Lethal Injections Research Paper

The death penalty or in other words capital punishment is a form of execution used for a long time. It is a form of punishment that was and still is used by several countries for various types of crimes for hundreds of years. However the death penalty has become a very debatable and confronting issue for last decades due to the fact of people having different opinions on this issue. In some countries it is considered to be a part of the judicial system, while

Many of those who argue against the morality of the death penalty tend to be backed by Christian beliefs. However, the Bible argues that justice needs to be fair and to the point. “Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (The Holy Bible, Deuteronomy 19:21). This quote argues that is it fair to take life from someone if they have taken someone else’s life, and that justice should be viewed as ‘getting even’. With all things considered, this way of thinking seems completely justified, Another argument of those who are concerned about the morality of the death penalty is that lethal injections are inhumane. In reality, death by lethal injection is one of the most fair and most humane ways to die. “Lethal injections work by first rendering the individual unconscious, and then by using the chemical potassium chloride to stop the victim’s heart” (Lethal Injection). Complaints about the amount of pain inmates suffer after undergoing lethal injection and unreasonable and unjustified. Death by lethal injection seems like a much more peaceful way to go than almost any other option out there, which makes it an absolutely ethical process. Even though some people may argue that the death penalty is an immoral process, the truth of the matter is that it is actually quite

The death penalty is a controversial topic in the United States today and has been for a number of years. The death penalty was overturned and then reinstated in the United States during the 1970's due to questions concerning its fairness. The death penalty began to be reinstated slowly, but the rate of executions has increased during the 1990's. There are a number of arguments for and against the death penalty. Many death penalty supporters feel that the death penalty reduces crime because it deters people from committing murder if they know that they will receive the death penalty if they are caught. Others in favor of the death penalty feel that even if it doesn't deter others from committing crimes, it will eliminate

The State of Texas was the first to perform a lethal injection execution and it is ranked first in executions as far back as 1976. Approximately, there have been over two hundred and eighty death penalties and a hundred and sixteen executions from 1982. Lethal injection involves injecting one or a variety of drugs into the person for the main cause of immediate death to him or her ("Texas | Death Penalty Information Center"). Characteristically, three drugs have been used. Sodium thiopental is an anesthesia which causes sleep, injecting with pancuronium bromide for paralysis of the muscles and to cause respiratory failure and the potassium chloride stops the heart from pumping. An intravenous salty drip is started in the arm of the prisoner

Worded perfectly by The Scientific American, a magazine analyzing controversial issues in America said, “About two thirds of the states use a combination of barbituric, paralytic and toxic agents for executions, despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness.” The procedure is still subject to FDA approval, the agency has avoided questions ruling on the mixtures efficacy in “delivering a merciful death” (citation). This brings to light a harsh topic: is lethal injection truly cruel and unusual? Human Rights Watch is an international non government aided organization dedicated to protecting and establishing the appearance of human rights around the world. The report the HRW released, “So Long as They Die: Lethal Injection in the United States” (citation) The report highlighted a fact not a lot of people consider, “Prisoners in the United States are executed by means that the American Veterinary Medical Association regards as too cruel to use on cats and dogs.” A lot of the civilians who simply only read about death

The death penalty is a capital punishment that is put into effect for major crimes. The death penalty is a very controversial topic in the United States and throughout the world. There was a time period were the death penalty was banned for about four years in 1972-1976. Many feel that the death penalty is justice because it is retribution toward criminals who have committed heinous crimes. However the death penalty is inhumane and should be abolished in the United States.

Lethal injections have been around for many years with the same basic idea and procedure. Lethal injection uses three drugs, a fast acting barbiturate that sedates the inmate and the drug Tubocurarine that paralyzes the inmate, and finally potassium chloride is used to stop his heart. These methods have been a controversial issue for many reasons. People that supports lethal injection believes that it is more humane method of execution than any other because it cause little or no pain. It also argued that it is less expensive than detaining or placing someone in jail for life. As far as lethal injection been unconstitutional because the procedure causes unusual pain and suffering, some people believe that someone who has kill countless people deserve to physical

“And despite scientific efforts to implement capital punishment in a "humane" fashion, time and again executions have resulted in degrading spectacles, including the botched lethal injection in April 2014 that took more than 40 minutes to kill Oklahoma inmate Clayton Derrell Lockett and prompted Glossip v. Gross” (Heyns and Mendez). Capital punishment is an inhumane and outdated way for punishing criminals. The use of capital punishment is hundreds of years old in America. It is used as a punishment for criminals who have committed a violent crime in which they physically harm others. The point of the death penalty is to show that these kinds of crimes are not tolerated, and to deter criminals from committing these kinds of crimes. Unfortunately

Could that be considered cruel and unusual punishment? This is one valid argument that people make. That is why it is important for the commission to look at the constitutionality of the death penalty. If lethal injection truly is cruel and unusual then that would be illegal in the eyes of the federal government. Nobody has the authority to go

Lethal injection was first adopted in 1977 in the state of Oklahoma and was first administrated in the state of Texas in 1982 (Crider, 2014). Before lethal injection methods like hanging, gas chamber, firing squad, and electric chair were used to execute. The United States has tried to find an alternate method that will not be considered inhumane and painful to the inmate. The effect of lethal injection is now being questioned if it is constitutional, arises medical professionals controversy, and the shortage of drug substance.

The method of using lethal injection has now become the primary method of execution, throughout all fifty states and the federal government, after being declared constitutional in 1977. There are three different procedures; the one or two drug protocol typically uses a lethal dose of an anesthetic or sedative. The three drug protocol uses an anesthetic or sedative, which is then followed by pancuronium bromide to paralyze the inmate and potassium chloride to stop the inmate’s heart. In the case of Glossip v. Gross, Oklahoma death row inmates argued that the use of the three drug protocol in Oklahoma is “an injunction against the eighth amendment” (White) which put limitations on sentences and any cruel or unusual punishment. In Oklahoma, it

The eighth amendment is designed to protect us from cruel and unusual punishment. Conservation of the United States Constitution, and all moral ideologies have been set aside. An old form of barbaric punishment and the saying "eye for an eye" is still being widely accepted by Americans today. The old form of barbaric punishment is capital punishment. No matter how "humane" the death penalty has become, it is still the killing of another human being. When people stand outside prisons and cheer that an individual was murdered, there is a problem. When people justify the killing of another person, there

I. The death penalty does not deter crime and has no beneficial effect on murder rates.

Crime in America is something that has been around for many decades. While a large number of crimes are considered minor, many more result in the serious injury or death of another human being. “When we think about crimes, we … normally focus on inherently wrongful acts that harm or threaten to harm persons or property” (Bibas 22). The death penalty, also called capital punishment, has been used as a means of punishing the most violent of criminals in an attempt to prevent others from committing similar crimes. Over the centuries, the methods used to conduct these executions have evolved and changed due to effectiveness and public opinion.

The way we carry out these executions is by lethal injection, which is much more humane than any ways we have carried it out in historical times (McCuen 27). A prison official had claimed, “The guy will just go to sleep forever. It will be easy-real easy” (49). He says said this when referring to a man who was on death row. By using lethal injection, the United States is ridding itself of criminals, and is carrying it out in the most humane way possible (Kurtz). Professor John McAdams of Marquette University said, “If we execute murderers and there is in fact no deterrent effect, we have killed a bunch of murderers. If we fail to execute murderers, and doing so would in fact have deterred other murderers, we have allowed the killing of a bunch of innocent victims. I would much rather risk the former. This, to me, is not a tough call” (Marzilli 21).