Death Penalty

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Recommended: The effects of capital punishment

According to www.deathpenalityinfo.org, the first legal death penalty ever issued was on June 25, 1790 as a result of a murder Thomas Bird committed in Maine. Since then, the United States has executed a total of 340 people, 336 men, and 4 women. As of today, the death penalty is the highest form of capital punishment and is predominantly issued to violators of murder. People that have committed murder are arrested and put on trial. A recent example of a crime that may issue the death penalty is California's case against Scott Peterson. Scott Peterson was arrested for the murder of his wife who was pregnant with his child. He is currently on trial and awaiting a sentence of life in jail without parole, or the death penalty. It is up to a jury of six men and six women to determine his fate.

When discussing the death penalty many lawful and moral issues are brought up. I was fortunate enough to listen to a representative speak about these issues in a conference held by Housatonic Community College this winter. The speaker was extremely against the death penalty but made good points for each side. For example, proceeding to put a man to death through penalty of law is in fact murder. Just as the man can create an injustice by killing someone else, the government is creating the same injustice by killing that man; however, it providing a sense of justice for the family of the victim. To put a murderer or an alleged murderer through trial, it costs taxpayers a great deal of money. It is a known fact that death penalty trials, on average can cost taxpayers millions of dollars; furthermore, its costs even more money to execute a guilty murderer than it costs to sentence him or her to life imprisonment without bail. Many people view ...

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... concerned, each death is justified. Law officials, as well as many people feel safer knowing that a murder may not be committed simply because of the fear the death penalty installs. Only the truly mentally sick refuse to fear the idea of being put to death by the government. The death penalty has come a long way through the years to become more humane, despite the idea of killing another human being. It was originally a painful hanging. Years later it was changed to death by electric chair, and now recently it has been changed to death by lethal injection. Reasons for condoning the death penalty are justice, revenge, a feeling of justification for the victim's family, and possible prevention of another murder. It may be an inhumane act but the idea of being put to death by the government may have possibly prevented possible murders throughout the years.

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