Perspectives of the Capital Punishment in the United States
Capital punishment is commonly known as the death penalty in the United States. The death penalty is the process of executing a convicted criminal. The punishment is only acceptable for crimes labeled as a capital offense, usually consisting of first-degree murder and murder with additional circumstances (Wex Definitions Team, 2022). The death penalty may be carried out by the following: firing squad, hanging, electrocution, lethal injection, and gas chambers. When capital punishment is omitted, lethal injection is the most common way of execution in modern times (Methods of Execution, 2023). Capital punishment is a state-sanctioned punishment; 27 of 50 U.S. states may impose the death
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They may support the idea of executing the criminal that hurt their loved one. This was the case in the Billie Coble trial. Billie Coble murdered three family members of his, at the time, wife. He was sentenced to death and executed in February, 2019 (Mccullough, 2019). In an interview done by Susanna Reid, the victim's nephew, J.R. Vicha (2022, 09:05) states “we don't feel sorry for him at all”. This does not accurately show his perspective on the use of the death penalty, but shows his feeling towards the execution of the convicted …show more content…
A man named Kwame Ajamu was sentenced to death for murder when he was 17 years old; he then spent 28 years in prison while later being proved innocent. He stands against capital punishment now to avoid these mistakes (Marshall, 2022). Pairs Powell was found innocent after being convicted of killing a 14-year- old female. He was found innocent and is now set free fighting to abolish the death penalty. He claims that the government is often found wrong and believes that people can change while in prison (Egelko, 2016). Criminals that stand against the death penalty were often found innocent while on death row or have witnessed the remorse of these criminals. The death penalty may be opposed by some criminals concluding that they can be wrongly convicted or change over time in
Some criminals deserve to die because they should not have the privilege to live 30 years after, from being sentenced to death for committing first degree murder. For example, there has been a case, in 1984, where Kermit Alexander’s family was murdered. As a matter of fact, the criminals have not been executed since they have received the death sentence.
The author claims that the argument against capital punishment based on the possibility of executing an innocent person is intellectually and morally shallow. He also claims that abolitionists who use this argument are intellectually dishonest because they accept other social policies that lead to the death of innocent individuals. Prager claims that murderers who are not executed have already murdered innocent people, and the possibility of escape from prison means that they threaten even more innocent lives. Additionally, he claims that abolishing capital punishment does not necessarily protect innocent lives because murderers who are not executed may continue to kill. Finally, the author argues that abolitionists should acknowledge their responsibility for innocent lives lost due to murderers who were not executed and state their genuine belief that murderers should never be
Capital punishment is not only immoral, but contradicting
People disagree on many aspects of the death penalty for several different reasons like moral and religious differences. When considering capital punishment, people’s opinions
The 8th Amendment of the Constitution states that no one should receive any "cruel and unusual punishments" for the crimes they have commited. The death penalty is a violation of the 8th amendment, and should be banished from the USA as it is an unreasonable and extreme punishment that is unnecessary and avoidable. The death penalty is inhumane, irreversible, and much more expensive compared to a non-death penalty case. Currently, 27 states are still using the death penalty and many of these states are either Midwest or South. Methods such as lethal injection, electric chair, hanging, gas chambers, and firing squad are used to execute these inmates.
We have all heard of the saying “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Patrick Hannon was ordered to be executed on November 8th by a lethal injection after Governor Scott signed his death warrant for a murder scene in 1991. On Patrick’s day of execution, I attended his vigil at the Florida State Prison in Starke with the Gainesville Citizens for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. At the Vigil, I met two of Patrick’s Pen Pals and heard great things about him. From that moment, I realized that our past does not define who we are.
Ever since the outset of the American Constitution, capital punishment has existed as a crime sentence in the United States. However, in recent decades, this topic has become highly controversial, as many states have dictated against the death penalty. Although states with this position on capital punishment are increasing, some states, such as Texas, have continued to edict this practice in their provinces. In the State of Texas, the sentence to death upon a person should not be permitted due to the fact it can wrongly convict a person, its court trial is highly expensive, and it brings forth an unjust treatment.
This innocent man unfortunately had to spend a lot of years in jail for a murder he did not commit. If Canada had not got rid of the death penalty Truscott would have been executed. These are just a few of the people who have been executed. The innocent should not be killed for crimes that they did not
Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is a legal process in which a person is put to death as a punishment for a crime by the government of a nation. The United States is in the minority group of nations that uses the death penalty. There are thirty-three states that allow capital punishment and seventeen states that abolished it (Death Penalty Information Center). The morality of the death penalty has been debated for many years. Some people want capital punishment to be abolished due to how it can cost a lot more than life imprisonment without parole, how they think it is immoral to kill, and how innocent people can be put to death.
Innocent people are not killed under capital punishment. There’s no reason they should be; therefore they are not. Many people hold this belief in respect to capital punishment. If someone is executed, they must be guilty. Ignorance is bliss; however, one might consider whether or not it is the truth.
Amnesty International announced that in all 34 states continue to allow the death penalty as punishment for hinges crimes. America is the fifth highest number of prisoners in the world and 13 out of 43 executions took place in
To willingly take another’s life is morally contradictory to what is trying to be fulfilled. Any society that executes criminals is committing the same violence it condemns. Being subjected to scheduled death violates human rights and undermines the natural occurrences of life and death. In spite of a person being a criminal, their life is sacred and deserves dignity. At no point should another human have full control over whether someone should live or die.
However, these feelings are nothing compared to the thoughts and feelings the victim was going through at the time of the crime. Imagine how the two young girls felt as Benson raped them. Crimes gruesome enough to warrant the death penalty are deserving of death; executions should be carried out much sooner. Inmates should no longer be sitting on death row for three decades. Instead, inmates should be given three appeal trials spanning five years.
In the speech that Mill’s presented in front of the government he speaks in favor of the death penalty being used as a punishment, but says it should only be used of a murder crime. Mill’s defends his position on the death penalty by stating that it would lower murder crime rates. Many argued with Mill’s opinion and commented on how sometimes people are wrongfully convicted, but Mill’s responded by saying that the government would have to have full evidence to make sure that person truly committed the crime and is eligible for the death penalty (Journal of the History of Economic Thought, A Note on John Stuart Mill’s View’s on Capital
The Death Penalty, loss of life due to previous crimes and actions, is believed by some to be extremely costly, inhumane, and cruel unlike some others whom believe it is just, right, and provides closure. The Death Penalty is not a quick and easy process. Most who get sentenced to deaths row wait years for their ultimate punishment of death. Some believe that it is not right to punish and kill a human for actions they have done because, they believe that the inmate should have another chance. Then others believe that it is right to punish someone for their actions especially if their actions involve killing another or multiple humans.