The Death Penalty Essay

Empirical data has been used to show an abundance of socio economic necessities and the state of deliberation regarding the changing climate of ethical decisions deriving from the moral platitude of the United States and its condition/state of cultural apathy.it is these same forays into the human mentality that prove the facts regarding why the death penalty is beneficial to our society. Through the use of statistics and statements of fact that are antithetic to the opposition of reducing the population through self-perpetrated penalties of death.

In the U.S. there has been a debate whether or not the death penalty should be used. It continues to be a controversial issue in the world today. Some are for the death penalty, believing that a punishment should fit the crime and it is the only necessary way to reprimand those who have committed a terrible offense. Others believe that the death penalty violates human rights and that it is inhumane, merciless, and cruel. In Kenneth Jost's article "Death Penalty Controversies", he explains that critics and adversaries of the death penalty are warning that capital trials and sentencing hearings are extremely flawed and inadequate that they risk resulting in the execution of innocent people (Jost 785). "Supporters of capital punishment

The death penalty has both supporters and non-supporters. The following essay will not solve the issue; I will only try to persuade the reader to understand my point of view. The death penalty is justified in certain cases such as Mcveigh Vs State of Indiana; however it is unjustified in other cases, including Bloodsworth Vs State of Maryland. The death penalty is a must, especially in today’s society. With the increase in vicious crimes today, the government must act just as harsh with our justice system to try and prevent these types of crimes. Non-supporters argue that the death penalty is inhumane and should be considered murder. People of this malicious caliber must be dealt with in the same way, an eye for an eye. Putting these

Punishment by death for people convicted of certain crimes also known as the death penalty is unethical. There are currently 31 states including New Hampshire, in the U.S. with the death penalty and 19 states without. The death penalty is immoral and violates human rights. In some parts of the United States we have a biased criminal justice system which can lead to false an unlawful sentence to death. The death penalty also has irreversible outcomes if proven innocent, it doesn’t lower crime rates, and it is very expensive. The death penalty is just contributing to the cycle of violence, retribution is not the answer.

Not only is the death penalty an economic issue, it is also a morally wrong. We live in a culture where murder is unacceptable in society, yet people placate themselves by killing murderers to punish them for their actions through capital punishment. According to Charles Peguy, "We said that a single injustice, a single crime, a single illegality, particularly if it is officially recorded, confirmed...that a single crime shatters and is sufficient to shatter the whole social pact, the whole social contract, that a single legal crime, a single dishonorable act will bring about the loss of one's honor, the dishonor of a whole people." It is often forgotten that many of the criminals being sentenced to death have a mother, a father, and loved ones who are innocent of any sort of crime who will lose a loved one from capital punishment. The use of the death penalty not only causes grief to the family of the victim, but also to the family of the killer. While the death penalty is meant to punish a criminal for a crime they committed, the only result it has is causing people to suffer because of something a family member did that resulted them to be executed.

Is the death penalty really a rational and effective way to respond to the crimes of certain prisoners? Thirty one percent of society believes we should not keep the death penalty, while others believe that the death penalty doesn’t really keep crime from happening. Of the thirty one percent, many believe that executing offenders of the law only runs away from the issue at hand. Also, if society thinks about it, ending the penalty would cost less both physically and mentally. Lastly, abolishment of the penalty would help rid any of the negative and humane issues at hand: this involves the biblical verse; thou shalt not kill, and the national human rights law; article 3, and 5 of the Declaration of Independence. Is the death penalty going

Capital punishment also known as the “death penalty” is one of the many sanctions used for violent criminal whom are convicted of heinous crimes. It is a government sanction in which criminals are put to death by the state government. There’s an on-going debate regarding the pros and cons of the death penalty. There are some individuals whom support the penalty and also a large number of individuals whom are totally against the death penalty. There is no clear decision whether the death penalty is effective and provides a sense of deterrence or whether it’s simply a costly mistake. But is the death penalty influencing others not to commit crime or is just a sanction that cost a lot and no one pays attention to?

Back in the 1600’s, British settlers were just beginning to arrive in North America and were exploring the vast lands. They began constructing permanent settlements such as Plymouth and Jamestown. With them, they brought along many customs from Britain; one of them being the way with which they dealt with prisoners: the death penalty. Britain was one of the biggest influence for the use of death sentence in the United States, though various places in Europe also used it. In the settlements and towns, they dealt with criminals by executing them in various ways, including hanging, drowning, shooting, and burning at stake. Some of the most common reasons that led to a person being executed were treason, murder, theft, religious matters and sexuality. (Part I History of the Death Penalty). Nowadays, death penalty is a theme of controversy, not only in the United States, but also in the rest of the world. Death penalty is highly controversial because it puts into question the causes of morality, capital costs, ethnicity, constitutionality, discouragement, motives, professionality, and justice.

First, lets discuss the argument that believers of the death penalty posses. Pro death penalty warriors will bring up the point that it is credible for keeping crimes of the same caliber from taking place. If you take a look at a variety of other countries you will find that this is not true as many countries with no death penalty have much lower murder and crime rates. In fact “eighty-eight percent of the country’s top criminologists do not believe the death penalty acts as a deterrent to homicide, according to a new study published in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology” (Facts about Deterrence and the Death Penalty).

The idea of punishing violence with violence essentially condones the use of violence. This has not yet been definitively determined but the fact that the government utilizes violence in a sense condones the use of it. At the very least, it may make it seem that vigilante justice is acceptable. So this doesn’t necessarily mean society is safer because it is not yet definitely decided that the punishment deters crime. Furthermore, the money that the punishment wastes could be used to make the community safer. As a result, the penalty has an adverse effect on public safety. A good example is the south has the most executions by far, and they also have the highest murder rate. So maybe if the government spent more money on making school systems better and making sure kids stay on the right track and don’t get involved in crime they would have to worry less about giving the death penalty. And therefore getting rid of the death penalty would be an easy decision.

The death penalty seems to be a very debatable subject. There are arguments and support for both sides of the debate, but which side is right? That is a tough question to ask. After reading the article in the textbook, two other articles, and looking at statistics, I seem to feel that the death penalty may not be the right answer.

There are several reasons to argue for making the death penalty illegal in the United States of America. The United States Constitution does not allow for unkind penalties as a sentence for crime. The death penalty poses many risks to the innocent. World opinion supports the cessation of the death penalty. Poor and minorities suffer disproportionately from the death penalty. Capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. Putting people to death by capital punishment is not cost effective.

Virtually every major program designed to address the underlying causes of violence and to support the poor, vulnerable, powerless victims of crime is being cut even further to the bone… In this context, the proposition that the death penalty is a needed addition to our arsenal of weapons lacks credibility…

The death penalty is a very controversial subject. I think that we should use the death penalty instead of placing murderers, rapists, and people who commit treason in prison or letting them out on parol. People that commit the most heinous of crimes should receive the most heinous of consequences. Isn't that just the most fair way to deal with those offenders of the law?

To kill or not to kill. That is the question. Some people think it is