The Death Penalty Should Be Legal

Imagine that you are arrested and going to be tried for a crime that you did, or did not, commit. What if you cannot afford the cost of a lawyer? Will you be able to handle the physical and mental toll that all of the appeals have on a person? The death penalty, or capital punishment, is one of the most debated topics in America. It has been used for centuries, but many claim it to be barbaric, and want the practice to end all together. The death penalty should only be used in cases where there is absolute evidence that the criminal is guilty, because life in prison can be an alternative, there are many flaws in the justice system, and it can be a cruel and unusual punishment.

Since 2000, there have been over 200 exonerations from death row. More than half of these exonerations are because of DNA evidence that is found which proves a defendant innocent. The reason for these exonerations is that people make mistakes, there is no way to be fully positive of somebody else’s guilt. In some cases, evidence found against a defendant could just come down to bad timing. People may agree or disagree with capital punishment because it can become a very controversial topic. The main argument against the death penalty is that it is no longer morally correct and goes against certain beliefs. The death penalty should remain illegal in Canada because it costs more for taxpayers than life without the possibility of parole, it

The death penalty today is a hot button question that many experts cannot agree on. The topic deals with justice, logistics, and human morality which leads to either a person remaining alive or losing their life. It is not an easy choice to make because the death penalty has so much to do with human desires for justice as it does the justice system carrying out just punishments for crimes committed. In almost all of human history, capital punishment has been a punishment that was used to punish individuals who broke laws the society upheld. The United States of America is no different as it still continues to use the death penalty as a punishment in many states across the nation. The United States has contemplated the legality of the death penalty, with multiple court decisions dictating if and what is legal, as discussed in the video produced by CNN (http://www.cnn.com/videos/crime/2014/05/06/orig-jag-death-penalty.cnn/video/playlists/death-penalty/).

The first known time they used the death penalty was in the colony of virginia in 1622. (Goldberg) . Many colony have different rules and view when it comes to the death penalty even to this day, but that is not how it use to be. It use to be that if you were found guilty by the jury your only choice was the death penalty until the 1990s when the jury's got to choose if you got the death penalty or life in prison. When the death penalty started getting more popular the United States was a top contender. In 2015 twenty-eight people when executed including one woman (Goldberg) Many people think that the death penalty is unfair and

Capital punishment is the punishment of a heinous crime like murder. It is being used now in some states and has also been used in the ancient times. Thirteen states right now don’t have the death penalty: Alaska, District of Colombia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. But all states should ban it because the American Civil Liberties Union believes the death penalty inherently violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment and the guarantees of due process of law and of equal protection under the law. Capital punishment is an intolerable denial of civil liberties and is inconsistent with the fundamental values of our democratic

The late George Carlin joked: “In prisons, before they give you a lethal injection, they swab your arm with alcohol! […] Well, they don’t want you to get an infection” (Carlin). Ironically, prisoners are treated more humanely when they are on Death Row than if they were standard prisoners. The current process allows for the prisoner to be killed, but is an attempt to prevent degradation of human life. Although the current regulations on the death penalty adhere to the Eighth Amendment (a ban on cruel and unusual punishment), many are upset with the manner in which the execution is carried out(Salgo). Robert Blecker argues that the death penalty should remain lawful and has faith in the government to find a constitutional way to do so,

The death penalty has been occurring in America since the colonial times when settlers came from Europe. At that time, they used hanging as the most common execution method. This persisted until the

The death penalty is something that has been around for a very long time and is a big part of our history. The death penalty began in the seventeenth century, specifically, in the 1600’s. Crimes that were committed to receive the death penalty in this early time of America involved anything having to do with state, people, and property. Hangings were generally the most common type of execution in colonial times and these hangings were held in public places for all to see(PURPLE). In the year 1791, the 8th amendment was written stating that “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines

There have been 1466 executions in the United States since 1976. This was the year that the supreme court reinstated the death penalty. They maintained that is was constitutional under the 8th amendment. The death penalty has been around since the beginning of the United States. Although there have been many debates and changes made the death penalty is still used today. The death penalty should stay legal. It should be used for only the most terrible crimes. If there is no serious punishment for serious crimes people are more likely to commit them.

Albert Einstein, a theoretical physicist and philosopher of science, once said, no problem can be solved with the same level of thinking that created it (Einstein). The intelligent man expressed his ideas clearly that if a killer kills someone and we also kill the killer then what would be the difference between us and the killer because we both are killers. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 31 States in the United States allow the death penalty and 19 states do not allow the death penalty (“Deterrence”). The death penalty should be abolished in our society because it is not an effective crime deterrent, it puts a strain on our economy, it may result in the loss of innocent lives, and it is racial discrimination.

Since 1976, there have been 1,417 inmates killed by the death penalty. Out of those 1,417 inmates, 1,242 killed by lethal injection, 158 by electrocution, 11 by gas chamber, 3 by hanging, and 3 by firing squad. The Death Penalty was first enforced in 1608; therefore, Captain George Kendall was the first person to ever be put on death row and actually be prosecuted. In the United States today, only 32 states still have the death penalty. (Death Penalty Information Center) Some people think the death penalty will defer further murders, while others believe the penalty is cruel and is the easy way out for the inmate. Furthermore, the penalty should be illegal because it costs way more money for the inmate to go their than be put in prison for life, also, it is the easy way out for the inmate, they might have serious issues that won’t ever be solved because the courts decided to kill them.

The Death Penalty’s history dates all the way back to Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon. This document codified the death penalty, along with all of the other laws of the land and their punishments, making it available for all citizens to comprehend and understand. The executions were carried out by means of crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement. Hanging became the normal way of execution in the Tenth Century A.D. in Britain. William the Conqueror would not let hanging be a way of execution only in times of war. Under the reign of Henry VIII in the Sixteenth Century, it is said that an estimate of

The Death Penalty has been used in the United States since the very foundation of our nation; the first recorded case was the execution of Captain George Kendall in 1608 in the Jamestown colony as it was believed Kendall was a spy (DPIC). Americans have seen executions throughout history and are somewhat exposed to the idea but the 21st century is a very different place than the 17th century. This century is a time of equality and rights for people of all

Capital crime is something that is meant for people that are found guilty of committing a serious crime, such as murder, rape, or theft. These are offences that should not be taken lightly but by killing the offender, the government is carrying about the action that they are trying to prevent. Also, the wrong person may be sentenced to death. After this person is executed, there is obviously nothing that can be done for the terrible mistake to be reversed. The death penalty should be abolished because it is more expensive than life imprisonment, numerous innocent people are condemned to death row, and it is cruel and inhumane.

Century after century the death penalty has been used as a form of punishment around the world. Although many places have abolished the death penalty, it needs to go into global effect because the death penalty is poorly administered because it shouldn’t be the government who controls if a person lives or dies. Although the death penalty has come a long way from burning a woman alive at the stake, it still isn’t as humane as most would think some complications can occur on top of the cost that the whole execution comes out to. Even though the United States uses the death penalty and is always looking for a more humane way to execute a prisoner it still isn’t like this in other parts of the world. The death penalty needs to be completely abolished, for it has been known to be unfair, biased, and inaccurate in administering, as well as the government shouldn’t be executing prisoners, when it has been known to be more expensive, and it doesn’t deter crime.