Persuasive Essay On The Death Penalty

The death penalty, by definition, is the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. Each state has their own determinates of why someone would be given the death penalty, for example, in Missouri, it is first degree murder, but for Alabama it is intentional murder with 18 aggravating factors.

The death penalty is something that the whole United States should use. It is a controversial topic that has been argued back and forth for years. As of 2016 nineteen states and the District of Colombia have all determined that the death penalty is not something that they need. The other thirty-one of the fifty states, along with the United States military and government, allow the death penalty to continue.

What are your opinions of the death penalty? Do you believe that it should be a rightful punishment or do you believe that it does no good for the system? Many believe in the "eye for an eye" statement for the fairness of justice while others believe that capital punishment is not a strong way to go by. The death penalty is an efficient way to discipline criminals for the wrongdoing and the hurt that they caused for the families affected by it and to help bring closure for those individuals. Perry Edward Smith and Richard (Dick) Eugene Hickock deserve to be punished for the gruesome murders of the Clutter family.

Throughout centuries of crime, the death sentence is handed to those who commit the worst of them. Capital punishment is a special case in which the highest degree of a crime is committed, and the criminal is then sentenced to death. However, Criminal punishment is a huge source of controversy in the United States. Opponents often argue that innocent people are sometimes executed and that the main motive is revenge, not true justice. Those who support the death penalty debate that the punishment offers retribution for victims of murder and is more cost efficient than offering life sentences in prison. Whether or not the death penalty will remain legal in the United States has yet to be seen.

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.

There is a great deal of controversy that surrounds the concept of the death penalty. The death penalty is permitted by the United States government and most citizens view it as a cruel punishment. In fact, the death penalty is not a deterrent to crimes, violates the rights of humans, and is not enforced fairly.

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.

According to Deathpenaltyinfo.org, as of July 1st, 2017 there were approximately 2,817 prisoners on death row. CNN.com says that, as of now, the death penalty is only legal in 31 out of the 50 states. Did you know that the average death row inmate will spend roughly 15 years in prison before they meet their final day; nearly a quarter of death row inmates die of natural causes while waiting for execution, and exhausting all of their appeals? How about that in Virginia death row inmates are now able to play games, watch TV, send emails, and have physical contact with visitors along with much more? Death row is for criminals that have committed heinous crimes and have been convicted by 12 unanimous jurors to death. So, why give them that many privileges?

On October 12, 2011 Laura Webb-Elody and seven others were killed in the Seal Beach Salon Meritage (Webb, 2017). Laura’s mother was also shot, but she did not die. The man went to the Salon where his ex-wife Michelle Fournier worked right beside Laura. He felt the need to punish Michelle so he shot her. He referred to the other victims as “collateral damage”. When he was done in the salon, he went to his car and felt the need to shoot the guy who happened to park next to him. People that saw this happen got his license plate number and then called 911. He was then pulled over and arrested. He still had possession of his three guns that he killed these people with, but he did confess to the crime. Bethany Webb wanted the man that shot her sister to sit in prison for the rest of his life so that he could suffer and think about what he had done. There are several reasons for why the death penalty is not a good solution for punishment. It is not cost effective, it does not allow the individual to sit and think about what they have done, and too many innocent people are killed because of capital punishment. The death penalty should be abolished in the United States Of America. If an individual commits a serious crime or murder they should suffer, which means life in prison.

Leviticus 24:21 “The man who strikes and kills an animal should make compensation for it, but the one who strikes and kills a man should be put to death”. The death penalty has been around for a very long time and is not a new concept to our world. The usage of the death penalty dates back as far as the Babylonian era and was used for an assortment of crimes. This practice was also used greatly by the ancient Greeks and Romans, soon England began to practice this punishment and the founding fathers of our now great American colonies carried the capital punishment with them when they crossed over, where it is still used today as lawful punishment is a majority of states.

The death penalty, otherwise known as capital punishment, is the punishment of execution given to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. While many argue that the death penalty is an efficient way to punish criminals, studies and academic journals have proven this to be false, as there are many preffered alternatives.

Death penalty laws were established back in eighteenth century B.C. Back then the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon classified only 25 crimes an automatic sentence to death penalty. Death would consist of crucifixion, drowning, being beaten to death, burning alive and impalement. It wasn’t until A.D. Tenth Century that hanging became an act of punishment for the death penalty in Britain. Britain later influenced America’s use of death penalty which expanded more than any other country(deathpenalty.org 2017).

What does Iran, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States all have in common? All five countries lead the world in executions. In America the farthest line of justice is court sanctioned murder, more appropriately termed the death penalty. The death penalty should be abolished because of its outrageous expense, lack of purpose, racial prejudice, and toll on innocent lives. Since its reinstatement in 1997 the death penalty has been a horrible scheme and abuse of government power.

First and foremost, the death penalty is defined as the punishment of execution, administered to someone who has committed a terrible crime (Capital Punishment 1). This is also known as capital punishment, which is known for disregarding the human rights. Although many countries continue to enforce the death penalty, some countries think it should not be practiced. According to the United States, the death penalty continues to be a charged and controversial political and legal issue(Capital Punishment 1). In addition, the death penalty also focuses on if the death penalty is fair not unfair; let alone, if the criminal will receive the right justice and punishment for the crime he has brought onto himself. The death penalty is another option when rehabilitation and improvement are not available.

Capital punishment is the government practice of punishing a criminal by execution that dates back to the 18th century, however times were very different back then. Nowadays, the death penalty is carried out by lethal injection and in some states the electric chair, while in the early years of this practice it was hanging, stoning, being torn apart, etc. Some crimes that are punishable in Florida by the death penalty are First-degree murder; felony murder; capital drug trafficking; and capital sexual battery. Pennsylvania was the first state to move capital punishment out of the public eye and into correctional facilities. William Kemmler lived in New York and was the first person in the United States to receive the death penalty in 1890 for the murder of his wife with an ax. As mentioned, the electric chair was a form of capital punishment and when the first electric shock was delivered to Kemmler at approximately 700 volts, he did not die right away. A second shock was needed at 1,030 volts for two minutes, afterwards there were clear signs that Kemmler was deceased. Doctors then stated after the execution that they would have been better off using an ax instead of the electric chair. Over the years the death penalty has been a very controversial topic. Some say that this should be illegal and abolished while others state it is more effective than life in prison.