Taking a Look at Capital Punishment

Capital punishment has been a controversial issue that still exists in America today. Capital punishment is a law passed by the government to punish any individual that has been convicted of committed a heinous crime. The death penalty has been a method used throughout history as punishment for criminals. The punishment also known as the death penalty is a scheduled execution, which would be done with lethal injection. The reason why this punishment is chosen is because when crimes are committed that shock the conscience, the immediate emotional reaction is to retaliate with severe punishment (Schnurbush 2016). The death penalty is debated when it is brought up, opinions vary from one group of people to another, one side says the execution is murder, and the other saying that it is justice being done. Each side presents valid arguments to why people should be for it or against it; people’s opinions are formed by personal beliefs.

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.

Capital punishment is a subject full of controversy. When it comes to the topic of the death penalty, most of us will readily agree that it’s a grim subject. Where this agreement usually ends however, is on the question of how necessary it is. Whereas some are convinced that capital punishment is not only cruel its useless as well, others maintain that it is necessary for justice to be adequately served . In the article “The Penalty of Death” by H.L. Mencken the author addresses the objections against the death penalty as well as his stand on the whole issue while using several rhetorical strategies to not only get his viewpoint across but, make the reader really think about their own stand on the death penalty. Three of the most effective

In the United States, the use of the death penalty continues to be a controversial issue. Every election year, politicians, wishing to appeal to the moral sentiments of voters, routinely compete with each other as to who will be toughest in extending the death penalty to those persons who have been convicted of first-degree murder. Both proponents and opponents of capital punishment present compelling arguments to support their claims. Often their arguments are made on different interpretations of what is moral in a just society. In this essay, I intend to present major arguments of those who support the death penalty and those who are opposed to state sanctioned executions application . However, I do intend to fairly and accurately

In April 1985, Edward I. Koch published his essay on capital punishment in the liberal magazine New Republic. Koch was a hardworking congressman who eventually became the gutsy mayor of New York between 1978 and 1989. In his essay “Death and Justice”, he addresses common arguments liberals make against the death penalty. According to Koch, “Life is indeed precious.... had the death penalty been a real possibility in the minds of these murderers, they might well have stayed their hand” (3). Koch wants to guide his readers to see that the justice system is failing innocent people whose lives are of tremendous value. He undeniably stirs things up for the strong sided liberal party readers who tend to protect murderers from being executed. However, as someone who was once a congressman, his modes of persuasion with ethos, logos, and pathos, are incredibly effective and on point.

If we examine some arguments presented from both sides, opponents of the capital punishment claim that executing someone is nothing more than an immoral, state-authorized killing which undervalues the human life and destroys our respect for our government which itself says that killing is wrong. But the supporters of the death penalty think that certain murderers

Pew Research states that support for the death penalty has been declining for the past twenty years. (Masci) However there are still many people who still support capital punishment, and the debate about it still rages on in the United States. People such as Edward Koch who in his essay “Death and Justice” supports the use of capital punishment but David Bruck’s essay “The Death Penalty” challenges the use of the death penalty. Although both authors are discussing the same topic, they both use of rhetorical devices t reflects the different sides that they each are proposing and ultimately, Koch’s use of ethos is more effective.

and their deeds in order to grip his audience and back his views, employing vivid words

The article titled ``Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life? `` was written by Edward L. Koch, is the type of reading that is thought provoking as well as a stimulant for further study and discussion. It addresses the death penalty and questions if it is justifiable. Overall, Koch's essay is in favor of the death penalty.

I once was a strong proponent of capital punishment, trusting the criminal justice system would do the right thing. Moreover, I assumed that the justice system involved honest, ethical people all working together for the good of all mankind. I often argued the need for capital punishment and believed that it increases public safety, and acted as a deterrent to other would be heinous crimes and possibly saved countless lives while acting as a deterrent. As faulty as this thinking may have seemed these were my assumptions, and like most I truly believed in the criminal justice professional, after several years in law enforcement I have learned that there are unethical, criminal justice professionals that use the peoples power

SUMMARY: Mayor of New York from 1978 to 1989, Edward I. Koch in the article, “Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life”, published in the New Republic addresses the topic of the death penalty and argues that the death penalty should be implemented everywhere, as it protects citizens. Koch supports his claim first by ethos, second by logos, and finally by pathos. The author’s overall purpose is to explain how the death penalty allows for a safer environment, through executing those who have done wrong and whose actions are unforgiveable. Koch exemplifies a stern tone in order to appeal to his audience’s thoughts about the need for a method of executing, in order to do right for those who have been murdered or fatally injured. The

The death penalty has been around for decades, and since the beginning it has been a major topic of discussion. It’s been very controversial because there are religious issues and moral issues in some people’s minds. The death penalty is a topic that has always had moral principles and ethical issues. There’s really no in between with what people believe, they are either fully for the death penalty, or completely against it. However, both sides have completely ethical reasons as to why they believe what they do. People supporting the death penalty claim that it is deterrence because it prevents future murders, while other people believe that if someone takes a life then they should give their life. People against the death penalty feel it is immoral, and an unfair and unreasonable punishment. Meanwhile people who agree with the death penalty have proven this to be cost effective and ethically correct with deterring criminals from committing future murders.

In this paper I’m going to talk about Capital Punishment and the numerous ideas, thoughts, views and opinions people have about it and how they feel about this type of punishment. There are people who see capital punishment as morally wrong and committing a murder or on the side of the spectrum people see it as the right thing to do and believe that the individual receiving the punishment deserves it. I will also talk about how capital punishment can be used as a deterrent and make individuals second guess the decision they want to make and this may very well be a consequence of their actions. Another thing I will look at and talk about is how people have been falsely accused and sentenced to death or are currently sitting on death row. Also the technology and resources that are available today are so precise and extremely effective that to falsely convict someone is extremely slim and not common at all. There are numerous types of methods used to commit capital punishment and I will take a look at them and discuss them and look at some of them are inhumane and cruel. The process of getting on death row and eventually getting put to death is a very long and tedious one and it takes years to happen. I will discuss how people can make appeals, try and have their case heard again and to try and get off death row even though at times it isn’t successful at all. I will also discuss the states that still practice capital punishment and what states have outlawed

In 2011 I was watching TV when I heard it announced that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. I observed thousands of Americans celebrating with chants, fireworks, tears, hugs, and smiles. I heard a speech by the Mayor of New York. He stated that this killing was a victory and would finally bring peace to all of the families and friends of the people who lost their lives in the attacks on 9/11. This idea, that the death of a murderer brings peace to the victim’s family and friends, was not only accepted but trusted that day. This idea isn’t always accepted when a murderer is sentenced to the death penalty in a court of law in the United States. In “Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life”, Mayor Ed Koch argues that the death penalty strengthens the value of human life through focus on the importance of justice as well as focus on the victim and their families.

How can one man single-handedly change the outlook of the people regarding the death punishment? Edward I. Koch has in his article “Death and Justice” clearly and efficiently expressed his support towards the death penalty and he has thoroughly looked at both the sides of the argument and shown his support accordingly. Edward I. Koch earned a law degree from New York University in 1948 and practiced law in New York City from 1949 to 1968 (handout). This made him a very credible to be able to critique about the term “death penalty”. “Death and Justice” was published in the New Republic in April 1985 which suggested that his original audience were democrats and the citizens of USA and the article might have certainly created an astonishing impact on the readers. Koch was concerned about the lives of the innocent victims and to stop the murders he efficiently stated that the “death penalty” is the only alternative for the bringing the innocent killings to an end. Koch wants the readers to be aware about those kinds of people and he wants his readers to be conscious about these situations so that they may be able to raise their voices for the justice of a guiltless victim and this way whole nation can become known to the least spoken fact of the capital punishment. Koch wants the readers to fulfil their duty of being the law abiding citizens and take the