Persuasive Essay for Pro Capital Punishment
Persuasive Essay
Why Capital Punishment Should Remain in Effect
Stefanie Ridgway
DeVry University, ENGL 112
Professor Adams
April 19, 2010
Capital punishment, otherwise known as the death penalty, has been effective tool in our country’s justice system since its inception. When an inmate is given this, the harshest sentence available, it is always with just cause. Capital Punishment is an important tool in our criminal justice system today and there are several reasons it should remain in effect. Although capital punishment opponents would argue otherwise, there is undeniable proof that capital punishment is in fact a deterrent to committing crimes with that would warrant this sentence. One of the most basic instincts that human beings have is self-preservation. Self-preservation is defined as “the wish to stay alive and protect yourself from things that might hurt you” (MacMillandictionary.com). Having the knowledge that murdering someone could cost you your own life in return certainly violates the fundamental definition of preservation of one’s self. Although opponents of the death penalty certainly argue that a crimes penalty doesn’t deter a criminal, statistics say otherwise. In 1976 after years of challenges, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that suspended the death penalty, although that would only last four years until 1976 before it was reinstated there are some interesting numbers from that time. From 1972-1976 while capital punishment was on hiatus the per capita murder rate rose to its highest numbers over the four previous decades. According to Dudley Sharp, an expert with the criminal justice reform group Justice for All “The murder per capita rate has dropped from 10.2 (per 100,000 people) in 1980 to 5.7 in 1999 a 44% reduction. The murder rate today is at its lowest levels since 1966.” Seeing that there has been reduction in the per capita murder rate of nearly half since the executions have resumed, it is hard to
Why Capital Punishment Should Remain in Effect
Stefanie Ridgway
DeVry University, ENGL 112
Professor Adams
April 19, 2010
Capital punishment, otherwise known as the death penalty, has been effective tool in our country’s justice system since its inception. When an inmate is given this, the harshest sentence available, it is always with just cause. Capital Punishment is an important tool in our criminal justice system today and there are several reasons it should remain in effect. Although capital punishment opponents would argue otherwise, there is undeniable proof that capital punishment is in fact a deterrent to committing crimes with that would warrant this sentence. One of the most basic instincts that human beings have is self-preservation. Self-preservation is defined as “the wish to stay alive and protect yourself from things that might hurt you” (MacMillandictionary.com). Having the knowledge that murdering someone could cost you your own life in return certainly violates the fundamental definition of preservation of one’s self. Although opponents of the death penalty certainly argue that a crimes penalty doesn’t deter a criminal, statistics say otherwise. In 1976 after years of challenges, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that suspended the death penalty, although that would only last four years until 1976 before it was reinstated there are some interesting numbers from that time. From 1972-1976 while capital punishment was on hiatus the per capita murder rate rose to its highest numbers over the four previous decades. According to Dudley Sharp, an expert with the criminal justice reform group Justice for All “The murder per capita rate has dropped from 10.2 (per 100,000 people) in 1980 to 5.7 in 1999 a 44% reduction. The murder rate today is at its lowest levels since 1966.” Seeing that there has been reduction in the per capita murder rate of nearly half since the executions have resumed, it is hard to
References: Deathpenalty.Org com Retrieved March 25, 2010 number of innocent on death row from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/node/523 The King James Bible retrieved March 25, 2010 from Leviticus 24:19-24:23 Prodeathpenalty.com retrieved March 25, 2010 from http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/innocence.htm Wesley Lowe retrieved March 25, 2010 on the per capita murder rate from http://www.wesleylowe.com/cp.html MacMillandictionary.com retrieved April 19, 2010 from www.MacMillandictionary.com http://www.Enotes.com retrieved April 19, 2010 from http://www.enotes.com/drugs-substances-encyclopedia/barbiturates/effects-body