There are people in the world who have done things that are so severe and heartbreaking they cannot be forgiven. People that harass society and put fear in the minds of our citizens such as rapists, mass murderers, and terrorists deserve the punishment that they gave to the innocent victims. The United States is still a part of the minority of countries that still use the death penalty, also known as capital punishment. The death penalty should be used because it gives closure the victim’s family, acts as a deterrent for any other people wanting to attempt a crime of the same extent, and permanently prevents any further horrendous crime from that person.
Some people assume that the death penalty is cruel or unusual punishment and is unfair to the criminal. It is not unfair because the criminal would have to be absolutely proven guilty of what he or she had done. The crimes that result in the death penalty are severe crimes that are disgusting and mutilate human morals. Crimes such as murder using a weapon of mass destruction, sexual exploitation of children, murder related to rape, and murder related to torture. These are just a few examples of crimes that alter the way people see our society and put fear into the citizens of our country. These crimes can change the rest of a person’s life, or sadly put a premature end to their life. Criminals that do these awful crimes to innocent lives deserve a punishment as severe as the death penalty. Some people claim that the death penalty is biased because “ A Stanford University study concluded that the blacker you are the more likely you are to be executed.” (Stassen). These claims are not true since ” White people make up 55.8% of defendants executed compared to 34.4% of black defendants that were executed.” (Facts About the Death Penalty). Race should not be considered a factor when it comes to the death penalty sentencing, it is be based on the severity of the crime.
The families of the poor victims are often the ones that are hurt the most. They have to live with the fact that their loved one has been mistreated to an extent that no person deserves. The families have to grieve and feel hopeless because of some criminal who was selfish and apathetic. The death
The death penalty disproportionately targets minorities especially African Americans. In the United States of America there is an unequal and unfair burden against African Americans in the criminal justice system. In 2011, African Americans were only 13.6% of the American population (Rastogi, Johnson, Hoeffel, & Drewery, 2011). However, African Americans in 2011 made up 42% of the total death row population (Snell, 2011). Although a minority of the total population in the United States, African Americans make the majority of inmates on death row facing execution. Furthermore, the death penalty in many states is used as tool that following the racial legacy of Jim Crow laws. Sentences resulting in death are higher in states with a history of lynching (Schweizer 92). States with a history of lynching are predominately found in the Southern United states. The Southern United states has the highest population of death row inmates. In 2009 alone there were 1,630 inmates currently on death row in the South compared to 226 in the North and only 988 in the West (Schweizer 92). In addition, the race of the victim often will determine the sentence. Results from the Baldus Study suggested evidence of racial disparity in the state of Georgia based on the victims race (Schweizer 92). The Baldus study argued African American defendants who committed murdered white individuals had much higher probability of receiving the death penalty. Prosecutors in Georgia pursued a verdict of death in 80% of their cases if the defendant was African American and the victim was white (Schweizer 92). This is purely racial discrimination and prejudice. Finally, “Since 1977, the overwhelming majority (77%) off death row defendants have been executed for killing white victims, even though African Americans make up about half of all homicide victims (Amnesty International).”The race of the both the victim and perpetrator in criminal is irrelevant.
The United States of America’s capital punishment process is very flawed. Humans are imperfect and are always making mistakes, how do we justify being the group of people having the power to condemn someone to death when there have been times that our human judgments were flawed and immoral. This is probably the scariest part of our system and one of the most motiving causes for being against the death penalty. The death penalty alone imposes an irrevocable sentence. Once an inmate is executed, nothing can be done to make amends if a mistake
The death penalty, by definition, is the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. Each state has their own determinates of why someone would be given the death penalty, for example, in Missouri, it is first degree murder, but for Alabama it is intentional murder with 18 aggravating factors.
The death penalty is very discriminatory when it comes to racial issues. "The death penalty is fraught with abuses and the potential for abuse" (Moral Arguments 1). Capital punishment is
Along with inequality, the death penalty punishes the poor. In recent studies if a defendant cannot afford good legal representation they are more likely to head towards the death penalty. If the defendant can afford good legal representation they are likely to get a lighter charge. In this situation money is key, which is unfair to the poor as they cannot improve their situation. It is present that a large percent of defendants cannot afford to hire a skillful defense lawyer and are required to use inexperienced court
Since the beginning of time there has always been the question of what to do with someone that has committed a serious offense that has resulted in serious injury or even death to a person. The death penalty has always been a topic of whether it is humane or inhumane to put someone to death over their crimes against another human being. The death penalty to some is either acceptable to where a person should be put t death for their crimes or is not doing anything to deter people from committing crimes. the death penalty is starting to become less of a punishment and more of a costly expense to taxpayers whom for “Each death penalty case in Texas costs taxpayers about $2.3 million.” The death penalty for some think it should be abolished while others would rather see it extended.
Morality is a big question when considering the death penalty. "Ultimately, the moral question surrounding capital punishment in America has less to do with whether those convicted of violent crime deserve to die than with whether state and federal governments deserve to kill those whom it has imprisoned. The legacy of racial apartheid, racial bias, and ethnic discrimination is
There are diverse capital punishment, the death penalty is one of them. Considered as a deviant and barbaric act, the use of this method reflects the opposite view or the wrong message of what the society teaches us. Encouraging the death penalty is not different from encouraging a murder and by operating in such a way actually violates a fundamental law set forth by the federal government which is “ Murder is an illegal crime”.
Do you ever wonder what should happen to dangerous criminals? Watching the news just thinking “huh?” Well what do you think should happen to the dangerous criminals? There are many opinions. Some people think the only option is the death penalty. I honestly agree and disagree with that because there are some death penalties are justified and some are not .Listen to these two cases.
The Death Penalty has been a long standing part of the American justice system. For many years, the death penalty went without opposition, but as of recently it has gained it’s long overdue mass opposition. The Death Penalty is barbaric, and is costing our nation obscene amounts of money. While one would think that modern-day American citizens would have done away with this method, a good portion of Americans reason that it lowers the crime rate and it provides closure (or rather vengeance) to families of victims.
Although some do believe that we should take a life for a life taken, the death penalty isn’t the best option. The death penalty is a capital punishment where a person is put to death. Not only is the death penalty a very expensive process, but also, many lives that are taken are found to be innocent. Also, many find the death penalty more inviting than to have life in prison without parole.
Up until recently, I felt that the Death Penalty is not necessary as a form of punishment. I felt that if an individual committed a horrendous enough crime to get the worst form of punishment available; the death penalty would be letting them off easy. I believed that having to spend the remainder of their lives in prison was the most extreme form of punishment for criminals. After speaking to a person close to me, I feel differently. As of now, I think that the death penalty results in retribution, closure for families, and is the most extreme, last resort, form of punishment, which we require in some cases. The death penalty is humane and cost-effective, and should not be going anywhere in the future.
The Death Penalty is something that has caused dispute and arguments in the world today. Some support Capital punishment while others don’t. Death Penalty has existed for a long time. What is the Death Penalty? The Death Penalty is a punish of death given by the court of law for serious crimes someone committed. Many people today are fighting for the Abolishment of Capital Punishment. The Death penalty needs to be abolished It is Inhumane, Costly, and Unjust. The Point I want to make throughout this essay is that the death penalty shouldn't be used Life in prison is better than taking someone life in cruel manner way and it needs to be put to an end.
According to Deathpenaltyinfo.org, as of July 1st, 2017 there were approximately 2,817 prisoners on death row. CNN.com says that, as of now, the death penalty is only legal in 31 out of the 50 states. Did you know that the average death row inmate will spend roughly 15 years in prison before they meet their final day; nearly a quarter of death row inmates die of natural causes while waiting for execution, and exhausting all of their appeals? How about that in Virginia death row inmates are now able to play games, watch TV, send emails, and have physical contact with visitors along with much more? Death row is for criminals that have committed heinous crimes and have been convicted by 12 unanimous jurors to death. So, why give them that many privileges?
The death penalty is a prosecute that is used to kill criminals that have committed crimes that are so bad they should not be left alive. The idea of putting another human to death is hard to completely fathom. The physical mechanics involved in the act of execution are easy to grasp, but the emotions involved in carrying out a death sentence on another person, regardless of how much they deserve it, is beyond my understanding. Knowing that it must be painful, dehumanizing, and sickening. The Eight Amendment says” Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” (Constitutions). And for the article Changing Views on\\e rate has gone down at a steady from the 1990 to now and that they death penalty is sometimes necessary, and it is our responsibility as a society to see that it is done.