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Effects of capital punishment on society
Arguments for the death penalty
Capital punishment as a deterrent
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The first death sentence that has been historically recorded was as far back as 16th century BC. This occurred in Egypt, the wrongdoer was accused of magic and he was then ordered to take his own life. In present day the death penalty has changed drastically. The death penalty has undergone many changes since then. In medieval times the methods used to kill people were inhumane and often times cruel. In modern times the methods to kill people are much more humane. The death penalty has been used less and less often and even outlawed in some states. The death penalty should be used more often and for more crimes. If the death penalty was used more often there would be a deterrence for future crimes, it is more cost effective, and it would make our nation better.
For one thing the death penalty, if used more often, than there would be a higher deterrence for future crime. If there was a deterrent then there would be less new criminals. With less new criminals the crime would slowly dissipate. Current crime rings would also go away if the people in them were taken out of the world. Out of everything there would be a much lower murder count. The death penalty should also be used for more crimes than just murder, more than just violent crimes. White collar criminals should also have the same possibility to face capital punishment. If capital punishment was used on more crimes than just murder then the crime rate would drop significantly. No one would want to get executed for something such as grand theft. As stated by Ernest Van Den Haag in “for the death penalty” “therefore nothing will deter a criminal more than the fear of death… life in prison is less feared (Haag).
Furthermore capital punishment is more cost effective than LWOP (...
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...y rather than the shadow of fear caused by criminals. Capital punishment does not break any constitutional rights or amendments. As well, mistakes will be made with all forms of justice. Implement capital punishment with an iron fist.
Works Cited
Stewart, Steven D. "Top 10 Pros and Cons - Death Penalty - ProCon.org."
ProConorg Headlines. Message on the Clark County Prosecutor Website, 6 Aug. 2008. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Roberts, John G. "Top 10 Pros and Cons - Death Penalty - ProCon.org.
"ProConorg Headlines. Baze V. Rees, 16 Apr. 2006. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Haag, Ernest Van Den. "Top 10 Pros and Cons - Death Penalty - ProCon.org."
ProConorg Headlines. For the Death Penalty, 17 Oct. 1983. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Sharp, Dudley. "Top 10 Pros and Cons - Death Penalty - ProCon.org."
ProConorg Headlines. Death Penalty Sentencing and Information, 1 Oct. 1997. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
The death penalty dates all the way back to Eighteenth Century B.C.. It was codified in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon and it was used as punishment for 25 different types of crimes. It was also a part of the Hittie Code in Fourteenth Century B.C., the Draconian Code of Athens, the Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets, and in Tenth Century B.C. in Britain. The death sentence was carried out in various ways including, drowning, burning alive, crucifixion, beating and hanging (Death Penalty Information Center, 2014).
The death penalty is a good way to punish someone who has committed murder. The reason is because if they are willing to take a life then they should have their own taken from them as well. On the fox news website there is an article called “Death Penalty Discourages Crime.” In this article, it says “ between three and 18 lives that would be saved by the execution of each convicted killer.” This statistic alone shows we should want to punish all the convicted murderers. We could save a lot of other people’s lives. The only thing that we have to do in order to save all these lives is to just follow through with capital punishment when that person is convicted of first degree murder. The death penalty can do a lot for our society and for families of the victims. We can prevent
It is the firm belief and position here that committing such a crime as murder is punishable by death. Americans should take a position for anyone on death row, to be executed sooner rather than later.
Capital punishment must be the standard by which each and every state must abide by. If we cannot join together and defeat crime, it will most certainly take us over. We can no longer sit and let our lives be terrorized. No longer can we sit back and watch criminals be released and then kill again. No longer must we Americans or anyone live our lives in fear. We must come together and draw the line on crime. We must make the world safe so that we and our children may once again live in a world without the fear of being senselessly killed or losing our loved ones. For a cold blooded killer, capital punishment is the only true justice.
The people in support of the death penalty say that if murderers are sentenced to death, future committers will think about the consequences before they actually proceed with the crime. However, most murderers don’t expect or plan to be caught and weigh their fate. Because, murders are committed when the murderer is angry or passionate, or by drug abusers and people under the influence of drugs or alcohol ("Deterrence (In Opposition to the Death Penalty)”). Therefore, it will not deter future crimes and will actually increase the amount of murders because of society. As previously stated, the death penalty isn’t proven to prevent future murders and/or crimes because it actually increases the likelihood of committing murder. It doesn’t prevent future murders because it would upset the family and friends of the person who was executed. For example, if someone was executed by the death penalty and it was someones family member, then the person who lost their loved one by the execution would most likely commit murder in anger. If that person was executed the next family member would get angry and so on. The cycle would never end and would have more murders. There is no final proof that the death penalty is a better deterrent than other options. Not having the death penalty would be better because it could save many lives. For example, United States a country that uses the death penalty has a higher murder rate than Europe or Canada which are countries that do not use the death penalty. To get a little specific, the states in the United States that do not use the death penalty have a lower murder rate than the states that do.
...ding, deterring crime, and saving tax dollars. The death penalty also ensures equal justice in America and ensures justice to those deceased in homicides. In the future, such issues can be resolved by keeping the death penalty: overcrowding in prisons will be less likely to happen, more criminals would be apprehended because of the plea bargain and crime rates will go down. This changed America by locking up more criminals in prison in these past two millenniums alone then altogether in America before while deterring crime due to convicts facing the chance of execution and being placed on death row. The death penalty also ensures the innocent who have suffered as a victim in a homicide have received their justice. With this being said, the death penalty works as a solution to the overcrowded prisons and overwhelming crime rates in the United States.
In the first place, Capital Punishment is the only real punishment that fits the crime of murder and
First, people should know the history of the death penalty. The death penalty has a long history dating back to the 16th Century BC. "In 16th Century BC Egypt, a death sentence was ordered for members of nobility, who were accused of magic. They were ordered to take their own life. The non-nobility was usually killed with an ax"(Burns). During the 18th Century BC, King Hammurabi of Babylon had a code that arranged the death penalty for 25 different crimes although murder was not one of them (Burns).
While we may all want murders off the street, the problem we come to face is that capital punishment is being used for vengeance or as a deterrent. Capital punishment has been used worldwide, not only by the governments to instill fear, but to show that there are repercussions to ones actions. From the time we are born, we are taught to learn the difference between right and wrong. It is ingrained in our brains, what happens to people that do bad things? Capital punishment is renowned for being the worst thing that could be brought amongst ones life.
The death penalty has been promoted for thousands of years, for countless crimes committed by humans. The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty was also part of the Fourteenth Century B.C.'s Hittite Code; in the Seventh Century B.C.'s Draconian Code of Athens, which made death the only punishment for all crimes; and in the Fifth Century B.C.'s Roman law of the Twelve Tablets. Death sentences were carried out by such means as crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement. Now in today’s society the most common methods of execution are; firing squad, hanging, and in recent years: lethal injection which is undeniably more humane than any other form of execution throughout history. The death penalty has been used to protect society from the iniquities that mankind has presented itself. The criminals, rapists, murderers, and sadists, who harm innocent people, should undeniably forfeit their own right to live as Margaret Thatcher has stated. The use of capital punishment is essential to the security of our nation and the justice in which those who are innocent and those who are the victims deserve.
The death penalty has been around for centuries. It dates back to when Hammurabi had his laws codified; it was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. Capital punishment in America started when spies were caught, put on trial and hung. In the past and still today people argue that, the death penalty is cruel, unusual punishment and should be illegal. Yet many people argue that it is in fact justifiable and it is not cruel and unusual. Capital punishment is not cruel and unusual; the death penalty is fair and there is evidence that the death penalty deters crime.
The death penalty deters murder. The death penalty is the best way to stop a killer from killing someone else. Some say that prison is enough, but it isn’t. Death is necessary because if they are only sent to prison there is always the risk that some day the same killer that brutally killed a 5-year old or raped and strangle a college student might return to the streets.
To start off, I will discuss the history of the death penalty. The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. Death sentences were carried out by such means as crucifixion, boiling, beheading, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement.
There are always two sides to every issue and capital punishment or life imprisonment is no different. This has been a very controversial issue for decades and still is today. Capital Punishment also known as the death penalty is defined as being the penalty of death for a crime. Some feel that capital punishment should be abolished because it is cruel; others believe life in prison is just as cruel. There are many reasons for the support of Capital Punishment and for Life in Prison.
Crime is everywhere. Wherever we look, we find criminals and crime. Criminals have become a part of our daily lives. Does this mean we let them be the darkness of our society? No, definitely not. Eliminating crime and criminals is our duty, and we cannot ignore it. Getting the rightly accused to a just punishment is very important. Some criminals commit a crime because they have no other option to survive, but some do it for fun. I do not advocate death penalty for everybody. A person, who stole bread from a grocery store, definitely does not deserve death penalty. However, a serial killer, who kills people for fun or for his personal gain, definitely deserves death penalty. Death penalty should continue in order to eliminate the garbage of our society. Not everybody deserves to die, but some people definitely do. I support death penalty because of several reasons. Firstly, I believe that death penalty serves as a deterrent and helps in reducing crime. Secondly, it is true that death penalty is irreversible, but it is hard to kill a wrongly convicted person due to the several chances given to the convicted to prove his innocence. Thirdly, death penalty assures safety of the society by eliminating these criminals. Finally, I believe in "lex tallionis" - a life for a life.