Anti Capital Punishment Essay

Capital Punishment Essay

On July 2, 1976, almost two hundred years since the United States of America passed the Declaration of Independence, the Supreme Court legalized capital punishment (Appendix 1). Capital punishment executed for the crime of theft. Since then there have been an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 people lawfully executed(Espy pp.194). In the eighteenth century, England would punish by death for crimes such as pick pocketing and petty theft. After the 1650's colonist could be put to death for denying the true god or cursing their parents advocates.

Capital punishment has clashed for a long time in the forum of public opinion in state legislatures and most recently in courts. In 1972, the case of Furman vs. Georgia (Appendix 1) reached the supreme...show more content... It appears that killing a black is much less 'death–worthy', as Black puts it, than killing a white.

Throughout the years studies have shown that Americans favor the death penalty by a small margin (Gallup Poll 63). The reasons are many, though they can be grouped into general categories. The death penalty is a proven deterrent to violent crime. Statistics show that the crime rate is reduced in all states that hold the death penalty (Bedau 125–30). Others argue that it is morally just to execute a proven murderer. When confronted with the numerous false indictments and possible deaths due to falsified testimony, the advocates of the death penalty reply that it is no different than any other non–capital punishment in which so called offenders often serve unjust time in prison. Finally, pro–capital punishment supporters maintain that ridding the country of violent criminals is both necessary, and for the benefit of the public.

One such advocate is Ernest Van Den Haag, who, in his article In Defense of the Death Penalty: A Legal–Practical–Moral Analysis, (cited by Bedau 137–41) presents his reasons for the death penalty. His main thesis, however, is not why we should have the death penalty, but rather why the abolitionists' reasons are faulty. In reply to the abolitionists' argument that "innocent people may be falsely accused of murder and sentenced to death" he states that " Justice requires

Capital Punishment

The definition of capital punishment is the legal punishment of death for violating criminal law. The person who gets capital punishment is the ones who committed serious crimes. Methods of capital punishment throughout the world are by stoning, beheading, hanging, electrocution, lethal injection and shooting. The two most common methods capital punishment use in the United States are lethal injection and electrocution. The lethal injection is the most used form of capital punishment. It's an intravenous shot that kills the criminal quick and painless. When capital punishment is done by electrocution the criminal is strapped to a chair that a volts of electricity is pass through.

In America if all people agree...show more content... The first pros of capital punishment are that it works as deterrence against major crimes. The death penalty is a punishment that creates fear in the mind of any sane person. Most criminals would think twice if they knew their own lives were at stake. Although there is no statistical evidence that death penalty deters crime, we have to agree that most of us fear death.

The most conclusive evidence that criminals fear the death penalty more than life without parole is provided by convicted capital murderers and their attorneys. 99.9% of all convicted capital murderers and their attorneys argue for life, not death, in the punishment phase of their trial.

(prodeathpenalty)

A Second pro is that a criminal that is executed can't another crime or escape. A dead criminal can no longer commit a crime, and therefore the danger to the public is permanently removed.

A third pro of capital punishment is that it's more economical. Why should money be spent on a criminal when it could be spent on education, the sick, or the needy? The only reason why it is so expensive to execute an individual, is because of the numerous appeal processes. (~ab2166)

Another pro is that the retribution to the family and loves ones of the victims is payed. Endless stress and anxiety plague the families of the

victims and executions puts all those stresses to rest better than life–long imprisonment or Get

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Capital Punishment Essay

According to the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, Capital Punishment is the infliction by due legal process of the penalty of death as a punishment for crime. Capital Punishment, also known as, the Death Penalty has been around for centuries. 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 (www.deathpenaltyinfo.org). Not only isCapital Punishment ancient, it is highly controversial as well. For many years, it has been a huge debate regarding Capital Punishment and its morale. When discussing the debate of Capital Punishment, there are two major sides. The first side is made up of individuals who...show more content... It is also argued that capital punishment sends a contradictory message by killing people who kill people to show that killing is wrong. Most of these organizations strongly believe that life in prison is a worse punishment and a more effective deterrent. Most of these individuals believe that the death penalty is a cop out and that a life sentence will force criminals to suffer and constantly think about the crime they have committed. In regards to finances and the overpopulation of the court system, anti Capital Punishment organizations argue that financial costs to taxpayers of capital punishment is several times that of keeping someone in prison for life and that the endless appeals and required additional procedures clog our court system (www.balancedpolitics.org). Although most would prefer to avoid it, religion as well as the bible has played a huge role in the debate over Capital Punishment. Those who are pro capital punishment use the following scripture from the Bible to justify their stance in the debate: Genesis 9:6: "Whosoever shall shed man's blood; his blood shall be shed; for man was made to the image of God." In their argument, they are implying that this scripture means if one takes a man's life their life should be taken because they are not living in accordance to the image of God. In contrast, those who are anti Capital Punishment use the following scripture from the bible to justify

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Capital punishment is a method of retributive punishment as old as civilization itself. Anti–death penalty supporters argue the death penalty is unconstitutional. Capital punishment is a barbaric remnant of an uncivilized society. It is immoral in principle, and unfair, and discriminatory in practice. It assures the execution of some innocent people. As a remedy for crime, it has no purpose and no effect. The arguments againstcapital punishment are many and cogent. Capital punishment is irrevocable, and the errors of justice cannot be rectified. All possibility of reconsideration is taken away. Innocent persons have been hanged, and judge, jury, and the legal machinery involved...show more content...

Although isolated passages of the Bible have been quoted in support of the death penalty, almost all religious groups in the United States regard executions as immoral. Capital punishment is also an ineffective punishment for those who commit crimes seeing the death penalty as the "easy way out." Killing whether carried out by an individual or the state, is immoral and ought not to be condemned. The death penalty is barbaric anachronism and should be abolished. We teach our children that it is not right to kill. Even the sixth commandment of the Bible says, "Thall shalt not kill." Still we take the role in the Judicial system and chose who lives and who dies not only are we being hypocritical to what we say our morals are, but we are also teaching our children that it is okay to kill certain people and it is by this that capital punishment is still practiced today.

On a national basis the additional cost of trying a death penalty case over a normal murder case has totaled over one billion dollars since 1976. A report from the Judicial conference of the United States showed that defense costs in death penalty cases were four times higher than non death penalty cases. Because of the faulty capital punishment systems ignorance to the subject, many people who are pro–capital punishment argue that it would cost less to just go ahead and finish the prisoner off than

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