More handpicked essays just for you.
What are the effects of capital punishment
Arguments against the death penalty
Opinion about the death penalty
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: What are the effects of capital punishment
I personally believe the death penalty, in its current form, is not the just way to deal with individuals convicted of heinous crimes. The inmates that are put on death row, stay on death row for lengthy amounts of time, and it takes away resources from other individuals who could actually use it. Prison is supposed to be a tool for rehabilitation of inmates, and if someone is sent to death row, then rehabilitation is not necessary. Once a person is sentenced, the timeline to execution should be swift, and the inmate should be executed as quickly as possible. Death row is a touchy subject for many, but as a person living in Texas, ‘the executioner’ I do not see any issue with it. If a person has committed a crime that resulted in irreversible …show more content…
Such is the case with Ronnie Lee Gardner, who was set to death for armed robbery and the murder of Melvyn John Otterstrom. Gardener believed that execution by a firing squad was a just sentence for him and stated the reason why he wanted to die by a firing squad, “I lived by the gun, so I should die by the gun.” The fact that inmates are given a final say in how they should die the humane part of this practice because they are allowed to dictate how they leave this world despite the violent actions they have most likely done to get in that position. The atmosphere regarding the death penalty, as I mentioned before, is quite electric. There are warriors out there fighting for alternatives to the death penalty, but the justice system has determined that this is not inhumane because the actions the hypothetical individual committed; furthermore, there is no supposed alternative that does not have issues itself. After watching Death Row - The Final 24 Hours my perspective on the death row did change, but it reaffirmed my opinion on it. I protect the death penalty strongly because I know that if someone committed a violent crime toward a member of my family I would want them to receive what I deem as
Many people are led to believe that the death penalty doesn’t occur very often and that very few people are actually killed, but in reality, it’s quite the opposite. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1,359 people have been executed as a result of being on death row since 1977 to 2013. Even though this form of punishment is extremely controversial, due to the fact that someone’s life is at stake, it somehow still stands to this very day as our ultimate form of punishment. Although capital punishment puts murderers to death, it should be abolished because killing someone who murdered another, does not and will not make the situation any better in addition to costing tax payers millions of dollars.
In the minds of the American public and jurors in capital cases the perception of lethal injection is of a clean, clinical, and painless end. As stated in the article, Lethal Injection, seventy-one percent of those responding to a 2001 survey considered injection to be the least cruel form of execution (Lethal Injection). This perception is an advantage to the state because the public is much more willing to accept execution in this form and jurors are more willing to convict and pass the death sentence. At times it is understood why the death penalty would be considered in cases. Maybe the people are a threat to not only society but also to themselves, and need to be put to death so they can do no harm to anyone. Vickers gunned down a grocery store owner who was probably trying to make a living for himself and his family. Now this man is gone; his family is left in agony, and maybe Vickers deserves to die. Some people may say an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, but do two wrongs make a right?
My thoughts on it are that it is a waste of money, time, and it is very inhumane. For one, everything involved in death penalty trials are very costly. Why do we waste money executing criminals? Executing a murderer isn’t going to bring the people they killed back to life. Justice should be served, but I don’t understand how killing someone who killed someone else brings justice. I feel that execution is the easy way out. A better form of punishment is keeping a criminal in prison, where they will have to live the rest of their lives knowing they committed a crime. Living with guilt is a far better punishment. Not to mention those who, as I stated before, are convicted innocently or those who are sentenced to death wrongfully. The death penalty is inhumane in my opinion, and I am highly against it. I am all for the end of the death
It's dark and cold, the fortress-like building has cinderblock walls, and death lurks around the perimeter. A man will die tonight. Under the blue sky, small black birds gather outside the fence that surrounds the building to flaunt their freedom. There is a gothic feel to the scene, as though you have stepped into a horror movie.
In an article in favor of the death penalty titled , Mr. Death Penalty and in an article against the death penalty titled, Why the Death Penalty Needs to Die; they both have logical fallacies hidden in their statements. It ranged from hasty conclusion, false cause, begging the question/loaded question and red herring. All of them have an impact on their viewpoints as well as the credibility of them.
The death penalty is something that many people do not have a clear decision on. Many people support the death penalty, while others wish for the death penalty to be abolished, and there are some that support the death penalty, but only in certain cases. My personal opinion on the death penalty is it should be administered only in cases of particularly
One of the most widely debated and criticized methods of punishment in the United States is the Death Penalty. The Death Penalty is an issue that has the United States quite divided. While there are many supporters of it, there is also a large amount of opposition. Currently, there are thirty-three states in which the death penalty is legal and seventeen states that have abolished it according to the Death Penalty Information Center. There is no question that killing another person is the most atrocious criminal act that one can commit. I am not sure why, but it seems that the United States government is being hypocritical when it says that capital punishment is acceptable because a criminal did murder an innocent victim, and therefore should be killed (Philips, 2013). This is rule is known as the "eye-for-an-eye, and tooth-for-a- tooth theory." Of course, if we used this system all the time, there would be no need for laws. A second argument that some people use to support capital punishment is that the fear of being given the death penalty is going to stop criminals from murdering. How many criminals would murder in the first place, even in a state where there is no capital punishment, if they thought there was a chance of getting caught? Most murderers feel that they have a plan to get away with murder (Philips, 2013). Unfortunately, most are right. In response to this I believe that the United States Bill of Rights in the Constitution prohibits cruel an unusual punishment. There is nothing more cruel or unusual than taking someone’s life.
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).
Throughout the years the death penalty has been a very controversial aspect when it comes to punishment. Some groups of people believe that is should be abolished and other think that America should keep it. I’m here to say that I am not for the death penalty at all. To me the death penalty has a couple of flaws that I have an issue looking past. The death penalty is very unconstitutional for anyone who is put through it and it is very bias on who it chooses for the punishment.
I believe that capital punishment is a justifiable means of punishment for the most heinous crimes. In addition, the means of execution should not matter if the basic principle behind this form of justice can be justified by the specific crime. This is why my opinion is that any form of capital punishment in effect in the United States today is warranted and fair.
Have you ever thought about if the person next to you is a killer or a rapist? If he is, what would you want from the government if he had killed someone you know? He should receive the death penalty! Murderers and rapists should be punished for the crimes they have committed and should pay the price for their wrongdoing. Having the death penalty in our society is humane; it helps the overcrowding problem and gives relief to the families of the victims, who had to go through an event such as murder.
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. As difficult as that is the question is weather the victims needs are met effectively by killing someone else and causing another family grief and pain as well as adding to the cycle of violence.” (Progress) As both families do not want to see each other because they all have pain and hate for one another. They both relive the last memories of their loved one and they can’t help but cry and stare at the pictures they were once happy in. The families both have sadness when its their loved ones birthday. If the victim is married or have kids, their kids suffer and the husband/wife suffer as well. Although the families will never get there loved one back they still suffer on what had happen. Both families blame one another for having to take flowers, to their dead family member or visit their family member in a cemetery because of what happen. None of them is truly happy that they lost a family member. The families miss the person who seemed so happy, and also know that they are in a better place watching over them. Although the families aren’t happy about losing them, but are relieved to know that nothing else can hurt them. As one family feels sorry for the other family, there could be the family that doesn’t care what happens but wants everyone to suffer the way they are suffering about the tragic death of one family member.
“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.
I strongly feel that capital punishment is essential in our legal system, as well as everyday life. Just as a toddler needs to be disciplined when he or she has a tantrum, a murderer needs to be punished for his or her actions. The death penalty solves many problems. It is a threat to any conspiring criminal-murderer. It promises the inescapable condition. It frees up jail space and cuts money spent on the inmate. The death penalty is also the closest thing to justice for the family and friends of the victim. If nothing else, capital punishment scares women and men of committing a serious crime that might put them on death row. If an individual knew he or she would definitely be put on death row, the individual might decide not to commit the crime. Although prison is made out to be a scary place, it could never repulse someone more than frying in the chair, dying of poison injection, or hanging. Why allow any vicious murderer the chance to escape prison and harm another person? People put an animal down once it has imperiled a human's life or safety. If humans are so concerned with their well being they ought to be guaranteed the same sanctuary from killers. Prisons, for the most part, are inescapable. But what if, the man that hunted you down, kidnapped you, and killed your friend, was the one of the few who successfully escaped from jail? One life was already taken; your life should not have to be lived in fear. Serial killers such as the Hillside Strangler prove that they need to kill and would do it again if given the chance. They by no means deserve to get that chance, or even a chance to dream about it. They have killed many and do not have a right to live. Killing the monsters that have already killed others gives the legal system spare money to spend on more important things. I find no logical reason why the government should spend money to feed, cloth, house, and entertain the murderers, when they could use the extra dollars to council, reprimand, and treat petty criminals to prevent more severe crimes in the future.
Crime is everywhere. Wherever we look, we find criminals and crime. Criminals have become a part of our daily lives. Does this mean we let them be the darkness of our society? No, definitely not. Eliminating crime and criminals is our duty, and we cannot ignore it. Getting the rightly accused to a just punishment is very important. Some criminals commit a crime because they have no other option to survive, but some do it for fun. I do not advocate death penalty for everybody. A person, who stole bread from a grocery store, definitely does not deserve death penalty. However, a serial killer, who kills people for fun or for his personal gain, definitely deserves death penalty. Death penalty should continue in order to eliminate the garbage of our society. Not everybody deserves to die, but some people definitely do. I support death penalty because of several reasons. Firstly, I believe that death penalty serves as a deterrent and helps in reducing crime. Secondly, it is true that death penalty is irreversible, but it is hard to kill a wrongly convicted person due to the several chances given to the convicted to prove his innocence. Thirdly, death penalty assures safety of the society by eliminating these criminals. Finally, I believe in "lex tallionis" - a life for a life.