Persuasive Essay On The Death Penalty

The death penalty disproportionately targets minorities especially African Americans. In the United States of America there is an unequal and unfair burden against African Americans in the criminal justice system. In 2011, African Americans were only 13.6% of the American population (Rastogi, Johnson, Hoeffel, & Drewery, 2011). However, African Americans in 2011 made up 42% of the total death row population (Snell, 2011). Although a minority of the total population in the United States, African Americans make the majority of inmates on death row facing execution. Furthermore, the death penalty in many states is used as tool that following the racial legacy of Jim Crow laws. Sentences resulting in death are higher in states with a history of lynching (Schweizer 92). States with a history of lynching are predominately found in the Southern United states. The Southern United states has the highest population of death row inmates. In 2009 alone there were 1,630 inmates currently on death row in the South compared to 226 in the North and only 988 in the West (Schweizer 92). In addition, the race of the victim often will determine the sentence. Results from the Baldus Study suggested evidence of racial disparity in the state of Georgia based on the victims race (Schweizer 92). The Baldus study argued African American defendants who committed murdered white individuals had much higher probability of receiving the death penalty. Prosecutors in Georgia pursued a verdict of death in 80% of their cases if the defendant was African American and the victim was white (Schweizer 92). This is purely racial discrimination and prejudice. Finally, “Since 1977, the overwhelming majority (77%) off death row defendants have been executed for killing white victims, even though African Americans make up about half of all homicide victims (Amnesty International).”The race of the both the victim and perpetrator in criminal is irrelevant.

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.

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.

Since the beginning of time there has always been the question of what to do with someone that has committed a serious offense that has resulted in serious injury or even death to a person. The death penalty has always been a topic of whether it is humane or inhumane to put someone to death over their crimes against another human being. The death penalty to some is either acceptable to where a person should be put t death for their crimes or is not doing anything to deter people from committing crimes. the death penalty is starting to become less of a punishment and more of a costly expense to taxpayers whom for “Each death penalty case in Texas costs taxpayers about $2.3 million.” The death penalty for some think it should be abolished while others would rather see it extended.

There are diverse capital punishment, the death penalty is one of them. Considered as a deviant and barbaric act, the use of this method reflects the opposite view or the wrong message of what the society teaches us. Encouraging the death penalty is not different from encouraging a murder and by operating in such a way actually violates a fundamental law set forth by the federal government which is “ Murder is an illegal crime”.

Do you ever wonder what should happen to dangerous criminals? Watching the news just thinking “huh?” Well what do you think should happen to the dangerous criminals? There are many opinions. Some people think the only option is the death penalty. I honestly agree and disagree with that because there are some death penalties are justified and some are not .Listen to these two cases.

The Death Penalty has been a long standing part of the American justice system. For many years, the death penalty went without opposition, but as of recently it has gained it’s long overdue mass opposition. The Death Penalty is barbaric, and is costing our nation obscene amounts of money. While one would think that modern-day American citizens would have done away with this method, a good portion of Americans reason that it lowers the crime rate and it provides closure (or rather vengeance) to families of victims.

Hammurabi once said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” As of April 1, 2017, there were 2,843 death row inmates in the United States. Society has changed at some point over time. At some point people have forgotten the difference between right and wrong and have forgotten that some things aren’t okay to do. People think that it is okay to kill, rape, torture, etc. They think they can do all of this stuff and not get punished for their actions. How can we as a society think that we can make a change in this world if people continue to do hateful things and think that those things are okay to do? We need to continue to punish people so they understand that they will have consequences for their actions? None

I am here to talk to you today about why the death penalty should be abolished in the United States. The death penalty itself is a very controversial topic because it violates the moral and ethical code most citizens of the United States share. Most other countries do not have the death penalty, and only 31 states in the US administer the death penalty as a form of punishment for heinous crimes. I understand it is justified in the sense that criminals are receiving what they inflicted on others, but is there really a fair process for deciding who gets the death penalty and who doesn’t? Or in deciding who waits on death row longer than someone else? I believe the death penalty should be abolished by the United States because it is biased, violates the moral and ethical code of most people, and completely disregards certain amendments of the United States Constitution such as the fifth and eighth.

Death Penalty should have been only for people who don’t care about life, People, Mother Nature, Etc.

The death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment because it is a vivid reminder of slavery, branding, and various corporal pains were common. It is an inhuman tradition that should not have any part in a civilized society. Nonetheless, only the United States in the whole western industrialized nations still holds the Capital punishment. The prosecutors who are 98% white choose randomly a sampling of convicted criminals would receive a sentence of death, where the prosecutor does not have to consider any constitutional laws or criteria. Simply, the discretions of the narrowly minded persecutors whose concerns might solely be their personal and political gains.

The death penalty is one of the most controversial topics in the United States and is a topic that will continue to be debated for many years to come. It is the most severe and harsh punishments for a crime. Currently, the death penalty is legal in thirty two states. In my opinion the death penalty is unconstitutional, and should be illegal in all states who still practice it. No state has the right to put its worst criminals to death.

I am a staunch supporter of the death penalty and capital punishment as it is probably the ultimate punishment when it comes to crimes. The death penalty is also a great deterrent for crime when you think about it. A lot of people who break the law do so because they’re not afraid to go to prison because most of the time they can just get out after serving their sentence and go back to breaking the law. But if people knew that they wouldn’t come back from their punishment after it then they’d probably think a lot more about breaking the law. Which leads me to not only support the death penalty but also extend it to other crimes like drug dealers, not drug users but drug dealers. We’d have to have a system for it though because killing someone just because they sold drugs doesn’t exactly sound morally right. So what we do is if someone is caught dealing drugs then they get the normal penalty that you get today, second time they get the same penalty they got doubled. But third time and there out, this evens it out a little as in my opinion as drug dealing isn’t on the same level as first degree murder but is definitely a problem that needs to be fixed and this in my mind seems like a good way to further the war on drugs. Rape may be a bit of a gray area for some as i’ve heard of people for rapists getting the death penalty and being against it. I personally don’t think it deserves the death penalty but some people do. The two crimes of drug dealing and murder are the only ones

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?

The death penalty is a prosecute that is used to kill criminals that have committed crimes that are so bad they should not be left alive. The idea of putting another human to death is hard to completely fathom. The physical mechanics involved in the act of execution are easy to grasp, but the emotions involved in carrying out a death sentence on another person, regardless of how much they deserve it, is beyond my understanding. Knowing that it must be painful, dehumanizing, and sickening. The Eight Amendment says” Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” (Constitutions). And for the article Changing Views on\\e rate has gone down at a steady from the 1990 to now and that they death penalty is sometimes necessary, and it is our responsibility as a society to see that it is done.