Death Penalty
Capital Punishment
“Forgiving violence does not mean condoning violence. There are only two alternatives to forgiving violence: revenge, or adopting an attitude of never-ending bitterness and anger. For too long we have treated violence with violence, and that's why it never ends.” (Coretta Scott King, Widow of Martin Luther King) Capital Punishment should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. The Catholic Church is adamantly opposed to the death penalty. The death penalty should be banned as long as there are non-lethal means to defend and protect the people’s safety. In the United States, the death penalty is still in practice today. Capital punishment in the United States is exercised almost exclusively for the offense of manslaughter. Even though no one is on death row for any reason other than murder, the United States has federal capital statutes for non-murder crimes that warrant the death penalty including: espionage, treason, trafficking in large quantities of drugs, attempting, authorizing or advising the killing of any officer, juror, or witness in cases involving a Continuing Criminal Enterprise, regardless of whether such killing actually occurs. (Death Penalty for Offenses Other Than Murder) Many states also have their own laws involving the death penalty for non-murder crimes. “In Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, and Montana aggravated kidnapping is a capital offense. In Georgia and Montana aircraft hijacking is punishable by
the death penalty. Placing a bomb near a bus terminal is a capital offense in Montana.” (Death Penalty for Offenses Other Than Murder) Although there are many laws involving the death penalty, there are many faults in current United States capital punishment legislation. The major flaw with the current legislation in regard to the death penalty in the United States is that the laws are not uniform among the states. This non-uniformity allows for many gray areas and could lead to someone who commits a crime in
“Forgiving violence does not mean condoning violence. There are only two alternatives to forgiving violence: revenge, or adopting an attitude of never-ending bitterness and anger. For too long we have treated violence with violence, and that's why it never ends.” (Coretta Scott King, Widow of Martin Luther King) Capital Punishment should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. The Catholic Church is adamantly opposed to the death penalty. The death penalty should be banned as long as there are non-lethal means to defend and protect the people’s safety. In the United States, the death penalty is still in practice today. Capital punishment in the United States is exercised almost exclusively for the offense of manslaughter. Even though no one is on death row for any reason other than murder, the United States has federal capital statutes for non-murder crimes that warrant the death penalty including: espionage, treason, trafficking in large quantities of drugs, attempting, authorizing or advising the killing of any officer, juror, or witness in cases involving a Continuing Criminal Enterprise, regardless of whether such killing actually occurs. (Death Penalty for Offenses Other Than Murder) Many states also have their own laws involving the death penalty for non-murder crimes. “In Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, and Montana aggravated kidnapping is a capital offense. In Georgia and Montana aircraft hijacking is punishable by
the death penalty. Placing a bomb near a bus terminal is a capital offense in Montana.” (Death Penalty for Offenses Other Than Murder) Although there are many laws involving the death penalty, there are many faults in current United States capital punishment legislation. The major flaw with the current legislation in regard to the death penalty in the United States is that the laws are not uniform among the states. This non-uniformity allows for many gray areas and could lead to someone who commits a crime in