Persuasive Essay On The Death Penalty
opinion Essay
1545 words
1429 the number of executions conducted since 1976 just in the United States, 1260 executed by lethal injection, 158 executed by electrocution, 11 executed in the gas chamber, 3 executed by hanging and 3 by a firing squad according to the Death Penalty Information Center since 1973, more than 150 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. And today 140 countries have abolished Capital Punishment in law or practice. Nowadays, capital punishment is an ongoing debate all over the world. In Massachusetts, the death penalty was declared unconstitutional in 1984, and no one has been executed since 1947. According to the Death Penalty Information Center in the Massachusetts history, there have been 345 executions, …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the death penalty should be applied in more cases, and that their taxes shouldn't be used to feed and keep a criminal breathing, but executions are actually more expensive than life sentences.
- Explains that some states have experimented with "drug cocktails" since the european union banned the export of the drugs for the lethal injections.
- Opines that people opposing the abolition of the death penalty might say that since they are criminals, they have to pay for what they did, if they committed murder, sexual abuse, kidnapped.
- Analyzes the case of cameron todd willingham, who was charged with the murder of his 3 daughters after supposedly setting fire to their room. brian terrell was executed in 2004 and later found innocent.
- Opines that capital punishment isn't justified because it's a way for society to think that something wrong is correct when they need it.
- Opines that capital punishment is inhuman and cruel, a violation of life and human rights, and morally wrong.
- Explains that the most important thing about capital punishment is the innocent people that get sentenced to death without being actually guilty of the crime.
As mentioned by “The Public Broadcasting service” website, in an article called “Why the death penalty is on the decline”, Since the European Union banned the export of the drugs for the lethal injections almost a decade ago, some states have experimented with “drug cocktails”. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, In January of 2014 “Ohio used a new lethal drug combination that had never been tried before in the U.S. Dennis McGuire, lay for almost half an hour on the gurney, with his children watching in horror as he gasped and struggled from the effect of the drugs” And in April of the same year, “Oklahoma proceeded under court-sanctioned secrecy with the execution of Clayton Lockett, using one of the same drugs that failed in Ohio. The person inserting the IV for the lethal drugs was not able to find a suitable vein in Lockett’s arms. An attempt was made to locate and insert the IV into the femoral vein, but apparently the insertion pierced through the vein, thereby depositing the drugs into the surrounding tissue. Lockett struggled for 43 minutes, clearly conscious for part of the time, making movements and sounds. Finally, the warden called off the execution, drawing the curtain in the chamber to hide the proceedings from the witnesses. A short time later, Lockett’s death was declared, mistakenly attributed to a heart …show more content…
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.”
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- Persuasive Essay On The Death Penaltyanalytical essaySince the 13 colonies were first established in America, the death penalty has been the main form of capital punishment as a firmly deep-rooted institution in the United States. Today, one of the most debated issues in the criminal justice system is the issue of capital punishment. While receiving disapproving viewpoints as those who oppose the death penalty find moral fault in capital punishment, the death penalty has taken a very different course in America while continuing to further advancements in the justice system since the start of the new millennium. While eliminating overcrowding in state jails, the death penalty has managed to save tax payers dollars as well as deteriorate crime and apprehend criminals.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the death penalty has been the main form of capital punishment in the united states since the 13 colonies were established.
- Explains that by placing convicts on death row, america has found a just way of preventing repeat offenders and deterring crime as justice deteriorates crime rates.
- Explains that many people opposing the death penalty misguidedly use christianity and the bible's beliefs of morality to dispute the ethics of the penalty.
- Argues that the death penalty should remain legal in america because it is successfully putting criminals away by the threat of them receiving lethal injection.
- Explains that the death penalty would save government funds while putting away dangerous criminals. prop 34 costs taxpayers $100 million over four years and many millions more, long term.
- Opines that the death penalty is a safe way to put away guilty persons while technological advances ensure innocent will not be executed.
- Explains that the death penalty can help ease the problem of overcrowding in prisons in america.
- Explains that the death penalty solves many problems, such as overcrowding, deterring crime, and saving tax dollars.
1644 wordsRead More - The Death Penalty is Effectiveopinion essayCapital Punishment in this country is a very controversial issue, and has been for quite some time. The history of the death penalty in America dates all the ways back to 1622, where Daniel Frank was executed in the Colony of Virginia for the crime of theft. (UAA) Many more unrecorded executions occurred until the U.S. Bureau of Justice statistics began keeping track in 1930. During that time, there was an average of about 150 executions per year. That number rose until about 1938 then began to decline until 1967, when executions in the U.S. came to a halt. There was no law or court ruling that resulted in this, it was more of a self-induced moratorium on the state level. The legal and moral questions seemed to be coming into play. Then a ruling in 1972 by the U.S. Supreme Court stated that the death penalty under current statutes is 'arbitrary and capricious' and therefore unconstitutional under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. (Furman v. Georgia) That ruling was reached on a vote of five to four, clearly showing how even the U.S. Supreme Court Justices, the highest authority of the law, were torn on the issue. This ruling essentially made Capital Punishment illegal in the United States. This lasted about four years, until another case heard before the U.S. Supreme Court (Gregg v. Georgia 1976) that reinstated the death penalty. It stated that it must be administered with guided discretion, meaning it must be applied fairly and uniformly. Two additional cases brought before the Supreme Court this year (Jurek v. Texas) and ( Proffit v. Florida) upheld the original ruling, that the death penalty is Constitutional. All of these court rulings deal with only the legality and constitutionality on Capital Punishment. However, there are many more fractions to be examined to truly evaluate the effectiveness of the death penalty. The question of morality enters into the equation. Is state sanctioned Capital Punishment moral? Deterrence is also another large factor. Does the death penalty deter capital crimes? Any problems within the justice system have to be reviewed, such as defense for lower income individuals, judges discretion, and discrimination. Public opinion on the subject is a fairly important issue, as the laws in this country should reflect the public interest. The economic cost of the death penalty is of cour...
In this essay, the author
- Explains the history of the death penalty in america, which dates back to 1622, when daniel frank was executed for theft.
- Opines that capital punishment is the most effective method of justice for punishing convicted murderers.
- Analyzes how the eighth amendment to the constitution does not define what is considered cruel and punishment.
- Explains that the morality of the death penalty is controversial, as abolitionists' favorite phrase is 'we kill people to show people that killing people is wrong'
- Argues that the economic cost of the death penalty is clearly higher than its alternative of life imprisonment.
- Explains that abolitionists have found one case where they believe the executed party was innocent — james adams, executed in 1984.
- Opines that it is very unlikely that an innocent person has been executed in this country.
- Argues that the death penalty discriminates against the poor and african americans. the justice department found that there is no bias in the application of the penalty.
- Explains that capital punishment is a deterrent to future murders. statistics in this area are hard to trust.
- Explains that capital punishment is the only 100% effective specific deterrent against future murders.
- Opines that justice is the most important topic surrounding the death penalty.
- Concludes that the death penalty is the most effective method of justice for punishing convicted murderers.
- Explains bidinotto, robert j., "capital punishment is moral." opposing viewpoints resource center. shenendehowa public library.
- Explains bradbury, michael d., "the death penalty affirms the sanctity of life."
- Quotes buchanan, pat. "executions deliver reasonable retribution." opposing viewpoints resource center. shenendehowa public library.
- Explains cullins, george h., "executions reduce the murder rate."
- Quotes douglas, john, and opposing viewpoints resource center. the death penalty should not be eliminated.
- States that furman v. georgia. uaa justice center web site u.s. supreme ct.
- States that gregg v. georgia. uaa justice center web site u.s. supreme ct.
- Analyzes johansen, jay, and the opposing viewpoints resource center's article, "the death penalty deters crime."
- Explains jurek v. texas. uaa justice center web site u.s. supreme ct. 1976.
- Opines that claims about the unfairness of capital punishment are unfounded.
- Opines that innocent people have not been executed. opposing viewpoints resource center. shenendehowa public library.
- Explains methvin, eugene h., "wrongful executions are unlikely." opposing viewpoints resource center.
- Explains pataki, george e., "capital punishment is a deterrent." opposing viewpoints resource center.
- Opines that unfair application of capital punishment does not justify abolishing it. opposing viewpoints resource center. shenendehowa public library.
- States that proffitt v. florida. uaa justice center web site u.s. supreme ct.
- Explains pulley v. harris. uaa justice center web site u.s. supreme ct. 1984.
- States scalia, antonin, "the death penalty is legally just." opposing viewpoints resource center. shenendehowa public library.
- Opines that society needs the death penalty to deter murderers.
- States woodson v. north carolina. uaa justice center web site u.s. supreme ct. 1976.
3147 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay On The Death Penaltyexplanatory essayThe death sentence has become a huge controversy in the United States over the past forty years. Over those forty years there has been a lot of less tax payers and donators willing to pay money to the justice system to execute a criminal. These types of people that have helped to pay in the past for these executions have stopped due to them not wanting a death connected to them in any way, or because they simply see life in prison a more suitable punishment. Without the funding needed, the criminals on death row are not able to receive their proper punishment within a reasonable amount of time. A lot of times the criminals never get their proper punishment due to lack of funding. Also, criminals that commit extreme crimes may not get the death penalty due to it not being registered as capital murder. These are all issues that have affected the death penalty over time.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the death sentence has become a huge controversy in the united states over the past forty years.
- Explains that there are 31 states that currently use the death penalty, as well as the u.s. federal government and us military.
- Explains that lethal injection is controversial because of its inconsistency, and other executions are reliable but cruel.
- Explains that the death penalty does not deter murder or any other capital crime for most criminals, since they know their intentions or are mentally insane 95% of the time.
- Opines that the death penalty is a waste of money for those who are for it, while those opposed to it may see it as inhumane or cruel to take someone’s life because of their bad decision.
- Explains that many people opposing the death penalty use race as a way of attempting to get the penalty taken away, or to evade being sentenced to death.
- Opines that the death penalty is an efficient way to execute criminals that have committed any type of capital crime.
836 wordsRead More - Pros And Cons Of Capital Punishmentanalytical essayIn 1976 the Supreme Court of the United States re-instituted the death penalty. In1976, the Supreme Court in Gregg V. Georgia declared the death penalty for murder is constitutional (AAE "Capital Punishment"). The death penalty is also fair and serves it justice -- surveyed police chiefs and sheriffs choose the death penalty as a primary method to combat violent crime (Montgomery 2-25-95). In the website Pro-death penalty is stated statistically that approximately 5900 people have been sentenced to death and only about 356 have been carried out. At last count there were more than 3000 inmates on death row this number could be greatly reduced if execution was fulfilled.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that capital punishment is costing the united states taxpayers millions of dollars each year, and the amount of money spent on death row inmates could be reduced if the sentencing was enforced.
- States that the supreme court of the united states re-instituted the death penalty in 1976.
- Explains that the cost to house a death row inmate in colorado is 103.58 dollars per day. high security prisons do not allow more than one person to their cell due to security.
- Explains that an inmate spends an average of ten years on death row before sentence is carried out. some people opposing capital punishment think that life in prison without parole or lwop is a better answer.
- Explains that many opposed to the death penalty feel it is against constitutional rights. the bill of rights was written by the founding fathers of our country.
- Opines that speeding up the execution process also gives the family of the victim’s closure.
- Argues that rape, murder and child abuse should have harsher punishments. 6% of young adults paroled in 1978 after having been convicted of murder were arrested for murder again within 6 years of release.
- Argues that our country is in a deficit yet we can afford to this unnecessary expense. the money that would be saved could be spent on bettering the nation and domestic problems.
- Argues that the cost of execution versus life in prison without parole could be reduced if the process was changed.
1104 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay: The Death Penalty Must Be Abolishedanalytical essayThere are currently 32 states, including California, in America that actively use the death penalty. Since 1976, there have been 1378 executions, carried out in a number of different ways. The government has used gas chambers, firing squads, hangings, electrocution chairs, and lethal injections with the goal of providing an instantaneous and painless death. Lethal injection is the most common of these methods, using a fatal cocktail of drugs to immediately stop the victim’s breathing and heartbeat. This technique, however, will now undergo immense scrutiny and may even be outlawed in the wake of the Oklahoma incident.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the death penalty is a cruel, inhumane, and degrading punishment.
- Opines that the most obvious way to remove racial discrimination from our judicial system is to eliminate the death penalty altogether.
- Analyzes how a botched execution in oklahoma shocked the nation and reenergized an ageless debate over the legality of the death penalty.
- Analyzes the moral issues that accompany the government administering the death penalty.
- Explains that atkins v. virginia banned mentally retarded criminals from receiving the death penalty, leaving a lot of gray area as to who is exempt from it.
1497 wordsRead More - The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penaltyexplanatory essayThe technology and methods involved in state-run executions have evolved greatly over the years. For the first 150 years of the country’s existence, prisoners were executed either through hanging or by the firing squad. Electrocution became the standard method for executions until 1982, when lethal injection was used for the first time. According to Thomas Reuters “8 people were executed by electrocution, 1 by firing squad, and rest were executed by lethal injection“(“Facts About the Death Penalty”). In the US 31 states have the death penalty, and 19 states and DC abolished the death penalty.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the technology and methods involved in state-run executions have evolved greatly over the years. in the us 31 states have the death penalty, and 19 states and dc abolished it.
- Explains the danger of innocent people being executed because of errors in the criminal justice system. more than 150 men and women have been released from death row since the reinstatement.
- Explains that the americans' view on the death penalty is one of the most comprehensive studies ever piloted.
- Explains the five types of executions in the united states: hanging, firing squad, gas chamber, lethal injection, and the electric chair.
- Explains that the electric chair became popular in 1898, seeking a more humane method of execution than hanging. the inmate is strapped to the chair with heavy duty belts across the chest, groin, legs, and arms.
- Explains that nevada introduced the gas chamber in 1924, seeing a more human way of executing the states inmates.
- Explains the firing squad method, which started being a main execution method back in the late 1990's and early 2000’s. five shooters are armed with.30 caliber rifles loaded with single rounds.
- Explains that oklahoma became the first state to adopt lethal injection as an execution method in 1997.
- Recounts how clayton lockett, a 38-year-old male sentenced to the death penalty, shot stephanie neiman in 1999.
1246 wordsRead More - The Pros And Cons Of Capital Punishmentopinion essayare proved to show nothing being felt when being executed. Each method makes the killing done efficiently before he or she is able to feel a thing. Now granted, we are not able to ask the dead if they felt pain during their execution, but many scientific theories have proved it. The methods of execution used in capital punishment are lethal injection, electrocution, firing squad, gas and hanging. "Death penalty cases in which the U.S. Supreme Court looked at state practices were irrelevant, said the court, because these decisions focused on the proportionality of the punishment rather than the method of execution" (Goldberg, 103). Lethal injection is a 3-drug combination administered into the human body to cause muscle paralysis, respiratory arrest and potassium chloride to stop the heart. "Most accepted that electricty would provide a swifter and more humane death" (Gavlin). Electrocution is death caused by electric shock. The electric current runs through the body and directly into the brain, shutting it off quickly. The firing squad is where five men shoot the heart with high-powered rifles. It is unconscious within seconds. The gas chamber is no longer in use any more. It frequently seemed to cause more pain than expected or acceptable. When placed in the gas chamber one must usually breath in the hydrogen cyanide, which shuts the brain off like a light switch. Hanging causes
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the death penalty should be kept open as an option when breaking the laws we have set in place.
- Opines that the death penalty is the only appropriate punishment for such depravity as witnessed in films.
- Opines that if citizens knew that they would be receiving the death penalty before any crime is committed, many are less inclined to commit that type of crime.
- Explains that the five methods of execution used in capital punishment are lethal injection, electrocution, firing squad, gas and hanging.
- Opines that the death penalty is legal in 31 states, while 19 states and dc have abolished it.
1096 wordsRead More - The Death Penaltyanalytical essayThe 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that capital punishment would save money throughout the nation. the average cost for an inmate was $22,650, and now ten years later the cost has only risen.
- Explains that eighty-seven innocent people have been freed from death row since 1976 because they were innocent. the opposition's argument of the innocent being killed is a positive.
- Opines that enforcing the death penalty for inmates waiting on death row can help solve problems throughout the county.
- Analyzes sharp, dudley's article, "cost of death penalty vs. life in prison."
- Explains stephan, james j., and tina dorsey's article, the high cost of imprisonment in america.
- Describes the top 10 pros and cons of the death penalty.
- Opines that the death penalty should be enforced by the states that wanted it and not by those who did not want it.
- Argues that killing a person is wrong and should not be done, but that death row inmates made the choice for themselves.
908 wordsRead More - Persuasivement Essay: Argument For Capital Punishmentexplanatory essayCapital punishment is a form of taking someone 's life in order to repay for the crime that they have committed. Almost all capital punishment sentences in the United States of America have been imposed for homicide since the 1970 's. Ever since the reinstatement after 38 years of being banned, there has been intense debate among Americans regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment. Critics say that executions are violations of the “cruel and unusual punishment” provision of the Eighth Amendment. Some capital punishment cases require a separate penalty trial to be made, at which time the jury reviews if there is the need for capital punishment. In 1982, the first lethal injection execution was performed in Texas. Some other common methods of execution used are electrocution, a firing squad, and lethal gas. In recent years, the US Supreme Court has made it more difficult for death row prisoners to file appeals. Nearly 75 percent of Americans support the death sentence as an acceptable form of punishment. The other fourth have condemned it. Some major disagreements between supporters and non-supporters include issues of deterrence,
In this essay, the author
- Explains that capital punishment is a form of taking someone's life in order to repay for the crime that they have committed.
- Explains that capital punishment, or the legal taking of a life, has been in existence since the ancient times as punishment for crimes ranging from petty theft to murder.
- Explains that the u.s. constitution gave the federal government and states the right to set their own criminal penalties with the feeling that individual states could control the sentencing and execution of criminals.
- Explains that there are 34 capital crimes deserving the death penalty under federal law and 30 more under state laws.
- Explains the different methods of execution, such as stoning, drowning and hangings. the public executions drew massive crowds and created a different form of entertainment.
- Explains that the death penalty is used to constitute cruel and unusual punishment. those against capital punishment cite examples of barbarity.
809 wordsRead More - Pros Of The Death Penaltyopinion essayThe death penalty has many different ways of happening firing squad,boiling in oil, impalement, beheading, drawing and quartering, burning alive, crushing,stoning, lethal injection, and drowning. Only a few apply in America the lethal injection, and the Electric chair. Lethal injectors are drugs that paralyze the body and stop the heart without excruciating pain. America is looking for a way to do it on individuals and painless.There has been 1228 executions by the lethal injection, 158 by the electric chair, 11 by the gas chamber, 3 by hanging, and 3 by firing squad since 1976. ("Lethal Injection." Supreme Court Debates 94.8 (2015): 2. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 9 May
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the death penalty should be brought back stronger in all 50 states and the people that committed the major crime.
- Explains that it was god's will for people to get punished if they commit murder.
- Opines that if the death penalty is stronger in america all 50 states will have the death penalty, the percentage of murders will go down.
- Explains that the death penalty has many different ways of happening, including firing squad, impalement, beheading, burning alive, crushing,stoning and lethal injection. america is looking for a way to do it on individuals and painless.
- Opines that america needs to send a message to terrorists to not attack if they do. the death penalty would tell them not to attack.
- Explains that each state spends approximately $6.5 billion dollars on spending life in jail. if they are on parole they have a chance to do another crime instead of being dead.
- Explains that alabama has had 196 people on death row since january 1, 2016 and the south has 1169 executions using the death penalty.
- Explains that an executed death sentence guarantees that the killer will never kill again.
- Argues that the death penalty should be brought back stronger in all 50 states, not just 32, to reduce the major crimes in america, less terrorist attacks, reduce the cost of staying in jail for life.
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