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Controversial Issues Surrounding The Death Penalty

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The death penalty has been a controversial issue that has been debated by many Americans since the idea was first introduced as a form of punishing the worst criminals. The death penalty, or capital punishment, legally allows the punishment of execution. Many Americans have argued that this punishment is a violation of the eighth amendment, which states no cruel and unusual punishment should be inflicted and no one should suffer from excessive bail or punishment. The Supreme Court of the United States, however, has maintained their stance ruling the death penalty not a violation of the amendment. Capital Punishment remains a relevant and controversial issue in America today and can be seen as unconstitutional.
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has expressed her disapproval of criminal punishment. As she has stated, “If I were queen, there would be no death penalty” (“Statements”). Her belief is that so many unfair components play into the sentencing process of a death penalty trial. If a convict has good representation, the experienced lawyer can easily talk his way out of a harsh punishment. Another issue is the geological disparity. Each state and county has different ideologies when it comes to criminal punishment. It is unfair that it is based on luck and where you commit the crime. Overall, Ginsburg believes that the system is not perfect (“Statements”). Someone who has continuously spoken out about his support in criminal punishment is the President of the United States, President Donald Trump. On many occasions, President Trump has taken to Twitter to tweet about the people he thinks deserve the death penalty. He believes that the worst criminals deserve it because it is the only way to make sure they do not repeat their crimes. He believes that the death penalty is deterrent in the sense that while it may not stop society from killing, it will absolutely stop death row prisoners from killing (“Death Penalty –

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Georgia held its position that the death penalty is not an infringement of the Constitution unless the punishment is unreasonable (“Gregg v. Georgia”, Casebriefs). The Supreme Court voted to uphold Georgia’s decision, stating that the death penalty is not always constitutional when a person has been convicted of intentionally killing another person (“Gregg v. Georgia”, Oyez). However, not all of the justices agreed with this decision with two justices dissenting. Justice Thurgood Marshall objected the Court’s ruling stating that if Americans were more knowledgeable, they would conclude the death penalty as unbefitting to the situation. Justice William Brennan dissented on moral grounds, saying the death penalty is intolerable (“Gregg v. Georgia”, Casebriefs).

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He proclaims, “Over 150 people in the last few years have been taken off death row because they were innocent.” 150 people who went to trial with a jury of twelve and was still found guilty for a crime they didn’t commit. He then suggests that there has had to have been several innocent people executed from a crime they were charged with, to later be found innocent. Yet, it was too late. To abolish the death penalty is to save innocent people from

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“The Court has consistently ruled that capital punishment itself is not a violation of the Eighth Amendment, but that some applications of the death penalty are "cruel and unusual." (Cruel & Unusual Punishment) The execution of the death sentence is subject to mistakes and flaws that may lead to the punishment being applied unfairly and in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The death penalty is an extreme and irreversible punishment placed on criminals in the United States legal system. The error and bias found within sentencing capital punishment cause it to be an unjustifiable and unethical practice that should be abolished and replaced with more life sentences without the possibility of

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Punishments for severe crimes around the world have been a subject of debate for many years. Different countries have varying views on what punishments are too extreme. The legality of certain forms of punishment is continually evolving in today's age. With the determination of constitutionality, a complex and evolving issue there are many debates around what constitutes cruel and unusual punishments. Despite ongoing controversies and discussions, punishments for serious crimes, including capital punishment, remain legal in some countries and continue to be imposed.

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Verbal Irony is when words are expressed contrary to the truth or someone says the opposite of what they really mean, in other words or to sum it up Verbal irony is sarcasm. Peck uses Verbal Irony commonly in the short story, for example he states,”Then quicker than the eye, she brings the side of her enormous hand down in a chop that breaks the Kobra’s hold on Melvin’s throat…... You could hear a pin drop in that hallway(peck 14)”. This shows that peck used Verbal Irony to express how quiet it was in the hallway.

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To reiterate, the death penalty is a violation of the 8th Amendment of "cruel and unusual punishments"

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Ursula Turner Mrs. Baker English 4 21 November 2017 A Lethal Shot Too Far A shot ends a life. One single, lethal injection ends a convicted felon's life. The death penalty has been a punishment for serious crimes for as long as cultures have been around. “Since the earliest recorded execution in the United States in 1608, our country has put to death approximately 16,000 men and women” (Sarat).

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Looking for solutions, it's clear that just changing legal procedures isn't enough. As Garland argues, a complete change in the justice system's approach to capital punishment is needed, one that faces the root causes of racial and social differences. This requires a serious look at prosecutorial discretion, improving the quality of legal representation for the accused, and creating ways to make sentencing decisions more transparent and accountable. Adding an international view to the talk, scholars like Hood and Hoyle (2008) compare the use of the death penalty in the United States with practices in other countries, many of which have stopped capital punishment. These comparisons further show the unique issues within the U.S. system and offer valuable ideas for other ways to handle criminal justice that focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment.

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In the 1980’s Jack Greenburg, an American lawyer and legal scholar, discussed the idea capital punishment in, “Against the American System of Capital Punishment.” Greenburg poses ideas that question the idea of deterrence for the death penalty. Conversely, Ernest Van den Haag, a sociologist, defends the punishment in his article, “the Ultimate Punishment: A Defense.” He debates the seemingly “cruel and unconstitutional” perspective on the death penalty are false, because

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Currently the death penalty is widely accepted and is expected to continue function for many years to

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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.

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The death penalty is a highly debated part of American society. But does society’s view on the death penalty have more to do with the violence that surrounds us or personal experiences with it? This view on the death penalty is invalid seeing as a person’s views on the death penalty has more to do with morals and ethics. The death penalty has both pros and cons.

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Although, in modern times there is an increasing number of Muslims who support the abolition of the death penalty. This is a result of alternative interpretations of Quranic verses which address capital punishment, as well as concerns that governments utilise this religious belief to exploit the system of the death penalty for reasons such as the elimination of actual and potential government enemies and to disseminate fear in societies, while also encouraging a superficial sense of security (Mumisa & Habbash, 2015). Therefore, adherents of the Islamic faith support the concept of capital punishment in its most

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The death penalty is one of many controversial topics that are present in modern day society in the United States and has been a subject for debate since it was first established. Since the establishment of capital punishment many organizations have been formed to support the abolition or the maintenance of capital punishment. These organizations and the people who form them have developed arguments that support their position in the death penalty argument. Some arguments that have been presented talk about the morality, efficiency, constitutionality, or benefits and disadvantages of capital punishment. In recent years, the arguments of the anti-death penalty movement have become stronger and more prominent than those of the advocates of the

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Within the legal realm of the death penalty one clear proponent against the concept, the

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