Michael Kroenenwetter was an author who was rather educated in the type of works he published. Kroenenwetter continued his studies after high school at the University of Wisconsin. Here, he accomplished numerous goals. Aside from being an author, he was a former Columnist of City Pages, a member of Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers of Canada, and Author’s Guild. Kroenenwetter was the founder of Joyce and Company Stage Troupe, and a recipient of St. Martin’s Press/Private Eye Writer’s Best first Private Eye Novel Award. He wrote over twenty nine other works besides Capital Punishment, which all relate to politics or the history of American’s criminal justice system. Michael is credited for being the author of the first edition of ABC-CLIO’s Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century American Social Issues (Death penalty," 2010).
Death is easily considered the most ultimate punishment that our government can impose on an individual. Not only because of its violence, but because it is final, and ends all future human potential. Attitudes toward capital punishment vary. Some believe practicing the phrase “an eye for an eye,” as others is totally against it, no matter the circumstances. A number of countries are abandoning capital punishment and following the more human punishment of imprisonment for life, as other countries are increasing its use. The United States is the most prominent of this, executing far more citizens than any other nation such as: Canada, France, Romania, Poland, Italy, Germany, and many others (Kronenwetter, 2001).
Capital punishment is based on the proposition that there must be consequences for one’s wrong doing. In society, the message is clear; if one does something punishable, au...
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...emphasizes the relationship between the death penalty and factors such as mass media, population diversity, community sentiment, and the roles of economic, social, and political leaders (Koch,Wark,Galliher, 2012). “There are detailed explanations –the where, how, and why of these dramatic developments in death penalty laws and practices.” (Koch,Wark,Galliher, 2012, p. 243).
References
Akhavan, K. (2010). Death penalty. Retrieved from http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=009700
Koch, L.W., Wark, C., Galliher, J.F. (2012). The death of the American death penalty. Lebanon, NH: Northeastern University Press.
Kronenwetter, M. (2001). Capital punishment (2nd edition.). Santa Barbara, CA: Library of Congress Cataloging.
Lester, D. (1998). The death penalty issues and answers (2nd edition.). Springfield, IL: Library of Congress Cataloging.
Radelet, Michael L. and Borg, Marian J. “The Changing Nature of Death Penalty Debates.” Annual Sociology Review. 2000: 43-57. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 November 2013.
Koch, Larry Wayne, John F Galliher, and Colin Wark, The Death of the American Death Penalty : States Still Leading the Way. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2012, Ebscohost Ebook.
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.
Since 1976 over 1350 people have been executed in the United States (Facts about the Death Penalty). In 1985 Edward Koch published an article on the New Republic discussing the death penalty. Serving 22 years in public service as a district leader, councilman, congressman, and mayor, Edward Koch has heard all the pros and cons of the death penalty (4). With that knowledge and experience Mr. Koch begins discussing, as well as promoting the death penalty. The arguments used against the death penalty range from religious concerns such as “Thou shalt not kill” (12), to more in-depth government related attacks like the death penalty being used as a state sanctioned murder.
While international documents have restricted and in some cases even banned the death penalty, its application is still not against customary international law. Much debate continues in the US as to whether it constitutes an appropriate punishment, at least to the most heinous crimes. In recent years, the debate has been further fuelled by the use of new technologies, which have shown that a large proportion of people sentenced to death are, indeed, innocent. The death penalty is no more effective a deterrent than life imprisonment... It is also evident that the burden of capital punishment falls upon the poor, the ignorant and the underprivileged members of society."
...ed United States. U.S. Government Accounting Office. Capital Punishment. Washington: GPO, 1994 Cheatwood, Derral and Keith Harries. The Geography of Execution: The Capital Punishment Quagmire in America. Rowman, 1996 NAACP Legal Defense Fund . Death Row. New York: Hein, 1996 "Ex-Death Row Inmate Cleared of Charges." USA Today 11 Mar. 1999: 2A "Fatal Flaws: Innocence and the Death Penalty." Amnesty International. 10 Oct. 1999 23 Oct. 1999 Gest, Ted. "House Without a Blue Print." US News and World Report 8 Jul. 1996: 41 Stevens, Michelle. "Unfairness in Life and Death." Chicago Sun-Times 7 Feb. 1999: 23A American Bar Association. The Task Ahead: Reconciling Justice with Politics. 1997 United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Report. Washington: GPO, 1994 Wickham, DeWayne. "Call for a Death Penalty Moratorium." USA Today 8 Feb. 1999: 17A ILKMURPHY
25 Hugo Adams Bedau, The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997) 250.
In this paper I will argue for the moral permissibility of the death penalty and I am fairly confident that when the case for capital punishment is made properly, its appeal to logic and morality is compelling. The practice of the death penalty is no longer as wide-spread as it used to be throughout the world; in fact, though the death penalty was nearly universal in past societies, only 71 countries world-wide still officially permit the death penalty (www.infoplease.com); the U.S. being among them. Since colonial times, executions have taken place in America, making them a part of its history and tradition. Given the pervasiveness of the death penalty in the past, why do so few countries use the death penalty, and why are there American states that no longer sanction its use? Is there a moral wrong involved in the taking of a criminal’s life? Of course the usual arguments will be brought up, but beyond the primary discourse most people do not go deeper than their “gut feeling” or personal convictions. When you hear about how a family was ruthlessly slaughtered by a psychopathic serial killer most minds instantly feel that this man should be punished, but to what extent? Would it be just to put this person to death?
“The case Against the Death Penalty.” aclu.org. American Civil Liberties Union, 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013
Reiman, Jeffrey H. “Justice, Civilization, and the Death Penalty” Philosophy and Public Affairs 14, no. 2 (Spring 1985): Princeton University Press, 1985. Print.
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).
Capital Punishment Essays - For the Common Good. Putting to death people judged to have committed certain extreme Terrible crimes are a practice of ancient standing, but in the United States. in the second half of the twentieth century, it has become a very controversial issue. Changing views on this difficult issue led the Supreme Court to abolish capital punishment in 1972 but later upheld it in 1977. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard' Although capital punishment is what the people want, there are many.
Almost all nations in the world either have the death sentence or have had it at one time. It was used in most cases to punish those who broke the laws or standards that were expected of them. Since the death penalty wastes tax money, is inhumane, and is largely unnecessary it should be abolished in every state across the United States. The use of the death penalty puts the United States in the same category as countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia which are two of the world’s worst human rights violators (Friedman 34). Lauri Friedman quotes, “Executions simply inject more violence into an already hostile American society.”
The use of capital punishment has progressively become problematic since the very first day it was put into practice. There are many great arguments both for and against capital punishment, but in my opinion the benefits of capital punishment outweigh any possible negative aspects. Although capital punishment sounds extreme, sometimes it is necessary when people execute extreme crimes. I would like to argue that in certain situations the use of capital punishment is morally acceptable.