The death penalty in the United States has been and continues to be a controversial issue. Some people believe that executing criminals who have committed the most serious crimes is justified. Yet others believe that putting someone to death is considered immoral no matter what crimes they have committed. After interviewing several people, I have learned that the death penalty is a morally controversial one.
In the United States capital punishment is reserved for people who have committed crimes such as premeditated murder, espionage, or treason. However, in other countries they execute people who have committed crimes such as rape, adultery, sodomy, or apostasy; (the formal renunciation of one’s religion). There have been debates about whether or not the death penalty is a violation of the Eighth Amendment to the constitution which protects people from cruel and unusual punishment. In Furman v. Georgia (1972), the majority of the justices ruled that the procedures that were being used to execute criminals were considered to be “arbitrary and unfair.” Over the next several years after the ruling of Furman v. Georgia 35, states have enacted new procedures on how to carry out capital punishment by means of lethal injection.
After interviewing several people on the issue concerning the death penalty I learned more about whether or not justice is fulfilled by executing people for the most serious crimes. My mother who is a psychotherapist, believes that no one has the right to take the life of another. For her, it should be in the hands of God. She also believes that classism and racism has profound impact on many of the cases which end in execution. She believes as a society we have the capacity to be more creative about these issues. There are people who are very mentally ill such as psychopaths and sociopaths who will never be able to function as non-threatening members of society and therefore should be permanently separated from society. Others... [continues]
In the United States capital punishment is reserved for people who have committed crimes such as premeditated murder, espionage, or treason. However, in other countries they execute people who have committed crimes such as rape, adultery, sodomy, or apostasy; (the formal renunciation of one’s religion). There have been debates about whether or not the death penalty is a violation of the Eighth Amendment to the constitution which protects people from cruel and unusual punishment. In Furman v. Georgia (1972), the majority of the justices ruled that the procedures that were being used to execute criminals were considered to be “arbitrary and unfair.” Over the next several years after the ruling of Furman v. Georgia 35, states have enacted new procedures on how to carry out capital punishment by means of lethal injection.
After interviewing several people on the issue concerning the death penalty I learned more about whether or not justice is fulfilled by executing people for the most serious crimes. My mother who is a psychotherapist, believes that no one has the right to take the life of another. For her, it should be in the hands of God. She also believes that classism and racism has profound impact on many of the cases which end in execution. She believes as a society we have the capacity to be more creative about these issues. There are people who are very mentally ill such as psychopaths and sociopaths who will never be able to function as non-threatening members of society and therefore should be permanently separated from society. Others... [continues]
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