Capital Punishment In America Essay

Capital Punishment in America

The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, has been a part of the American legal system since the 18th century. However, the death penalty has been widely debated as times have changed. In fact, the death penalty was declared unconstitutional and was not used for almost a decade before being reinstated (Keys and Maratea). After its reinstatement, the debate sparked again, and tensions rose in the United States regarding the morality and constitutionality of the death penalty. In response, famous artists began using their platforms to make statements and take a stand against the death penalty. For example, “Capital Punishment,” by Sherman

Alexie, discusses the death penalty from the perspective of a prison

Furthermore, The cook uses his experiences to speak out against the death penalty. Therefore, the poem “Capital Punishment” establishes that the death penalty is immoral and discriminatory.

The poem demonstrates how the death penalty is often based on prejudices by describing a personal experience dealing with capital punishment that evokes feelings of guilt and

Edwards 2 immorality. As the cook prepares the meal, the author repeatedly writes, “(I am not a witness),” showing the cook's disdain for the death penalty (Aexie). Because of this, the author takes a clear stance against the use of capital punishment and wants no involvement in carrying out the death penalty. However, the author is influenced by their personal experiences, leading them to believe the death penalty is typically discriminatory. For example, in the poem, Alexie writes, “You know, it's mostly the dark ones/ who are made to sit in the chair,” demonstrating how the author feels the death penalty is discriminatory (Alexie 6-7). The author also chose to include this detail based on observation and statistics regarding the death penalty during that time

Edwards 5

Works Cited

Abolish the Death Penalty, A Debate. Intelligence Squared US,, 2016.

Alexie, Sherman. “Capital Punishment.” Inlander, Inlander, 24 Aug. 1994, https://www.inlander.com/spokane/capital-punishment/Content?oid=2214517. “Deterrence.” Death Penalty Information Center, 6 Apr. 2023, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/policy-issues/deterrence#:~:text=Deterrence%20is%20probably%20 the%20most,crime%20they%20had%20otherwise%20planned.

“Innocence.” Death Penalty Information Center, 7 Apr. 2023, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/policy-issues/innocence. Keys, David P., and R. J. Maratea. Race and the Death Penalty: the Legacy of McCleskey V.

Kemp. Edited by David P. Keys and R. J. Maratea, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1515/9781626375130. Nadeem, Reem. “Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty despite Concerns about Its

Administration.” Pew Research Center - U.S. Politics & Policy, Pew Research Center, 13

July 2021,