The death penalty, as administered by states based on their individual laws, is considered capital punishment, the purpose of which is to penalize criminals convicted of murder or other heinous crimes (Fabian). The death penalty issue has been the focus of much controversy in recent years, even though capital punishment has been a part of our country’s history since the beginning. Crimes in colonial times, such as murder and theft of livestock were dealt with swiftly and decisively (“The Death Penalty…”). Criminals were hanged shortly after their trial, in public executions. This practice was then considered just punishment for those crimes. Recently though, the focus of the death penalty debate has been on moral and legal issues. The murderers of today’s society can be assured of a much longer life even after conviction, with the constraints of the appeals process slowing the implementation of their death sentence. In most cases, the appeal process lasts several years, during which time criminals enjoy comfortable lives. They have television, gym facilities, and the leisure time to attend free college-level classes that most American citizens must struggle to afford. Foremost, these murderers have the luxury of time, something their victims ran out of the moment their paths crossed. It is time this country realized the only true justice for these criminals is in the form of the death penalty. The death penalty should be administered for particularly heinous crimes.
Opponents of capital punishment are outspoken and vehement in their arguments. They believe the death penalty does not does not deter crime. They also hold the opinion that endin…
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…l Punishment: Give It a Chance.” Pro-Death Penalty.
http://www.clas.virginia.edu/~fdc4k/brinkers.html (7 Apr. 00)
“The Death Penalty – An Eye for an Eye” ACLU. http://www.aclu.org/library/pbp8.html
(17 Apr. 00)
Fabian, Nicholas “A Review of Capital Punishment: Is the Death Penalty a Deterrent
Against Crime?” Pro-Death Penalty. http://webcom.net/~nfhome/capital.htm (20 Apr. 00)
“Issues and Controversies: The Death Penalty” Issues and Controversies on File.
http://www.facts.com/cd/i00015.htm#100015_b (20 Apr. 00)
Sharp, Dudley “Death Penalty and Sentencing Information in the United States” Pro-
Death Penalty. http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/DP.html (17 Apr. 00)
Snell, Tracy “Capital Punishment 1995” U. S. Department of Justice.
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/cp95.pdf (20 Apr. 00)
Is Capital Punishment Necessary?
Is Capital Punishment Necessary?
In 1980 Clarence Brandly, a black high school janitor, and his white co-worker found the body of a white female student. As the police interrogated them, the officers told them, “One of you is going to hang for this.” As he was looking at Brandly, the officer said, “Since you’re the nigger, you’re elected.” Brandly was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. The evidence against him was weak and the police disregarded other leads. In 1986, a volunteer group devoted to freeing wrongly convicted prisoners came to Brandly’s assistance. Meanwhile evidence surfaced that another man had committed the crime that Brandly was convicted for. He wasn’t released until 1990 (http://www.aclu.org/library/case_against_death.html/#eight).
The death penalty is one of the most controversial topics in the world. The numbers of people who support the death penalty is diminishing for many reasons. The leading reason: discrimination. Punishment is only effective if it is constantly enforced, and capital punishment can’t be enforced all the time. Third, people who commit crimes of personal violence may or may not premeditate the crime. Also, severe punishment can discourage crime, but is death better than life-long incarceration? Lastly, death is irreversible. Since 1990, in the United States, there has been an average of more than four cases each year in which an entirely innocent person was convicted of murder and sentenced to death (http://www.acle.org/library/case_against_death.html/#eight).
The American public support of the death penalty is declining. Actually, the United States is the only Western industrialized country where people are still being executed….
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…ecuted.
Is the death penalty really necessary? With the death penalty, there is a chance of executing an innocent person. The crime committed is not always thought out. Additionally, long-term imprisonment is enough to discourage some crime. Plus, there is no way to enforce the death penalty immediately and consistently. There is much discrimination in the court systems in the past and today. Also, the public support of the death penalty is decreasing. With all of these reasons it will make one wonder if the death penalty is needed in our society. Jesus rejected violence. His life and teachings invited people to a new style of living. Intimacy and trust, compassion and forgiveness, concern for justice and nonviolence were key aspects of this new life (http://americancatholic.org/newsletters/AFA/an1000.asp). Why can’t we live like this instead?