Capital Punishment : The Death Penalty

The debate on whether or not the death penalty should be abolished has been ongoing for quite a long period of time. While there are those who believe that the death penalty does not serve its intended purpose, proponents of the same are convinced that the relevance of the same cannot be overstated and hence it should not be abolished. In this text, I examine the arguments for and against the death penalty.

The justice system is filled with opposition. Those who support the use of Supermax, the death penalty and the execution of those who are mentally retarded and juveniles, and those who oppose the above mentioned. The following essay will discuss all mentioned topics.

The use of capital punishment in the U.S. is a growing concern for most American citizens. According to statistics, seventy percent of Americans are in support of the death penalty, while only thirty percent are against it. These statistics show that few people are against capital punishment (“Fact” 1). With the use of the death penalty growing the controversy is becoming more heated. With only twelve states left not enforcing it the resistance is becoming futile (“Fact” 4). Many debates have been made and even clauses have been invoked, such as, the “Cruel and Unusual Clause” that was invoked by the Supreme Court in 1962 (Meltsner 179). The use of death as a punishment has been viewed as “cruel

The intent of this paper is to share the views of those who oppose capital punishment. I, for one, am part of the majority that is in support of the death penalty. I am in agreeance of the old saying of “An eye for an eye”. The death penalty is one of the most controversial issues in our criminal justice system. There is an increase in opposition against the death penalty, not only in the United States. Many Americans feel that capital punishment is wrong. It is hard for people to fathom the idea of putting someone else to death. It is not the physical mechanics involved in executions that are hard to handle. It is the emotions involved in carrying out the process. Many feel that the death penalty violates the eight Amendment of a

This paper explores the machination of death penalty in the American society. The history of the nation and even its political ethos are strictly directed towards freedom. The Declaration of Independence vividly expresses that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are unalienable rights, however, both life and the pursuit of happiness also depend on liberty as a fundamental bedrock of the country. The United States Constitution, many years until the early part of the twentieth century, was devoted to freeing society from the shackles of the death penalty. An agenda which should be embraced by all the Americans. The United States Constitution strictly avows respect for life. The restraints placed on the government in the Constitution by

The execution of criminals has been performed by nearly every society to date. The death penalty came to the Americas when European settlers brought the idea of capitol punishment from Britain. The ideology behind taking someone’s life for crimes they have committed is a simple one. If a person commits a hennas crime such as murder or rape, they shall receive the death penalty. In more recent times we now see many countries abolishing the death penalty. The trend suggests that the capitol punishment policies still implemented in the United States may be outdated, but yet there is a large majority in the United States who feel capital punishment is necessary. In contrast there are many that feel that it’s immoral, unconstitutional and should be abolished. The political issue is whether or not capital punishment should be outlawed in the United States. An explanation of capitol punishment and some positions from those who are for and against capital punishment will be given. Next, review the positions of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and interest groups on the issue and how these positions interplay with values of freedom, order, and equality. Then argue as to why capitol punishment should be outlawed.

This paper explores the cons of death penalty in the American society. America’s history and political ethos are all about liberty. The Declaration of Independence declares that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are unalienable rights, however, both life and life and the pursuit of happiness also depend on liberty as a fundamental bedrock of the country. Ages until the early part of the twentieth century, was devoted to freeing society from the shackles of death penalty. An agenda which should be embraced by all the Americans. The United States Constitution constitution strictly avows respect for life. The restraints place on the government in the Constitution by the Founders are but a failure. The death penalty uses cruel and unusual

The death penalty dates back centuries. The death penalty is a lawful infliction of death as a punishment for the commission of a particular crime in the United States. Capital punishment is used in the United States as a deterrent to serious crimes. A sentence to death may be carried out depending on each state by lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, hanging, or firing squad but all states have lethal injection as their primary method. There has been a big debate over capital punishment for years on whether it is justifiable, “an eye for an eye” or cruel and unusual punishment “two wrongs do not make a right.”

Ever since the eighteenth century there has been thousands of deaths in the United States because of the death penalty. While having an inmate sit in a jail cell for life can cost taxpayers a lot of money, I feel as if we should find alternative ways to hand down consequences because it does not decrease the murder rate, Taxpayers put millions of dollars into the death penalty system, The death penalty puts innocent lives in danger, and we force other civilians to kill another human being.

Capital punishment has been a part of our justice system since the beginning. For many years the controversy of the death penalty has created social issues that question the validity and fairness based on concerns of moral and human rights. Even though many other nations use this form of justice, the fact that the United States views itself as a leader of human rights brings question to whether we are practicing what we preach. Nevertheless, the majority of US citizens are in support of the death penalty but does that make it rational? In the following paragraphs I will discuss my opinions on capital punishment and talk about issues concerning the death penalty as a deterrent to crime, should it be

Also, being wrongly convicted is rather uncommon but usually not detected for many years after the execution if carried out. Even if this is the case, nothing can be done as death is an irreversible penalty (Motherjones).

Since the Nation was born, capital punishment has always been an acutely controversial matter. Various motives have been articulated even as advancements in arguments against and for are made. The heated controversy can’t be explained on the basis of differences over the practicality of wisdom. Even though the death penalty is a government policy the battle is waged on morality and ethics. On various occasions, the country has witnessed debates on whether the society should deliberately put some of its members to death, yet the supremacy and values of the land have a life as their pillar. Just like in other nations, the United States have seen the struggle surrounding capital punishment is based on beliefs, dignity of the people. The other hand of the struggle is based on vengeance and beliefs in the retribution that are the results of scientific studies of human behaviors or conduct. The layman’s arguments, however, were products of the democratic movements in the eighteenth century.

In the horizon, there are always heightened debates over issues with capital punishment in today judicial system. Today thirty-three states, along with the United Stated Government and U.S. military, have the power to legally take away someone’s life. Though it is very much illegal to take someone life within society, our state and federal government’s do the very same thing we are prohibited from doing. The first section in this paper, will be discussing the reason on why our governments allow capital punishment, relating to the deterrence of crimes such as murder. The deterrence of murder and capital punishment seem to only work if you over exercise capital punishment. Such evidence provided will show the difference in states that utilize capital punishment more than other states that have not abolished the deterrence method. The second section will be discussing the retribution relating to capital punishment. It also covers unanswered questions that relate to utilizing methods of execution on innocent people. The last section covers the Eighth Amendment violation relating to cruel and unusual punishment. It also discusses some of the botched executions that have been conducted over the years.

Capital punishment is an occurrence that often provokes public outcry and public opinions in regards to moral and ethical issues. Each country has their own set of regulations in the way they carry out the death penalty to offenders who receive the death sentence for offences eligible for capital punishment (Eversley & Copeland, 2011). Throughout the history of execution, however, there have been changes in the way death sentences are distributed and carried out. Human rights activists have come forward to argue that despite the crimes committed, all people need to enjoy their fundamental right of life and no one has the power to take it away from them (Banner & Banner, 2009).

Capital punishment, otherwise better known as the death penalty, has been instituted in the United State’s constitution for centuries with the purpose of being a deterrent to dangerous crimes and murder. However, as time has passed since capital punishment has been established, there has been much controversy seen regarding the issue leaving American citizens divided amongst themselves. With some opposing the validity of this form of punishment and others defending it, the debate revolving around this contentious aspect of the United State’s legal system is still raging in the modern era. While it has many supporters, the United States government should not allow for the death penalty to remain legal.