As the third speaker of the Negative team, I strongly oppose to this resolution, Resolved, That Death Penalty Be Restored in the Philippines. Why? Because Death Penalty deprives people the right to life. In Article II, Section11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states: "The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights". The Commission on Human Rights has opposed the enactment of any law re-imposing the death penalty law in the Philippines on the ground that it offends the dignity of human person and human rights. The abolition of the death penalty by the 1987 Constitution was a very big step towards a practical recognition of the dignity of every human being created to the image and likeness of God, and of the value of human life from its conception to its natural end. Every human being has the inherent right to life and this right must be protected by law. However, this right is not as sacrosanct and inviolable as it sounds. The main principle in human rights law is that no-one shall be arbitrarily deprived of life. Amnesty International (www.amnestyinternational.org. retrieved January 18, 2013) states, “The death penalty violates the right to life.” Capital punishment contradicts our moral beliefs and claims of a fair and just government. This makes the death penalty our most fundamental human rights violation. It is the denial of the most basic human rights. The Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (www.icadp.org retrieved January 15, 2013) states, “We don’t cut off the hands of thieves to protect property; we do not stone adulterers to stop adultery. We consider that barbaric. Yet we continue to take life as a means of protecting life.” No person, government-affiliated or not, has the right to decide if another human is worthy or unworthy of life. Our natural rights as humans, which cannot be taken away by the government, include the right to life....
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The death penalty is used universally, in developed countries, as well as, in undeveloped countries. The death penalty is used more for retribution and retaliation than it is for justice. The death penalty does not deter crime effectively, it is incompatible with human rights and human dignity, used against minorities and the poor, and there is always the risk of executing innocent people. Its easy to agree to the death penalty when the accused is not someone you know...bu what if the accused was your son, daughter, father, mother, brother, or sister? Would you still be for the death penalty?…
- 100 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
The argument of “ morally unacceptable”, but after reading stories like this it makes you think twice about it. All the anti-death sentence arguments of “Killing People Because They Killed People to Show That Killing People Is Wrong”, Is just nonsense if you really think about it. That if he/she doesn't get punished for it, it will happen again and again. The “ hypocrisy”, makes sure that they don't do it again, and if so they will know the consequence. Think of “Katy Davis”, who was abducted by a man who was “on parole for a previous murder”, is just wrong to not let them out to do this again. This wouldn't have happened if the laws against murder have been strict. She wouldn't have been “beaten, gang-raped”, and she could live out the…
- 138 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Capital punishment is the ultimate sentence administered by the government for committing dangerous offenses. The word “capital” derives from the Latin word “capitalis,” meaning “of the head.” Original instances of capital punishment included beheading and hanging, leading to the use of word “capital” today. Through history, communities have considered some types of crimes so terrifying that the death penalty has been enacted for them. Over time, changing moralistic values and notions on government authority have limited the number and sorts of crimes considered worthy of death. Many countries have eliminated capital punishment totally, dismissing it as an inhumane reaction to criminal…
- 102 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Today, the death penalty is an issue that has raised many questions in regards to its morality. Many people believe that the death penalty is immoral for a number of factors, some of which being the execution of innocents, the arbitrary application of the death penalty, and the racial and economic discrimination with the system. Many others believe that the death penalty is moral, for it gives people what they deserve, the criminals were fully aware of the consequences that may fall upon them, and that justice is being served for the victims and families of the victims still suffering from the actions of the criminal. In this paper I will argue that from a Deontological standpoint, the death penalty is morally just. To do this, I will first describe the basics of the theory of Deontology in general, so that you, the reader, can begin to understand some of the fundamental beliefs that Kant, the father of Deontology,…
- 1404 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Capital punishment is a punishment that results in death usually caused by capital crimes or capital offenses. It is commonly referred to as the death sentence. According to an article “Buzzle” not all countries accept capital punishment but there are still a lot of states who do (par.1). Capital punishment has been around for thousands of years, this punishment is said to have helped keep crime level down and alter the minds of future criminals to prevent them from committing atrocious crimes such as: murder, terrorism, and in some situations aggravated kidnapping.…
- 365 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
James Eagan Holmes was described as a quiet, standoffish, 24-year-old graduate student from San Diego who had earned a bachelor's degree in neuroscience in 2010 from the University of California, Riverside. Holmes then enrolled at the University of Colorado in June of 2011, taking graduate courses in neuroscience at the university's campus in Denver. He later dropped out of a doctoral program at the University's medical school, where he had been doing research.…
- 896 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The death penalty is an extremely controversial topic in America, and people usually shy away from it, but speaking about controversial topics can help us come close to actually find solutions. This exercise was conducted in my survey of law class in which, we had gone over several homicide cases in which the criminal received the death penalty. In the end of the lesson, our teacher asked a simple question “raise your hand if you believe in the death penalty”. I was appalled to see that more than half believed it was worth it. In my mind it was clear that even though that person could have murdered another human being, we have no jurisdiction to kill them, and we would be no better as civilized being if we killed him.…
- 740 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
" To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice" ( qtd. in Anti-Death Penalty). Capital punishment, or the death penalty, has been around in some sort of variation for centuries. It is enforced upon criminals who have been convicted of the most heinous crimes, such as homicide. There have been debates throughout time as whether or not the death penalty is appropriate punishment. Valid arguments of support and contradiction of capital punishment have come up over time, making citizens believe it is a tough decision for lawmakers to choose whether or not to allow the death penalty. The decision is simple. Capital Punishment should be abolished throughout the country because it is an unfair and unnecessary way of castigation that contains many flaws and serves no justice for those involved.…
- 3007 Words
- 13 Pages
Good Essays -
There are few policies that produce as much debate, controversy and emotion in this country as the death penalty. Capital punishment has been around in this country since colonial times when people were killed for practicing witchcraft and today the death penalty is legal in 31 states. Since 1976, 1414 people have been executed in the U.S. (deathpenaltyinfo.org). People who favor capital punishment believe that if someone brutally take's another person's life then they should lose their own right to life. However, in taking a closer look at the death penalty, there are many problems associated with it such as that is is morally wrong, the botching of executions, the execution of innocent people, and the fact that it is a flawed system…
- 698 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
This paper will examine the historical foundations, uses and the contemporary issues of the death penalty in America. It will go into where the death penalty came from and how it is used differently throughout the states. Understanding why America uses the death penalty. Outlines many issues caused by America using the death penalty. Discussing the different methods of execution and various laws adopted by various states.…
- 518 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Did you know that 1,432 people have been executed since 1976? Capital punishment, aka the death penalty has claimed countless lived since it’s establishment in the United States in 1608. Executions happen pretty often, with 38 people being killed last year alone. The death penalty is an unnecessary and horrible punishment which should not be allowed.…
- 488 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The Founding Fathers wrote the 8th amendment to ensure no accused person receives a “cruel or unusual punishment.” However, the 8th amendment never truly defines what “cruel” or “unusual” is. The definition of cruel and unusual has been changing for centuries and even today, the Supreme Court has difficulty deciding whether the death penalty should be considered a cruel or unusual punishment. In the case of Furman vs. Georgia in 1972, the Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional in a 5-4 decision; however, four years later, the Supreme Court declared that the death penalty was constitutional under Gregg vs. Georgia and this decision has been upheld with some exceptions.…
- 736 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is an execution used as a punishment on someone convicted of a capital crime. There are several ways in which these executions have been or are being made. The most common is the lethal injection, others being electrocution, hanging, lethal gas, gas chamber, and/ or the firing squad under limited circumstances. The death penalty was first used in the U.S. in colonial times therefore leading to more than 900 executions since the year of 1976 in the U.S., with the state of Texas leading the nation (“At Issue”). There are many pros and cons that are discussed about this topic that are justifiable depending on the different points of view. Some people believe that the death…
- 1261 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
During the past few years, the death penalty has been the source of controversy in most countries across the world. Supporters of the death penalty have raised many questions over the years: Do we ignore criminals’ social rights? Do we also ignore the legal right of the state to impart punishment by death? At the current time, approximately 97 countries have done away with the death penalty. The real question is do people believe the death penalty is a good thing or should it be abolished altogether? As we can see, there are always two sides to every story.…
- 2636 Words
- 11 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Another argument is that death penalty is not a constraining factor. The most common argument for death penalty says that this measure of punishment is a strong restraining factor, since killing of a felon keeps others from committing similar crimes. At a first glance, this argument seems quite reasonable. However, it is important to approach the question of death penalty less disconcertingly. Effectiveness margins exist not only in death penalty, but also in other types of punishment, and that is not always taken into account ("Arguments for and Against the Death Penalty.").…
- 595 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays