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.

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.

Cameron Todd Willingham was accused of murdering his three daughters by burning down their house. The investigators assumed he was telling lies due to the mystery behind how the fire started. Then in January of 1992 he was charged with murder, and for his crimes he would be put to death by means of lethal injection. A year after his execution a report was released that all of the signs of arson were false, and he was falsely accused. Fried established that “An independent arson expert hired by the commission confirmed the conclusions of the Hurst Report in August 2009, concluding that the original investigators in the Willingham case "had poor understandings of fire science" and that the evidence they cited did not support a finding of arson.” One cannot prevent the lives of numerous innocent people from ending, as time and time again they have. The mistakes and ignorance of certain law enforcement should not be capable of putting to death an innocent man, who even stated that he tried to save his daughters from the fire. But alas he was ignored and accused of being both a killer and a liar. Innocent individuals should not be able to be put to death for crimes they did not commit, even if the evidence was initially pointing towards them. Evidence needs to be solid and indisputable. Yet the reality always stands tall that the death penalty helps no

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.

Although some do believe that we should take a life for a life taken, the death penalty isn’t the best option. The death penalty is a capital punishment where a person is put to death. Not only is the death penalty a very expensive process, but also, many lives that are taken are found to be innocent. Also, many find the death penalty more inviting than to have life in prison without parole.

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

There are people in the world who have done things that are so severe and heartbreaking they cannot be forgiven. People that harass society and put fear in the minds of our citizens such as rapists, mass murderers, and terrorists deserve the punishment that they gave to the innocent victims. The United States is still a part of the minority of countries that still use the death penalty, also known as capital punishment. The death penalty should be used because it gives closure the victim’s family, acts as a deterrent for any other people wanting to attempt a crime of the same extent, and permanently prevents any further horrendous crime from that person.

Desmond Tutu, a social rights activist, once declared on the cruel punishment of the death penalty, “To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice." The death penalty is used as an option of punishment against someone accused of capital crime, such as murder. Thirty-six countries out of the one hundred and ninety-five on Earth have the death penalty as a legal sentence still to this day, yet the sentencing is rarely actually used, which is needless in today’s society. The death penalty is not a valid way to punish felons, because defendants have been proven innocent on death row, sentencing has been determined by race, and it has been studied that the death penalty is not a deterrence against murder, ultimately making

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.

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?

In this fallen world, death is an inevitable part of life; living eventually leads to death. Humans are no exception to this: while reading this sentence, over 20 people around the world have lost their lives (Birth). But whose right is it to decide when a person’s life should end? Theresa Lewis, a woman who persuaded two men to kill her husband and stepson for the insurance money, didn’t have the right. Neither did Terry Darnell Edwards, a man who killed two people in a robbery in 2002. In 2010 Theresa was executed, and Terry also received capital punishment in 2015 (Death Penalty). These two people didn’t have the right to bring death, so should the government? There are many alternatives to the death penalty or capital punishment within the United States, and it should be abolished completely to promote the importance of life and lead a good example as a country.

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.