Argument Essay: Death Penalty
The American Justice System has been using the death penalty, also known as capital punishment, as a way to serve a prisoner's sentence usually due to the crime of murder. The death penalty in the American Justice System has been used for many years now. Although in 18 states the death penalty has already been abolished, there are still 32 states where it is still legal. The death penalty should not be legal in the American Justice System, because it is immoral, unjust, and ineffective.
When something is immoral it usually means that it is unacceptable in our social or ethical principles. Not only do we go against murder, but also there are some people who say this and are for the death penalty and want the
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A capital punishment is something that cannot be undone and is irreversible.
Fig. 1. Innocent people released from death row.
In the case of Cameron Todd Willingham we are able to see how unfair and unjust Cameron was executed for murders he did not commit. The case of Cameron had many questionable evidence that was not investigated further and because of these mistake, Cameron Willingham was sentenced with the death penalty and executed. The death penalty is also lacks proper justice because it denies prisoners rehab. Many of the crimes committed were due to the influence of drugs and alcohol. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), 50% of jail and prison inmates are clinically addicted to either drugs, alcohol, or even both. This study shows that since they are clinically addicted it could also mean that they could have been using the substance while committing the crime. We should not be putting people on the death penalty if they were unable to make rational decisions due to their addiction to drugs or alcohol. Mentally ill people are also affected with the death penalty and there are cases where a person was executed and had a mental disability. It is wrong to sentence someone to the capital punishment knowing that they were unable to make correct decisions due to their state of health. We should be able to provide the help
Capital punishment has been a controversial issue that still exists in America today. Capital punishment is a law passed by the government to punish any individual that has been convicted of committed a heinous crime. The death penalty has been a method used throughout history as punishment for criminals. The punishment also known as the death penalty is a scheduled execution, which would be done with lethal injection. The reason why this punishment is chosen is because when crimes are committed that shock the conscience, the immediate emotional reaction is to retaliate with severe punishment (Schnurbush 2016). The death penalty is debated when it is brought up, opinions vary from one group of people to another, one side says the execution is murder, and the other saying that it is justice being done. Each side presents valid arguments to why people should be for it or against it; people’s opinions are formed by personal beliefs.
Capital punishment, otherwise known as the death penalty, is a controversial subject which has been argued for decades due to the ethical decisions involved. People believe the death penalty is the right thing to do and that it is the perfect example of ‘justice’ while others believe that it is immoral and overly expensive. The death penalty is not a logical sentence for criminals, it doesn’t give them the right type of justice and it is immoral.
If someone committed a crime so harsh, and inhumane do you believe that they should be put to death? The death penalty, also known as capital punishment is defined as “punishment by death for a crime; death penalty.” (Dictionary.com). The first recorded execution in the United States English American colonies was in 1608 (Reggio). There are multiple execution methods such as; beheading, crucifixion, poisoning, hanging, and electrocuting. Currently, as of 2017 capital punishment is legal in 32 out of 50 States in the United States (CNN). This paper will be discussing the benefits and disadvantages of the death penalty currently in the United States.
A society operates around communities of people who work together and do their part to form a functional place to live. Many people benefit from others throughout society without even knowing it. Society functions and benefits from people doing their part to keep our community safe and people benefit from society as well, but there is an exception. Criminals who have committed a crime that has placed them in prison for the rest of their life, without the possibility of parole, will never positively benefit society again, and this is why I feel so strongly about the death penalty being enforced more.
Death penalty, also known as a capital punishment, is a punishment that requires the government to kill or execute the convicted criminals. Death penalty was inherent feature in American history since the colonial era. Today, not all of the states practice the Death Penalty. As of July 1, 2015, there are 31 states with the Death Penalty and 19 states without the Death Penalty . Some states want to keep the Death Penalty to decrease the crime rate, but some states argue that there is no evidence that Death Penalty deters crime. People are still debating whether the US should or should not abolish the Death Penalty. Therefore, U.S. should not continue the Death Penalty due to the high percentage of wrongfully convicted people and moral issues.
Life is sacred. This is an ideal that the majority of people can agree upon to a certain extent. For this reason taking the life of another has always been considered the most deplorable of crimes, one worthy of the harshest available punishment. Thus arises one of the great moral dilemmas of our time. Should taking the life of one who has taken the life of others be considered an available punishment? Is a murderer's life any less sacred than the victim's is? Can capital punishment, the death penalty, execution, legal murder, or whatever a society wishes to call it, be morally justifiable? The underlying question in this issue is if any kind of killing, regardless of reason, can be accepted. In this
Imagine someone has just been found guilty of committing a crime and is sentenced to death. You don’t know if they are innocent or guilty, but you have to execute them. You can hang them, gas them, inject them with poison or electrocute them- take your pick. The accused struggles against the tight belts that cross his recently shaved chest, groin, legs and arms but it is useless. He cries out for forgiveness, his blindfold dampening knowing what is to come. You pull the leaver and watch as the prisoners flesh turns bright red and swells and stretches to the point of breaking. His eyeballs roll out of his sockets and rest on his cheeks while his body convulses, shaking all over. Blood streams from his mouth, urine runs down his leg, and the
The Death Penalty has a powerful meaning to it; it’s not just a punishment for those criminals who commit a horrific crime. The Death Penalty offers the execution, gas chamber, lethal injection, hanging, and firing squad. The capital punishment is a topic that can cause arguments because some say it helps and some say it cannot help in anyway. The death penalty has saved lives after an execution, but it has caused many issues for families.
Dieter, Richard C. "Millions Misspent: What Politicians Don't Say About the High Costs of the
The death penalty, or capital punishment, is the execution of an offender that is sentenced to death by a court of law for a criminal offense. This type of punishment for inmates is involved in controversy over whether or not it is an acceptable form of punishment for criminals and also whether or not it is immoral. There are many arguments for both sides of the debate, each making valid points and pointing out the flaws of the opposing position. Many religions are either for or against capital punishment, due to them either being against killing or for it. The controversy surrounding the death penalty laws in the United States is made up of various arguments. Other arguments surrounding the use of the death penalty include whether
The majority of the American public continues to support the use of the death penalty despite the fact that it appears to be losing popularity in statehouses and courthouses nationwide. Support for capital punishment runs higher among white people who view individual responsibility as a narrative for “true” Americans. Racial prejudice is part of that support due mainly in where they live. The more black people you interact with on a regular basis the more it will reflect your racial attitude. As the numbers of Black and other minorities increase, that greatly impacts White support for capital punishment.
Capital Punishment, also known as the death penalty, is used exclusively by the United States. It is the only western country that still utilizes this punishment. As of 2017, it is allowed in 31 states, but depending on the location there are different ways to be executed. Today there are five ways capital punishment is handled, ranging from lethal injection to hanging, the most popular and well known one being lethal injection. In 1977 Oklahoma became the first state to acknowledge that lethal injection as a viable means of execution, Texas became the first to implement it, followed five years later by its first execution in 1982 (Info center). I personally believe that these methods are inhumane; the death penalty should be abolished due to unequitable expenses, the amount of resources it takes, and the absence of human rights.
When researching a very controversial topic the Death Penalty I came across a whole different beast and that is our Justice System. A very strong campaign “A War on Crime” is really “A War on Race”. Black people make up 6% of the U.S. Population but in prison make up 40% of U.S. general population in prisons. The U.S population accounts for 4.4 percent of the world’s population but the U.S. holds 22 percent of the worlds prisoners. To many African Americans are being put in prison. Major corporations should not have control over what laws do and don’t get passed. There has to be a problem with the U.S justice system and because of it our prisons are overcrowded.
The death Penalty is a very controversial topic to many. Some believe that the death penalty should not only be in place but there should be more executions every year. While others believe that the death penalty is going out of style and it is not serving its purpose of deterring crime as it did before. Although there are many claims supporting both sides still over half of Americans are for capital punishment in some way, but what causes someone to be sentenced to death? According to the article “Against the American System of Capital Punishment” by Jack Greenberg the worst crime is, “a putative killer of one’s parent or child” (Greenberg). What makes this the worst crime? And out of the few executions are these the only people getting
Capital punishment is beneficial to the community. It provides the society with a sense of security. The death penalty contains a positive influence on the future. A heavily debated topic is, “Does capital punishment deter people more than a life sentence to prison?” An explanation on why will be covered later. An issues many people have with capital punishment, is when it is just or not just. This is a topic many stray away from, because it is difficult to decide. Finding the right consequence for an action is difficult. While this paper is for the use of capital punishment, it is clearly not needed for every crime, or even every murder. Overusing capital punishment, such as using it for every murder, will negatively impact the country, and not using it has the same effect.