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Death penalty vs life
Philosophical approach to capital punishment
Death penalty vs life
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“When Michael Ryan was sentenced to death, We were sentenced to” (Kelle, a.n.d, par.2). Keeping him tied outside to a deck with no coat to freeze in the winter cold, disemboweling him with a shovel to shooting off each one of his fingers, James Thimm was tortured to death (Kelle,2009). We imagine that as each day went past the pain would weaken. But that wasn’t the case for Miriam Thimm Kelle and his family. Michael Ryan the killer of Jim, were sentenced to the death penalty but little did Miriam know he was also sentenced. For some 20 years Michael Ryan's execution was carried out through every appeal on and on. The pain that Kelle’s family inflicted was insufferable. As unfortunate as the occurrence was it is safe to say this continues to be the pain of many murder victims families. The death penalty provides nothing but pain for the victims family, the economy and the society.
There are multiple reasons why one should be against the death penalty. For a society that wants to be civilized, putting people to death does not solve that problem. Thinking that its helping, the death penalty actually creates a whole new set of victims. Mistakes are made because cases always turns out to be innocent. The death penalty is often used as a discriminatory tool for poor, blacks, and other specifics. Like life imprisonment the death penalty is no more deterrent. There's always the possibility of rehabilitations no matter how evil the crime was. It is hypocritical and against the law to kill someone but the state still do. The overall quality of life is bad in a society where the death penalty is used. And when this whole ordeal is put into play it brings down the society as whole.
Most murders committed are largely done in the heart of the moment. “The homicide rate is at least five times greater in the united states than in any western European country” (Carter, 2012, part.4). No where does studies show a substantial net deterrent effect from capital punishment under modern U.S. conditions. In fact 88.2% of polled criminologists do not believe that the death penalty is a deterrent (Rodelet,2009, p.3). Im sure that persons contemplating murder do not sit around and say hey you know what I won’t commit this murder because I’ll face the death penalty. No, planned murders don’t plan on getting caught. They either weigh the consequences, death penalty, life without parole. States without the death penalty have a lower murder rate than states with it. 10 of the states without capital punishment have homicide rates below the national average (Bonner, Fessenden,2000).
The death penalty is not a deterrent. It’s usually only used on the poor or disadvantaged people. The poor, minorities, and members of racial, ethnic, and religious communities are directly effected under the state of the International criminal court adopted in 1998, the death penalty is excluded from the punishments (“Amnesty International the” , n.d). Deterrence plays no part. "According to a survey of the former and present presidents of the country's top academic criminological societies, 84% of these experts rejected the notion that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder. (Radelet & Akers, 1996)"
Victims are sentenced to death after unfair trials. The death penalty has been and continues to be used as a tool of political repression. It’s used to silence forever political opponents or to eliminate politically troublesome individuals. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes each person’s right to life. “No one should be subjected to torture or to cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” (Human Rights #5 ) The death penalty violates these rights. "
The death penalty is not an act of self-defense.
It is in fact the premeditated killing of a prisoner who could be dealt with by less...
... middle of paper ...
...ons is excited. Instead families feelings are remorsefully saddened for executions. Over and over studies have shown that the death penalty does not work as deterrence to crime. And costs are so driven up by death penalty cases. Ultimately the death penalty is a permanent death consent. Why murder others for murders? It doesn't make any sense to.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kane, Gregory. "To murder victims' families, executing killers is justice."baltimoresun.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. .
Bonner, Raymond, and Ford Fessenden. "States Without Death Penalty Have Lower Homicide Rates." commondreams. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2000. .
McCafferty, James. 2009. “Capital Punishment”.
"Death Penalty." Amnesty International USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. .
Meehan , Mary . "Ten reasons to oppose the death penalty." America Magazine . N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 1982.
Manderu, Evan. 2011. “Capital Punishment America”.
"infoplease." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"Amendment VIII: Benjamin Rush, On Punishing Murder by Death." Amendment VIII: Benjamin Rush, On Punishing Murder by Death. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Dieter, Richard . "The Death Penalty in Black and White: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides." DPIC. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. .
Kronenwetter, Micheal 2001 “Capital Punishment”
“How the Death Penalty Saves Lives” According to DPIC (Death penalty information center), there are one thousand –four hundred thirty- eight executions in the United States since 1976. Currently, there are Two thousand –nine hundred –five inmates on death row, and the average length of time on death row is about fifteen years in the United States. The Capital punishment, which appears on the surface to the fitting conclusion to the life of a murder, in fact, a complicated issue that produces no clear resolution.; However, the article states it’s justice. In the article “How the Death Penalty Saves Lives” an author David B. Muhlhausen illustrates a story of Earl Ringo , Jr, brutal murder’s execution on September ,10,
Andre, Claire, and Manuel Velasquez. “Capital Punishment.” Our Duty or Our Doom. 12 May 2010. 30 May 2010 .
Throughout America’s history, capital punishment, or the death penalty, has been used to punish criminals for murder and other capital crimes. In the early 20th century, numerous people would gather for public executions. The media described these events gruesome and barbaric (“Infobase Learning”). People began to wonder if the capital punishment was really constitutional.
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.
Haines, Herbert H., Against Capital Punishment: The Anti-Death Penalty Movement in America, 1972-1994; New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996
The death penalty debate in the United States is dominated by the fraudulent voice of the anti-death penalty movement. The culture of lies and deceit so dominates that movement that many of the falsehoods are now wrongly accepted as fact, by both advocates and opponents of capital punishment. (Sharp) Opponents of capital punishment are extremely outspoken and vehement in their arguments. The American Civil Liberties Union believes the death penalty violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment. However, the death penalty is not cruel and unusual punishment, the authors of the United States Constitution’s Eighth Amendment related “cruel and unusual” punishment to methods used in ages past. The Eighth Amendment was created to outlaw such practices as bur...
The use of the death penalty shows us that revenge is honored in our society. The cost of incarcerating an offender for their lifetime is much less than the cost of executing that same offender. In spite of the lower cost to imprison, we continue to execute offenders. To me, this mindset shows a system that considers the death of another to be a victory.
Steffen, Lloyd. "The Death Penalty Is Unjust." The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA. Greenhaven Press, Inc. 1991. pp. 61-66.
“The Death Penalty in America: A Cultural and Historical Analysis.” Supreme Court Debates (2004): pp. 259-288.
“The case Against the Death Penalty.” aclu.org. American Civil Liberties Union, 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013
Death Penalty Information Center (n.d.). Deterrence: states without the death penalty have had consistently low murder rates. Retrieved February 8, 2011 from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/deterrence-states-without-death-penalty-have-had-consistently-lower-murder-rates
Pasquerella, Lynn. “The Death Penalty in the United States.” The Study Circle Resource Center of Topsfield Foundation. July 1991. Topsfield Foundation. 03 Feb 2011. Web.
Jacoby believes the death penalty protects society by threatening future murders with fear. Gaes believes the death penalty is necessary because the overpopulation in prisons causes emotional and physical distress. The stronger side of the debate seems to be that the death penalty does not discourage crime at all nor does it help the victim’s family heal. It would be useful to know whether or not death-penalty states as a whole have lower rates of crime than non-death penalty states when arguing for the death penalty.
The Death Penalty brings down the estimation of human life as saw by the all inclusive community and dehumanizes society. It is revolved around a requirement for retaliation which is ethically and morally
Schonebaum, Stephen E. "A Swifter Death Penalty Would Be An Effective Deterrent." Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime? San Diego: David L. Bender; Greenhaven Press Inc. 1998. 18.