Persuasive Essay On The Death Penalty

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Many people are led to believe that the death penalty doesn’t occur very often and that very few people are actually killed, but in reality, it’s quite the opposite. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1,359 people have been executed as a result of being on death row since 1977 to 2013. Even though this form of punishment is extremely controversial, due to the fact that someone’s life is at stake, it somehow still stands to this very day as our ultimate form of punishment. Although capital punishment puts murderers to death, it should be abolished because killing someone who murdered another does not and will not make the situation any better. In his essay, “An Abolitionist’s Survey Of the Death Penalty in America Today,” Hugo …show more content…

Thankfully though, Benjamin Rush, an opponent towards public hangings, changed all of that. Rush was able to end public executions and instead favored carrying out the death penalty inside an enclosed prison (Bedau 17). Although carrying out capital punishment behind closed doors didn’t completely eliminate the death penalty, it was a step in the right direction. Furthermore, the introduction of jury sentencing aided greatly in reducing the number of defendants being sent to death. It essentially gave the convicted defendant a second chance at life, usually through a life sentence, but a second chance nonetheless. Presently, because of rulings made by the Supreme Court, there will never be any forced death penalties opposed on convicted defendants anywhere in the nation (Bedau …show more content…

During 1975, there were 721 homicides committed in Canada (Death Penalty Info). In 2001, Canada had 554 homicides, that is 23 percent lower than the number of homicides committed before the death penalty was abolished. Knowing this, capital punishment does not deter crime. On the other hand, numerous people will dispute that God supports capital punishment. In Bryan Fischer’s essay, “Christian Doctrine Supports Capital punishment” Fischer quotes the bible stating that God says, “From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his image.”(35) Essentially, this means that murder destroys God’s image and for that God requires action to repair the damage. But even so, the essay, “Christian Doctrine Does Not Support Capital Punishment” by The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) argues against the belief that God supports capital punishment. The Gospel promotes forgiveness for any sin that has been committed (USCCB 40). Society needs to realize that people can change, no matter what they have done in the past. Prisoners and people who have committed the worst of crimes are capable of changing and eventually finding the right path through prayer and studying the bible (USCCB

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