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The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty

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“It must have been nice to be surrounded by a courtroom full of people fighting about whether he should live or die. None of us in Boston that day had such a luxury.” (“Why The Death Penalty Should Live.” 1) In our nation's society, the death penalty has been and still is an effective and reasonable way for America's worst convicted criminals and convicted terrorists to pay for their crimes, deter future crimes, bring justice, and closure for victims’ families. In America, the United States allows five death penalty options, even though lethal injection is the main execution method used today. Lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, firing squad, and hanging are the five allowed execution methods. Lethal injection was first used in …show more content…

Christian views differ from non-Christian views on the subject of the death penalty. ‘Mercy requires justice’ and God agrees that authorities wield the world. Acts 25:11 says, “If… I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die.” (“Why I Support Capital Punishment” 1) The gunman who killed those in the South Carolina church had no remorse. He complied to plead guilty if the death penalty was removed from the table of discussion. He thought it to be okay to kill innocents inside a church, but when the discussion of his death was brought up, all bets were …show more content…

People weigh outcomes of decisions as do criminals, so if the death penalty exists their choice of murder may go down. Studies have shown that less murders occur when executions increase. In a recent study, it has been proven that the death penalty saves lives. Americans also approve because minorities are treated fairly and the deterrent rate is strong. Unsympathetic people with no remorse deserve capital punishment. “It’s unjust to kill a person simply to send a message to other people who’ve yet to commit a crime. It is just to execute a person who deserves to be executed.” (Cromie, Zott 157) Until death penalty opponents can come up with reasons for America's worst convicted not to die, they’ll never win. “Abolitionists have assembled no convincing moral argument to distinguish the death penalty for retribution from conscription and war in the name of human freedom and dignity.” (Cromie, Zott 152) The death penalty is morally acceptable and a reasonable punishment for crimes that are “egregious and shocking.” (Cromie, Zott

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In actuality, the death penalty is not ethical, as there are more practical ways in dealing with dangerous criminals; the sentencing of life without parole. Meanwhile, as the substantial topic on the death penalty persists, supporters for the death penalty that life without parole is unfair; if they denied a person a right to live, why should they get to live? While that may be true, the thought of

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Whether a criminal is guilty of committing murder or any other capital offense, they should all be given the same sentence - life in prison. How is it fair to allow them to voluntarily choose the death penalty over prison? Criminals willingly sought to break the law and should endure the lifelong debt they owe not only to society but to the family of the innocent victims whose lives have been taken. As asserted by Robert Johnson, a professor of justice and law, and Sandra Smith, a professor of legal studies, death by incarceration is a more effective and suitable form of punishment than the death penalty (Cromie and Zott 174). Although some might argue that it is unfair to keep a criminal alive, they fail to understand that the freedom they once had is permanently lost.

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Two Sides of a Story: Death Penalty Debate Let us begin by looking at why the death penalty is morally wrong on many levels according to Stephen B. Bright, president of the Southern Center for Human Rights, and a teacher of criminal law. He wrote an essay on this debate called, “Why the United States Will Join the Rest of the World in Abandoning Capital Punishment.” We will also look at the other side of the debate (story), as to why the death penalty is morally legitimate in the views of Louis P. Pojman, whose essay is called, “ Why the Death Penalty is Morally Permissible,” which is just an excerpt from, Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment? First, there are innocent people being executed for crimes they didn’t commit. Whether it be from forced confessions, where people have been interrogated too long, yelled at, and threatened to the point of exhaustion, and because of this, they give a false confession.

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It is not hard to believe that when posed the question: have you ever taken away an innocent life? One would like to answer with a negative response, however, statistics show that at least 4 percent of all people who have received the death penalty are innocent. Therefore, if you are in support of the death penalty, and feel that you are doing what is for the better good of society, it is imperative to make note: that though the justice system is good, it is not perfect, and often make mistakes. However, those mistakes should not cause a heart to stop beating, a child to no longer see their parent, or an innocent man to be put to death for something someone else has

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In recent years, anti-death penalty propagandists have succeeded in stoking the fear that capital punishment is being carelessly meted out. Ironically, Of the 875 prisoners executed in the United States in modern times, not one has been retroactively proved innocent. The benefits of a legal system in which judges and juries have the option of sentencing the cruelest or coldest murderers to death far outweigh the potential risk of executing an innocent person. First and foremost, the death penalty makes it possible for justice to be done to those who commit the worst of all crimes. The execution of a murderer sends a powerful moral message: that the innocent life he took was so precious, and the crime he committed so horrific, that he forfeits

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Some see the death penalty as the only means to extract justice for victims. Others see it as a morally reprehensible act where a second wrong is committed in order to make something right. With recent issues surrounding the death penalty in which execution hasn 't gone as planned sparking a nationwide debate, this is my outlook on why I 'm for the death penalty not only being abolished in the state of Texas but in addition to the entirety of the US..

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The death penalty is an issue with heavy moral and legal ramifications, and is often debated by everyone from the professionals to the scholar. Globally, the death penalty carries certain connotations, and within the United States, many states have chased to outlaw it. What follows is a brief examination of each perspective on this divisive issue. The organization of Oregonians for Alternatives to Oppose the Death Penalty is highly credible due to the sources of their facts, all the way straight from the courthouse to the bible, there isn’t one opinionated statistic in this article.

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Calista Judd J.Svehla English 1-2H 20, May, 2024. A New Era of Justice The death penalty has long been a subject of intense debate and scrutiny. As we delve into the complexities of this issue, it becomes evident that the death penalty fails to serve its intended purpose.

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The process of punishing criminals, who commit crimes against the law, has occurred for centuries. Capital punishment also known as the death penalty is the highest form of punishment the legal system in the United States, can present. The method of Capital punishment in the United States has been in effect for most of the country 's history, without much controversy. However, in today’s society the controversy of whether or not this process is sufficient continues today. Many people throughout America argue this form of punishment to be a hypocritical process, performed by a nation that claims to have liberty and justice for all.

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For example, religion is one theme that may influence an individuals’ perception of the death penalty as a punishment for criminals who have been convicted of a qualifying capital crime. Some religions support an “eye for an eye” attitude and believe that the punishment for death should be death. Others may believe that the greatest sin of all is taking the life of another, so the death penalty is not acceptable. Regardless, one underlying theme is present in all religions – morality.

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During the post medieval time period, Europe faced one of it's darkest times. The persecution of witches was seen to be a significant factor in the history of Europe. More than fifty thousand people guilty of witchcraft were put on death row and killed in this time period. Many people were persecuted of wtichcraft because they were easy to blame for accidents, coincindences or bad luck. Many people accused of witchcraft were unable to prove themselves innocent.

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Capital punishment, also known as death penalty, is an act of execution of an offender that is sentenced to death after they were convicted by a court of law of a criminal offence (Hood). In American society, the threat of capital punishment stands as the ultimate sentence for a criminal. The moral complications of the taking another life, whether it is by murder or as legally accepted punishment, remains an unresolved conflict between Americans. Death penalty has always been and continues to be a very controversial issue. Many people believe that death penalty is not a justifiable approach for murderers, but does not justice mandate that criminals receive what they deserve?

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In the United States many inmates are sentenced to death row. The death penalty should not exist because of many different reasons. Death penalty uses a great deal of money and someone innocent could be accidently killed. If we didn’t have death penalty we would have more money for schools, roads, and goods and items needed for the communities. Thirty-two out of fifty states currently have and practice death row.

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The death penalty includes a variety of different execution methods as they developed overtime such as: lethal injection, electrocution, gas chambers, firing squad, and hanging. These other methods receive a lot of criticism because people see them as cruel and unusual punishment. To take a case in point, Utah was unable to obtain the drugs necessary for lethal injection and the “firing squad was reauthorized. . .as a viable method” (Death Penalty Information Center 11). If any of the shooters were to miss the heart, the prisoner would painfully bleed to death, leading to the claim that the death penalty is unconstitutional.

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Countless arguments over the morality of the death penalty have been made throughout the years. When it comes to the death penalty, we have two groups. The abolitionists, who argue that we should abolish the death penalty. And the retentionists, those who argue to retain the death penalty. These arguments cover everything from the sanctity of a human’s life, to whether or not we even need the death penalty.

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