Soc120 Week 3

Advocates of the death penalty recognize that no system is perfect and that applying the death penalty runs a small risk of executing someone who is innocent. Is this a price society should be willing to pay?

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I agree with life in prison, which gives the criminal time to think about what he or she has done while serving hard time. Wrongful execution is a miscarriage of justice occurring when an innocent person is put to death by capital punishment, the "death penalty." Cases of wrongful execution are cited as an argument by opponents of capital punishment.

A number of people are claimed to have been innocent victims of the death penalty. Newly-available DNA evidence has allowed the exoneration and release of more than 15 death row inmates since 1992 in the United States, but DNA evidence is available in only a fraction of capital cases. Others have been released on the basis of weak cases against them, sometimes involving prosecutorial misconduct; resulting in acquittal at retrial, charges dropped, or innocence-based pardons. The Death Penalty Information Center (U.S.) has published a list of 10 inmates "executed but possibly innocent". At least 39 executions are claimed to have been carried out in the U.S. in the face of evidence of innocence or serious doubt about guilt. Statistics likely understate the actual problem of wrongful convictions because once an execution has occurred there is often insufficient motivation and finance to keep a case open, and it becomes unlikely at that point that the miscarriage of justice will ever be exposed.

Therefore I do not believe that this is a price that society is willing to pay, especially when we are talking about killing an innocent person for the sake of catching a person who is guilty. I also believe that the death penalty should be abolished in all countries, because no one has the right to kill another human being other than the person who created them, and that 's God.

Reference:

Wrongful Execution (n.d.) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrongful_execution

1st Response:

When the government metes out vengeance disguised as justice, it becomes complicit with killers in devaluing human life and human dignity. In civilized society, we reject the principle of literally doing to criminals what they do to their victims: The penalty for rape cannot be rape, or for arson, the burning down of the arsonist 's house. We should not, therefore, punish the murderer with death, but allow him/her to serve hard time for the rest of their natural life while continuously thinking about the wrong they have done.

Reference:

American Civil Liberties Union (2007) Death Penalty - Should The Death Penalty Be Allowed? Retrieved from http://deathpenalty.procon.org/

2nd Response:

Capital punishment violates the Eighth Amendment because it is morally unacceptable to the people of the United States at this time in their history. In judging whether or not a given penalty is morally acceptable, most courts have said that the punishment is valid unless 'it shocks the conscience and sense of justice of the people. Assuming knowledge of all the facts presently available regarding capital punishment, the average citizen would, in my opinion, find it shocking to his conscience and sense of justice. For this reason alone, capital punishment cannot stand.”

Reference:

Marshall, T. (1972) Death Penalty Should The Death Penalty Be Allowed? Retrieved from http://deathpenalty.procon.org/

Can countries such as the United States continue to grow and develop without causing environmental damage? How can one balance the demands of economic development with environmental concerns?

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I believe that if the United States can afford to send someone into outta space, they should be able to afford to produce more environmentally safe oil. This would not only help save our environment, but it will also change the United States dependence on oil from other countries. There should be more "green" policies in place, as well as more bicycle friendly trails in areas other than the suburbs. This would cut back on the use of gasoline, and its release into the air. I have to admit that lately more people are starting to ride their bikes, because gas consumption has dropped dramatically in the U.S. (probably due to the economy rather than social conscious). I have also noticed an increase in families living together again due to the economy, but this also helps the environment. The one thing that will cut cost the most is the use of solar power as the primary source of energy. Solar power and turbine power is gaining popularity every day. We can also plant more trees and flowers, which not only help the environment but also our oxygen. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in 12 people in the United States now has asthma, a total of 24.6 million people and an increase of 4.3 million since 2001. We 've already started using bamboo in place of wood, so why not move further in the process of saving our environment? But until we do, there is always hope that we will collectively come to our senses before we cause any further damage.

References:

Beder, S. (2002) (pp 50-56) Economy and Environment: Competitors or Partners? Pacific Ecology 3 Retrieved from http://www.herinst.org/sbeder/envpolitics/pacific2.html

II Maugh, T. (2011) Asthma Rates Increasing In U.S., Despite Less Smoking and Decreased Air Pollution – Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/03/news/la-heb-asthma-rates-increasing/

1st Response

Energy is everywhere. We use energy to move the mouse for a computer, to jump and shout and walk and run. It takes energy to power a light bulb, and the light that the bulb gives off is also a form of energy called radiant energy. Radiant energy from the sun enables vegetables, plants, trees and us to live and grow! Other forms of energy include heat, chemical energy, kinetic (motion) energy, gravitational energy and nuclear power.

Electricity is a form of energy and this is what powers the TV, the kettle, dishwasher, hairdryer, toaster, remote control, mobile phone, fridge, stereo, electric toothbrush, mp3 player and more. Our growing need for energy is one of the problems facing the world today, because producing electricity also produces pollution.

Reference:

The Young People 's Trust For The Environment (1982) Environment – How Can We Help Protect It? Retrieved from http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/environment-how-can-you-help-protect-it-/81

2nd Response

Chemical waste from factories and sewage works can also cause pollution that can get into our rivers and seas, which soon carry the harmful particles for miles. Litter is considered pollution as it can cause harm to wildlife and disrupt rivers, streams, seas and other habitats. Harmful chemicals can also be found in many household and garden items, from plastics to cleaning products, weedkillers and sprays. If we want to do our part to help our environment, we can start by being more cautious when disposing harmful agents.

Reference:

The Young People 's Trust For The Environment (1982) Environment – How Can We Help Protect It? Retrieved from http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/environment-how-can-you-help-protect-it-/81

References: Beder, S. (2002) (pp 50-56) Economy and Environment: Competitors or Partners? Pacific Ecology 3 Retrieved from http://www.herinst.org/sbeder/envpolitics/pacific2.html II Maugh, T Reference: The Young People 's Trust For The Environment (1982) Environment – How Can We Help Protect It? Retrieved from http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/environment-how-can-you-help-protect-it-/81 Reference: The Young People 's Trust For The Environment (1982) Environment – How Can We Help Protect It? Retrieved from http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/environment-how-can-you-help-protect-it-/81