The Importance Of Capital Punishment
opinion Essay
1089 words
In 1492, when the Europeans came to the new world, they brought the practice of capital punishment with them ("Part 1:"). Some may ask, “Well, what is capital punishment?” The official definition of capital punishment is "the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime"("Definition of"). Throughout the years, the death penalty has evolved and has been present in most legal systems around the world. Though, as capital punishment has evolved, so has humans ' sense of right and wrong. These days, many people question the morality of exercising the death penalty. Over half of the country still supports the death penalty, but this is "a drop of 22 percentage points from peak support in 1996"(Kiener). This statistic shows that Americans are beginning to turn from the barbaric laws that are defined as capital punishment. Personally, I believe that the use of capital punishment should be eradicated completely from this world because it is unethical, expensive, not 100 percent accurate, and does not effectively punish the criminal. There are many different types of ways to be legally executed: electric shock, lethal injection, firing squad, etc. Though, no matter which of the many ways a criminal can be executed, it is always barbaric to allow "state-sanctioned murder before a crowd of people"( Messerli). The United States …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the use of capital punishment should be eradicated completely from the world because it is unethical, expensive, not 100% accurate, and does not effectively punish the criminal.
- Opines that it is barbaric to allow "state-sanctioned murder before a crowd of people." in the united states, the proposition for an execution must go through all of the legalities.
- Opines that capital punishment is more expensive than keeping the criminal in jail for the rest of his life. the state of north carolina could save an annual 11 million dollars by abolishing the death penalty.
- Opines that capital punishment is not 100% accurate because there will always be the slight possibility that the criminal was wrongly accused.
- Argues that the death penalty does not effectively punish criminals because they deserve the sweet, fast release of death. if they were instead sentenced to life in prison, their suffering would drag on and on for years rather than being over in an instant.
- Opines that the death penalty does not bring closure to the victim's families. revenge does nothing however hurt more and more people.
- Analyzes how capital punishment tends to shift sympathy from the victim to the accused, rather than getting rid of a felon.
- Concludes that capital punishment should be eradicated everywhere because the wicked side of it clearly outweighs the beneficial side.
Yes, the death penalty is humiliating for the criminal and may give some sort of closure to the victims ' families, but it is also unethical, expensive, and not 100% accurate. The use of capital punishment is barbaric and final. To kill somebody is a horrible thing to do, even if it is politically allowed. "Hate, revenge, and anger will never cure the emptiness of a lost loved one. Forgiveness is the only way to start the healing process, and this won 't happen in a revenge-focused" world
Related
- analytical
- explanatory
- opinion
- The Debate over Capital Punishmentanalytical essayCapital punishment dates back to the 18th Century B.C. The use and practice of the death penalty was administered in different ways such as crucifixion. This method required the accused to be nailed to a wood cross for display, so members of society could witness the execution. Other early methods of capital punishment where performed by beheading, beating or burning the accused. During the 1600’s the preferred method of execution in America displayed for public viewing was by hanging. The current methods developed for execution in recent decades include death by the electric chair, gas chamber or lethal injection. The death penalty has been administered for various reasons ranging from petty crimes to murder and treason. Forms of capital punishment have been labeled as inhumane, and individual states have abolished capital punishment. Death penalty practices have moved towards becoming “more humane”; in addition, a number of states are looking to abolish the death penalty due to costs. The process of capital punishment has been an experiment of trial and error, punishment is punishment, and the punishment should fit the crime. Either society pays to keep people alive with no chance of rehabilitation, or society decides to cut their losses and put people to death. Either way a life is destroyed. Capital punishment should not be abolished it should be utilized.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that capital punishment dates back to the 18th century b.c.
- Explains that the death penalty is a debatable issue in many aspects. the main argument revolves around religious organizations in our country.
- Argues that money spent on death row inmates should be used to increase education and reform for prisoners released from prison for lesser crimes.
- Concludes that the decision to exercise the death penalty is vital to society as a whole. the need to postpone actively using capital punishment will not possibly be enough to prevent it.
- Analyzes the death penalty in america: a cultural and historical analysis.
893 wordsRead More - Capital Punishmentexplanatory essayCapital 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.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that capital punishment is one of today’s many issues brought up in congress. does the government have the right to take a life?
- Explains that capital punishment has been around since ancient times; it is used as a punishment for crimes ranging in gravity from petty theft to murder. in the us, the death penalty was applied with decreasing frequency after world war ii.
- Explains that capital punishment is one of the oldest institutions in america. the opposition to the death penalty has been successful in limiting the use of death and the methods used.
- Explains that american laws regarding capital punishment came from british law, including the separation of types of murders. the american colonies also inherited the english law code.
- Explains that many state legislatures changed their methods of execution to keep within the limits of the constitution.
- Opines that the death penalty is not used consistently enough for a potential criminal to know that he will get it. people fear death, and if the courts used it constantly then people would fear to do any violent crimes.
- Opines that reforming the death penalty might be more beneficial to society than abolishing it.
779 wordsRead More - Capital Punishment in Americaexplanatory essayCapital punishment or the death penalty as it is commonly termed is of all the penal practices, the most controversial. This is not at all surprising, concerning the fact that it involves taking a human life. Because it is the most severe of all sentences, there have been countless efforts to abolish the death penalty, and these efforts have proved effective in most of the industrialized nations, with the exception of Japan and the United States of America. It is very important to know the issues surrounding capital punishment, because it occurs in the country we live in and affects us even if we are not on death row. Because capital punishment occurs in just about half of the world, it would be difficult to talk about all of the circumstances and issues of capital punishment in each country, and because of this, the focus of this analysis will be the United States of America.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that capital punishment is the most controversial of all penal practices, since it involves taking a human life. the focus of this analysis will be the united states of america.
- Explains the methods used to carry out the death penalty. crucifixion, drowning, burning, impaling, hangings and shootings have all been used as methods to inflict a legal death upon an individual.
- Explains that in the united states, capital punishment is met out by lethal gas, injection or electrocution. the federal government allows for the individual states to define crimes and choose their own penalties for crimes committed.
- Explains that in the us there are about 3,500 people on death row. california heads the list with 603 offenders awaiting their deaths and it is possible that another man, scott peterson, may join these ranks.
- Argues that it costs more money to execute a criminal than to keep them in prisons for life.
- Explains that the first notable movements towards eradication of the death penalty were in the 1700's during the age of enlightenment.
- Explains that there has been an ongoing debate over the death penalty in america. the chief argument for death sentences is that it can be used as a deterrent.
- Explains the term "general deterrence" and the second type, "specific deters" — if a murderer is killed, he will no longer be able to kill again. however, it may increase homicide rates.
- Explains that people opposing capital punishment think that a better solution is to make the murderer sit in prison cell for life, with no possibility for parole.
- Explains that out of every 7 convictions, there is 1 wrong conviction. one hundred and nine people have been exonerated on dna evidence alone according to barry sheck, an attorney opposed to capital punishment.
- Opines that capital punishment should be reexamined only in cases where the convict will kill other inmates in prison.
- Explains that the death penalty is a highly controversial issue that probably won't be resolved for some time. it's important to know facts about it, including its circumstances, methods, and costs.
1478 wordsRead More - The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penaltyexplanatory essayAbolitions may contend that the death penalty is inherently immoral because governments should never take human life, no matter what the provocation is, but that is article of faith not fact” (“Executions—“). The Americans’ view on the death penalty is one of the most comprehensive studies ever piloted. A national survey of 1,500 registered voters was conducted by Lake Research Partners showing that the support for alternatives against the death penalty as to previous surveys. A surprising 61 percent would choose a punishment other than the death penalty for a criminal that commits a felony, 39 percent say that the criminal should receive a possibility of parole and restitution to the victims’ family. Only 13 percent say that life with no possibility of parole is the correct punishment, and last but least 9 percent say that life behind bars and with the possibility of parole
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 - Death Penalty Essay: The Barbaric Practice of Capital Punishmentanalytical essayRarely 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.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the death penalty is an excessive form of revenge against violent criminals, lacking tact or respectability by the state that inflicts it.
- Cites aclu newswire 10-17-00, "october 17, 2000 -- bush quizzed on attitude toward death penalty."
- Analyzes john, mark, and alastair macdonald's "bush hard line on executions will trouble europe."
- Argues that the death penalty in the united states is not only impractical, immoral, but fraught with error to such degree that it could be easily outlawed.
- Examines the relationship between race and the death penalty, with varying levels of thoroughness and sophistication.
- Opines that the u.s. may face economic sanctions for its death penalty stance. european parliament official alan donnelly warned of possible economic consequences for us states.
- Cites dieter, richard c., the death penalty in black & white.
3489 wordsRead More - Capital Punishment in Americaopinion essayHopefully I’ve made the point that the death penalty is useless except for delivering some sort of closure to a victims’ loved ones, through this type of closure is morally wrong, and can be achieved through life imprisonment of the murderer. And because capital punishment is not an effective deterrent, because life imprisonment is a better option, and because the innocent wouldn’t have to die; capital punishment should be abolished.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that capital punishment should be allowed as it is today, or abolished in part or in whole.
- Opines that capital punishment is morally unjust and violates our right to life.
- Opines that society must determine whether the risk of wrongly executing an innocent person is worth taking to reap the benefits of executions of convicted murderers.
- Explains that deterrence is used as a justification for capital punishment. however, some research suggests that state executions may increase the number of homicides.
- Explains that life imprisonment can be worse than death for many convicted murderers because they will have to live out their lives without many of the freedoms and rights they take for granted.
- Explains that 70 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, while 23 haven't reintroduced it.
1170 wordsRead More - Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty In The United Statesanalytical essayThe death penalty defeats the purpose of obtaining justice amongst other things. Prisoners are not necessarily suffering the consequences of their actions; instead of doing life in prison, they get the death penalty. In some cases, prisoners on death row try or actually commit suicide to get out of their sentencing, which is also not serving justice. The death penalty is more of a form of seeking revenge than it is about seeking justice. For example, a man on death row tried to commit suicide by hanging himself. Officers saved his life and he was taken to the hospital, only to be executed a week later (Evans, 2013). While they are in prison they have time to think about their crimes, being incarcerated would be an actual punishment instead of them committing suicide and not doing any time in prison. It would also give the family some sense of
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the death penalty in the united states has been controversial ever since the beginning of its usage.
- Explains that the death penalty defeats the purpose of obtaining justice. in some cases, prisoners on death row try or actually commit suicide to get out of their sentencing.
- Opines that our criminal justice system is heavily flawed because up to 4.1% of prisoners on death row may be innocent, but it would be strenuous to depict every single one.
- Analyzes the role of racial biases in our justice system, stating that 80% of people on death row are minorities, while 61% are african-american or hispanic.
- Explains that capital punishment costs more money than keeping someone in prison for life. the average death penalty cases cost $470,000, not including the cost of court personnel.
- Argues that the death penalty can be benefited from as well. it would keep prisons from becoming overpopulated, keeping states from having to build few facilities.
- Argues that the death penalty should not be acceptable in the united states because it is expensive, defeats the purpose of getting justice, and there are flaws in our criminal justice system that can wrongfully convict an innocent person.
729 wordsRead More - Pros And Cons Of The Death Penaltyexplanatory essayThe Death penalty provides closure for the victims because then they are not haunted by the fact that their loved ones have died and that the person that did it will be faced with the same outcome, death. According to jones (2014)“In U.S, 63%
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the death penalty should be banned in the states because it is here to put the evil in man to rest.
- Explains that the death penalty provides closure for the victims because they are not haunted by the fact that their loved ones have died.
- Explains that lethal injection, electrocution, a gas chamber, hanging, and firing squad were used in the united states to put someone down.
- Explains that the gas chamber, firing squad, and sandbags are the three methods of execution in the united states.
- Explains that the death penalty prevents crime because it strikes fear into people.
- Opines that the death penalty should be banned in the states because it creates a punishment for people that has done the wrong thing.
1113 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay Against Death Penaltyanalytical essayDespite the fact that over 135 countries across the globe have outlawed the death penalty and that there is little evidence to support its use, the United States remains as one of the few major industrialized nations that still execute prisoners. In every society, many cases occur where a criminal must be punished, so that they can be taught a lesson and be stopped from committing future crimes. There are many different ways of punishing criminals: one is the death penalty. The issue of the death penalty has been debated throughout history and even more so recently. Some people support the death penalty, since they say it is only fair for one to forfeit their life if they take the life of another. Many feel the death penalty is unfair, and
In this essay, the author
- Argues that it is a grave mistake to consider the death penalty as the main method to solve cases, or the best way to discourage crime.
- Analyzes how the death penalty creates discrimination and prejudice against the defendant. the naacp, for example, argues that the system values white lives more than black lives.
- Explains that the united states is one of the few major industrialized nations that still execute prisoners. the death penalty has been debated throughout history and even more recently.
- Explains that many people consider capital punishment an evil act, because it is a cruel punishment exacted without just cause.
- Explains that many supporters of the death penalty argue that it will deter violent crime.
1712 wordsRead More - Justice Is Better Servedexplanatory essayFirst, many families want closure to the victim’s families who have suffered so much. On “balancedpolitics.org” one person stated, “ The death penalty gives closure to the victim’s families who have suffered so much.” This shows that all the victim’s family wants is basically peace.” It creates another form of crime deterrent. Prisoner parole or escapes can glue criminals another chance to kill.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many families want closure to the victim's families who have suffered so much. the death penalty creates another form of crime deterrent.
- Opines that justice is better served because it gives the person a reason to not like their consequence, because some people would rather be killed than in jail.
- Explains that dna testing can be used to solve a crime scene. it provides detterent for prisoners serving life and gives prosecutors another bargaining chip on the plea bargain process.
236 wordsRead More