country's history since the beginning. Crimes in colonial times, such as murder and theft of livestock were dealt with swiftly and decisively ("The Death Penalty..."). Criminals were hanged shortly after their trial, in public executions. This practice was then considered just punishment for those crimes. Recently though, the focus of the death penalty debate has been on moral and legal issues. The murderers of today's society can be assured of a much longer life even after conviction, with the constraints of the appeals process slowing the implementation of their death sentence. In most cases, the appeal process lasts several years, during which time criminals enjoy comfortable lives. They have television, gym facilities, and the leisure time to attend free college-level classes that most American citizens must struggle to afford. Foremost, these murderers have the luxury of time, something their victims ran out of the moment their paths crossed. It is time this country realized the only true justice for these criminals is in the form of the death penalty. The death penalty should be administered for particularly heinous crimes.
There are over sixty offenses in the United States of America that can be punishable by receiving the death penalty (What is..., 1). However, many individuals believe that the death penalty is an inadequate source of punishment for any crime no matter how severe it is. The fact remains, however, that the death penalty is one of the most ideal forms of punishment. There are other individuals who agree with the idea that capital punishment is the best form of punishment. In fact, some of these individuals believe that this should be the only form of punishment.
Critics of capital punishment hold that because most homicides are situational and are not planned, offenders do not consider the consequences of their actions before they commit the offense” (Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2015, p.133). Most people on death row committed their crimes in the heat of the moment, usually while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or, in some cases, due to suffering from mental illness. These individuals are highly unlikely to make rational decisions based on a fear of future consequences for their actions. Criminals are mainly concerned with whether or not they’ll be caught, not what might happen to them afterwards.
Does the death penalty really deter crime? The death lobby wants you to believe the answer to that question is "yes." But, in fact, it is a resounding "NO." Consider this…the US is the only Western nation that still allows the death penalty, and we also have on the highest crime rates. During the 1980's, death penalty states averaged an annual rate of 7.5 criminal homicides per 100,000, while abolition states averaged a rate of 7.4 per 1000,000. That means murder was actually MORE common in states that use the death penalty. Also consider this…. in a nationwide survey of police chiefs and sheriffs, capital punishment was ranked LAST as a way of reducing violent crime. Only twenty-six percent thought that the death penalty significantly reduces the number of homicides. The theor...
Death penalty might sound like the immoral thing to do; however it’s effective. When a criminal is sentence to the death sentence, it spreads fear between criminals who committed a similar crime. It also, decreases the amount of criminals that were thinking about committing that particular crime. In the article, “The Death Penalty Deters Crime and Saves Lives” Muhlhausen explains to us how death penalty sa...
By placing convicts on death row, America has found a just way of preventing repeat offenders while decreasing the rate of homicide as justice deteriorates crime rates. For instance, “There is overwhelming proof that living murderers harm and murder again, in prison and after improper release. No one disputed that living murderers are infinitely more likely to harm and murder again than are those that are executed murderers” (Williams). Accordingly, with the chance of facing the death penalty and going on death row, criminals are discouraged from committing the crime they are proceeding in, apprehensive of being placed on death row. Revealing likewise, this also shows that punishing criminals by benefiting them with shelter, food, and basic accommodations does not discourage them from committing more crimes after an improper release occurs. Continuing on, “For every inmate in America who was executed on Death Row, seven innocent lives were spared because other criminals were deterred from committing murder”(Williams)....
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).
The death penalty has been backed by statistical analysis that has provided arguments for and against the sentencing based off deterrence methods. People against the death penalty have documented states that do not have the death penalty and have shown a decrease in murder rate. David Cooper’s statistical article provides information for non-death penalty states showing lower murder rates by stating, “When comparisons are made between states with the death penalty and states without, the majority of death penalty states show murder rates higher than non-death penalty states. The average of murder rates per 100,000 population in 1999 among death penalty states was 5.5, whereas the average of murder rates among non-death penalty states was only 3.6,” (Cooper, p.1). The statistics have shown that the death penalty ha...
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.
The death penalty remains a very controversial and highly criticized topic. Both sides argue vehemently from many different angles about the constitutionality, morality, and justice of the death penalty; but, both sides know that there must be some form of punishment for the violent criminals who commit murder. The conflict arises with the question, “what punishment is fair for a convicted murderer?”
Murder! Rape! Terrorism! Most consider the people that commit these heinous crimes, but some say these people deserve a second chance. The Debate over the merits of capital punishment has endured for years, and continues to be an extremely complicated issue. Adversaries of capital punishment point to the Marshalls and the Millgards, while proponents point to the Dahmers and Gacys. Capital punishment is the legal infliction of the death penalty on persons convicted of a crime (Cox). It is not intended to inflict any physical pain or any torture; it is only another form of punishment. It is irrevocable because it removes those punished from society permanently, instead of temporarily imprisoning them. The usual alternative to the death penalty is life-long imprisonment.
The death penalty has been an ongoing debate for many years. Each side of the issue presents valid arguments to explain why someone should be either for or against the subject. One side of the argument says deterrence, the other side says there’s a likelihood of putting to death an innocent man; one says justice, retribution, and punishment; the other side says execution is murder itself. Crime is an unmistakable part of our society, and it is safe to say that everyone would concur that something must be done about it. The majority of people know the risk of crime to their lives, but the subject lies in the techniques and actions in which it should be dealt with. As the past tells us, capital punishment, whose meaning is “the use of death as a legally sanctioned punishment,” is a suitable and proficient means of deterring crime. Today, the death penalty resides as an effective method of punishment for murder and other atrocious crimes.
However, advocating for the complete abolishment of death penalty right away won 't be a good step. the first step we should do is trying to advocate to limit the scope of death penalty in the states.
“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.