Is the death penalty a just way to punish someone who has committed the appropriate crime? This is a common question that is being asked by many people. Also, some people feel that we shouldn’t take justice into our own hands by using the death penalty. Another question that is being asked is, does the death penalty actually work and does is deter criminals from committing these same type of crimes? I fell the death penalty is needed and that it helps. The death penalty is a good way to punish someone who has committed murder. The reason is because if they are willing to take a life then they should have their own taken from them as well. On the fox news website there is an article called “Death Penalty Discourages Crime.” In this article, it says “ between three and 18 lives that would be saved by the execution of each convicted killer.” This statistic alone shows we should want to punish all the convicted murderers. We could save a lot of other people’s lives. The only thing that we have to do in order to save all these lives is to just follow through with capital punishment when that person is convicted of first degree murder. The death penalty can do a lot for our society and for families of the victims. We can prevent …show more content…
Some people agree with me that this sort of action needs to be taken because if it isn’t, then that criminal wouldn’t be getting the punishment that they deserve to have. If the death penalty isn’t given or carried out, then others who commit this horrible crime wont fear for their own life once on trial. This can’t happen because if it does, the death penalty can no longer be used a deterrent to other criminals who don’t think killing someone isn’t a big
Each year there are about 250 people added to death row and 35 executed. From 1976 to 1995 there were a total of 314 people put to death in the US 179 of them were put to death using lethal injection, 123 were put to death using electrocution, 9 were put to death in a gas chamber, 2 were hanged, and 1 was put to death using the firing squad. The death penalty is the harshest form of punishment enforced in the United Sates today. Once a jury has convicted a criminal, they go to the second part of the trial, the punishment phase. If the jury recommends the death penalty and the judge agrees then the criminal will face some form of execution, lethal injection is the most common form used today. There was a period from 1972 to 1976 that capital punishment was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Their reason for this decision was that the death penalty was "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Eighth Amendment. The decision was reversed when new methods of execution were introduced. Capital punishment is a difficult issue and there are as many different opinions as there are people. In our project, both sides have been presented and argued fully.
This paper will examine the pros and cons of the death penalty. Is it a deterrent or is that a myth. Does it give the family of the victim peace or does it cause them to suffer waiting for appeal after appeal. What are the forms of execution and any evidence of them being cruel and usual punishment. Is the death penalty fair if there are glaring, disparities in sentencing depending on geographic location and the color of the offender and victim’s skin?
Is the death penalty fair? Is it humane? Does it deter crime? The answers to these questions vary depending on who answers them. The issue of capital punishment raises many debates. These same questions troubled Americans just as much in the day of the Salem witch trials as now in the say of Timothy McVeigh. During the time of the Salem witchcraft trials they had the same problem as present society faces. Twenty innocent people had been sentenced to death. It was too late to reverse the decision and the jurors admitted to their mistake. The execution of innocent people is still a major concern for American citizens today.
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.
Edward I. Koch uses his essay “The Death Penalty: Can It Ever Be Justified?” to defend capital punishment. He believes that justice for murderous crimes is essential for the success of the nation. The possibility of error is of no concern to Koch and if would-be murderers can be deterred from committing these heinous crimes, he feels the value of human life will be boosted and murder rates will consequently plummet (475-479). Koch makes a valiant effort to express these views, yet research contradicts his claims and a real look at his idea of justice must be considered in order to create a fair nation for all.
or hundreds of years people have considered capital punishment a deterrence of crime. Seven hundred and five individuals have died since 1976, by means of capital punishment; twenty-two of these executions have already occurred this year (Death Penalty Information Center). Many U.S. citizens who strongly support the death penalty believe that capital punishment remains the best way to protect society from convicted killers. I, however, disagree; I do not feel that execution best punishes criminals for their acts. Instead, in my opinion, the administration of the death penalty should end because it does not deter crime; it risks the death of an innocent person, it costs millions of dollars, it inflicts unreasonable pain; and most importantly it violates moral principles.
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
In the United States, since the 1970s there have been more than 1270 executions according to the death penalty information center (Fact Sheet), What’s alarming about that number, is the number of people who were condemned to be executed based on race, income and social status alone, targeting those that could not afford good legal counsel, and were appointed attorneys that were “inexperienced and had below appropriate professional standards” (Hessick 1069), which sealed the fate of those literally fighting for their lives, on the day of sentencing.
What is punishment? The dictionary states that it is the infliction of a penalty as retribution for an offence. Punishment is used in so many instances. For example, a child is running in the house when his mother told him not to, and he accidentally breaks her vase. The child would be punished. Another example is playing with fire. If a person plays with fire, he will get burned. Even nature has punishment. The world needs punishment, but how far should a man be punished? If one murders another is it okay to say his punishment should be murder as well? Death as a punishment has been around ever since the history books can account. The death penalty dates back to the Eighteenth Century when King Hammaurabi of Babylon codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes (“Early”). Today there is capital punishment. A person accused of murder is to stand trial
The death penalty has been present, in one way or another, for virtually as long as human civilization has existed. The reasons why are apparent; it is intrinsically logical to human beings that a person who takes the life of another should also be killed. This philosophy is exemplified in the famous Biblical passage, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." However, in light of recent research into ethics, criminology and the justice system, the time has come for us to re-examine our ageless paradigm of revenge.
The death penalty has been an issue of debate for several years. Whether or not we should murder murderer’s and basically commit the same crime that they are being killed for committing. People against the death penalty say that we should not use it because of that very reason. They also make claims that innocent people who were wrongly convicted could be killed. Other claims include it not working as a deterrent, it being morally wrong, and that it discriminates. Some even claim that it is cruel and unusual punishment. I would like to shed light on the issue and inform everyone as to why we should keep the death penalty and possibly even use it more than we do now.
The death penalty is needed to deter crime in the United States. The death penalty has been around since ancient times, and it has served as a punishment for serious crimes. Capital punishment has shown the world that committing serious crimes such as murder and treason are looked down upon, and that it will not be tolerated. In order to discourage wrongdoing in our country, the death penalty is needed. The principle reasons for the death penalty are convicted criminals are used to deter crime and all people killed by the death penalty are convicted criminals. These two facts confirm that all people killed by the death penalty are people used by the government to prevent crime. Although there are several objections to this statement, these
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
The death penalty deters murder. The death penalty is the best way to stop a killer from killing someone else. Some say that prison is enough, but it isn’t. Death is necessary because if they are only sent to prison there is always the risk that some day the same killer that brutally killed a 5-year old or raped and strangle a college student might return to the streets.
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. Without the death penalty, criminals would be more inclined to commit additional violent crimes. Fear of death discourages people from committing crimes. If capital punishment were carried out more it would prove to be the crime preventative it was partly intended to be. Most criminals would think twice before committing murder if they knew their own lives were at stake. Use of the death penalty as intended by law could actually reduce the number of violent murders by eliminating some of the repeat offenders. The death penalty has always been and continues to be a very controversial issue. People on both sides of the issue argue endlessly to gain further support for their movements. While opponents of capital punishment are quick to point out that the United States remains one of the few Western countries that continue to support the death penalty. The deterrent effect of any punishment depends on how quickly the punishment is applied.