Capital Punishment
Some people refer to “Capital Punishment” and the “Death Penalty” as the same concept; whereas others say that the death penalty only refers to the penalty itself, while capital punishment refers to the actual execution. However, these two words are often used interchangeably to refer to the same concept. There is a story about a man named Manny Babbitt who broke into an apartment and killed a 78 year-old woman. Babbitt was in the Marines and was awarded the Purple Heart.
Capital Punishment has been around since ancient times; it has been used as a punishment for crimes ranging in gravity form petty theft to murder. Modern opposition to capital punishment arose in France in the 18th. Century and spread through Western Europe, where most nations abolish such laws in the 20th century. In the US the death penalty was applied with decreasing frequency after World War II, and in 1972 the US Supreme Court voided all federal and states laws calling for the death penalty on the grounds that condemned persons were being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, in violation of the 8th amendment to the Constitution. The court left open, however, the possibility of new, constitutional laws, since then the U.S. And most states have enacted measures imposing the penalty in specified kinds of murder cases.
The death penalty argument has two sides is it right or is it wrong, in some cases it’s the best option but most of the time it doesn 't benefit anyone involved, the cost exceeds past imprisonment cost, and the death penalty isn’t even considered constitutional in some
Almost all nations in the world either have the death sentence or have had it at one time. It was used in most cases to punish those who broke the laws or standards that were expected of them. Since the death penalty wastes tax money, is inhumane, and is largely unnecessary it should be abolished in every state across the United States. The use of the death penalty puts the United States in the same category as countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia which are two of the world’s worst human rights violators (Friedman 34). Lauri Friedman quotes, “Executions simply inject more violence into an already hostile American society.”
Today, the death penalty is no longer used in Canada. However, this cannot be said for the first three-quarters of the twentieth century. During this time, though, there were significant efforts made to remove it. Abolitionists, a movement for the eradication of the death penalty, were pitted against retentionists, a group who wished to maintain it. For many years they struggled against one another, with many actions taken by the abolitionists proving futile. Eventually, though, the abolitionists were able to succeed in their battle and overcome the efforts of their opponents. As a result the death penalty was finally abolished in 1976. Despite opposition, the persistence and opportunism of the abolitionists eventually resulted in the elimination of capital punishment.
And that with capital punishment, violence would be less because criminals would be scared of getting a death sentence. But according to Amnesty International, twenty-seven years after abolishing the death penalty, Canada saw a 44 percent drop in murders across the country. In the USA “the 2014 FBI Uniform Crime Report showed that the South had the highest murder rate. The South accounts for over 80% of executions. The Northeast, which has less than 1% of all executions, had the lowest murder rate.”
The death penalty should be abolished because it is cruel and unusual punishment, it does not deter crime and it is costly. The death penalty is also known as capital punishment. This death by execution is ordered by the court to people convicted for a capital crime. Capital punishment is an issue that has been argued in the United States for years. Many are opposed to it, yet the majority support it as evidenced by the fact that the laws still exist. Nearly 1,400 prisoners have been executed between the years 1976 and the end of 2014 (Rizzo). Currently, there are 31 states in the United States where the death penalty is legal and 19 states where it is banned. Within the western countries, the United States is the leader and the only one administering the death penalty. The federal government allows the states to use their own discretion when it comes to the use of the death penalty. However, in 1972, the
Rarely has any issue across the world faced such fierce debate as the practice of sentencing convicted persons to death. Capital punishment, or the death penalty, was until the last few centuries, a widespread and common event, applicable for even a minor offense. As society and culture have evolved, however, the barbaric practice has come under close scrutiny. Today, many first-world countries have outlawed the death penalty in all but the rarest instances, such as treason during wartime.
The Death Penalty in Canada and the USA
The death penalty, also referred to as capital punishment, has been
abolished in Canada since 1976, but still exist in a few American States. The
last execution in Canada took place in 1962.
I disagree with the death penalty for several reasons. My first reason is
that I find it extremely inhumane to take someone's life in order to demonstrate
the power of the law. Another reason for my disapproval of the death penalty, is
the amount of money that it takes to put someone to death, as it would cost the
same to keep an inmate in jail for life, as it would to put that same inmate to
death.
The United States abolished the death penalty, also called capital punishment, in 1963. Throughout the 1960s, the Supreme Court battled many cases involving whether the death penalty should be allowed. The Supreme Court finally ruled in 1976 that the death penalty be enforced by the states that wanted it and not enforced by those who do not want it. Currently in the United States, thirty-five states have the death penalty, while fifteen do not. Even though some states have the death penalty, seven states have not performed any executions. Seventy percent of the public approves of the death penalty to be enforced throughout the states (Robinson). I also support the death penalty, and I think the death penalty should be enforced for many cases.