Capital punishment has been around for decades and continues to alter as awareness of its negative connotations rise. Even in the late 1800’s we saw people trying to adjust the act in an attempt to make it more humane. The battle between morality and justice has developed throughout history and is existent now more than ever.
The reality is that crime will never slow down. The manner in which we as a society choose to address things such as murder, rape, and treason is strictly up to us. A large population believes that no one person or group of people should have the power to choose who lives and who does not.
Capital punishment leaves room for mistake
There are multiple cases in which they are pulled off of death row because they were falsely accused
Every life is precious
Capital punishment is costly
While an opposing group believes that certain crimes are to be addressed justly and that this sometimes requires death. This group believes the death penalty to be necessary for closure to family of victims.
Decreases opportunity for inmate to re-commit same or similar crimes
Provides closure to family of victims
Equal punishment and equal justice
Toulmin Argument
Capital punishment has been around for decades and continues to alter as awareness of its negative connotations rise. Even in the late 1800’s we saw people trying to adjust the act in an attempt to make it more humane, but the reality is that there is no “humane” way of ending another’s life.
Choosing to accept capital punishment is simply taking part in murder ourselves. I don’t believe any group of officials should have the right to kill another in my name.
Although capital punishment might bring closure to the family and loved ones of victims, who is to bring closure to family of the accused? Taking someone’s life can mean leaving a child fatherless or motherless, it can mean leaving a loving mother sonless or daughterless. There is no real humane way of viewing the death penalty. The reality is that every life should be seen and valued as precious.
Capital punishment is also a definite way of ensuring the offender will not re-commit his/her crimes but so is life in prison. Statistics show that while both serve similar purposes, life in prison is significantly cheaper than the cost of executing someone on death row.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The death penalty or capital punishment has been part of our humanity for years and years. Existed since ancient times, according to people a person who has committed an atrocious act, was sentence to death penalty or capital punishment. The death penalty begins back in the 18th century B.C. in the code of king Hammaurabi of Baylon; who was accused of committing 25 crimes. In years past, the punishments where more crucial then today, the execution procedures had no boundaries, forms of killing where endless. Drowning, whacking, “damnatio ad Bestia” which was death cause by a wild animal, dismemberment: dividing the body into quarter-usually with an ax, throwing then off a high place, impalement: one of the most crucial consisting in beating them with a stick, buried alive, the guillotine: decapitation, wretch they refer as the “quick, clean and humane” way of doing the killing, death by torture, stoning crucifying was also consider a death penalty act. Jesus Christ was crucified in Jerusalem part of his punishment for being the son of God. Within times pass the process change a little to decapitation, execution, hanging, electrocution, execution by gas and the one use to date lethal injection. (1. History of death penalty)…
- 1844 Words
- 8 Pages
Good Essays -
According to the author the modern executioner's job has changed, likewise, the death penalty has also changed. Jeffrey Toobin suggests killing prisoners who are on death row is necessitated but harm should not be caused. The author believes that the death penalty is uncivilized in our civilized society. Toobin also affirms the fact that the death penalty has become unpalatable and gruesome because of the great length's states have gone to come up with other ways of execution. For…
- 532 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Capital Punishment is regarded as one of the United States' hottest topics. Those for and against it constantly debate over the various issues that capital punishment brings forth. This essay explains just a few of these topics and my view on the death penalty.…
- 1062 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Capital Punishment is a moral controversy in today’s society. It is the judicial execution of criminals judged guilty of capital offenses by the state, or in other words, the death penalty. The first established death penalty laws can date back to the Eighteenth Century B.C. and the ethical debates towards this issue have existed just as long. There is a constant pro-con debate about this issue, and philosophers like Aristotle and Mill have their own take on this controversy as well. Aristotle is against capital punishment, while Mill believes it is morally permissible.…
- 1332 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Apart from a short time in the mid-to-late 20th century when a freeze on capital punishment was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court, this system of punishment has been in constant use in the United States for most of its history. Proponents and opponents have always been at odds over whether the practice should be continued or abolished completely. Lining up on one side are those who believe that the practice deters crime and is cheaper than warehousing a criminal for life in a maximum-security prison and lining up on the other side are those that believe the practice is inhumane and fraught with inconsistencies which make it antiquated and a barbaric form of punishment. Even though the United States…
- 1187 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
The history of the death penalty can be traced back in time all the way to the fifth century B.C. through Roman’s Law of the Twelve Tablets, where people would be put to death through crucifixion, drowning, and even by being burnt alive.. From there it can be found in seventh B.C.’s Draconian Code, and even in eighteenth century B.C. through the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, in which twenty-five various crimes would lead to the death penalty (Part I, 2015). Though the crimes punishable under the death penalty and the methods of which the death penalty have changed over time, the ideology behind the method still stands the same: An eye for an eye. The argument for the death penalty stands that those who commit a crime such as capital murder should be punished the same way that they punished their victim: by death. However, while this ethical principle may sound clear and cut on paper, the stance-both for and against-and methodology behind the death penalty is much more complicated than that.…
- 2028 Words
- 9 Pages
Good Essays -
The death penalty does not belong in this society.It causes many innocent people to be unjustly killed.It is inhuman and criminals deserve to rot in prison, not die and be free.therefore everyone should strongly oppose the horrific death…
- 303 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
For years, politicians have been passionately debating the subject of the capital punishment, which has only served to create more divisions within our society. It is an extremely sensitive subject, and one that inspires strong emotions in both directions. Like abortion, gun laws, and the war on terrorism, capital punishment is an issue on which everyone is never likely to agree.…
- 635 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Considering the death penalty is difficult for many people to do but would one consider it if it was their family that was victimized? Capital punishment has been a way to punish people for ages, and many countries still use this form of punishment on some of the worse criminals. Some of the main arguments for capital punishment include: keeping criminals off the street, reducing the crime rate, cost reduction for taxpaying citizens, and one of the most important closer for the family. One of the main reasons that people object to the death penalty in because of the fear that the wrong person could be convicted and put to death. Even though an innocent person could be wrongfully convicted, certain criminals should face the death penalty because it ensures the murderer can commit no more crime in the future and it installs fear in other potential criminals.…
- 2062 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Thesis: Capital punishment is useless as a deterrent, morally indefensible, discriminatory in practice, and prone to errors that may have led to the execution of wrongfully convicted people. Its continuing legality in the United States is critically undermining American moral stature around the world. The Supreme Court should bring the United States in line with the rest of the civilized world and hold that death is a cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. Summary: The death penalty process consumes tremendous amounts of money and resources and fails to deter criminal activity. It is not uniformly applied geographically, and where it is allowed, it is used in an often arbitrary and racist manner. As a result, states have been curtailing the use of the death penalty, the Supreme Court has limited its application, and both death sentences and executions are down sharply. This is at odds with the recent efforts of some states to expand the range of capital crimes, and with national polls which still reflect a clear majority of Americans favor capital punishment. Meanwhile, momentum has been accelerating in the international community to abolish the death penalty, and the United States is increasingly criticized for failing to keep in step with other civilized nations in this area. Capital Punishment in the United States Since the 1977 resumption of capital punishment in the United States, nearly 1,100 convicted prisoners have been put to death in the thirty-eight US states where the practice remains legal. As of the beginning of 2007, approximately 3,350 people remain on death row in American prisons. In recent years, the evidence has shown that the death penalty process consumes tremendous amounts of money and resources and fails to deter criminals. FBI Uniform Crime…
- 4048 Words
- 17 Pages
Better Essays -
Capital Punishment is viewed as a political viewpoint that has pro’s and con’s by the American people. Capital punishment is known as the “The Death Penalty” and is identified as the premeditated and planned taking of a human life. The government views this as a response to a crime committed by a legally convicted person. The question is The Death Penalty just and applied fairly? The argument against Capital punishment can include the following; Amnesty International, who believes that “The Death Penalty” is the cruelest denial of human, rights (White, 2009). The pro’s state that, “Capital punishment gives society the right and duty to protect the innocent in self-defense.” The Death Penalty gives closure to the victim’s families who have suffered so much. Some families may never recover from the cruelty of the crime, and most families just want closure. Most Americans and people from different countries such as; china, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan agree with capital punishment. White stated, “I believe that it sends the wrong message: Killing people who kill people to show killing is wrong (White, 2009). Therefore, is it just and applied fairly is the question that is asked, should we kill because some kill? I believe that we are sending a message to promote killing, is it fair for some and not for others.…
- 997 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Capital Punishment has been a topic of debate in America since the 17th century. Although many abiding citizens oppose the death penalty, there are many ways for them to feel this way. However, there are also various supporting reasons for 38 states to consider Capital Punishment as very effective. Some of the pros involved in this long-fought debate are justice, closure for victims’ families, cost of inmates, deterrence, and punishment that is equal to the crime which was committed. In opposition, some of the cons are cost of execution, humanity, morality, religion, and unnecessary pain for the family of the executed prisoner.…
- 1139 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Capital punishment has been a tool of the American judicial system since the beginning of our history as an attempt to deter it's citizens from committing acts of violence against others with an ambition for community safety. However, our system of law is too lagging and inconsistent for the prospect of death as punishment to be a deterrence which therefore calls for reform and restructure; perhaps adopting the old ways of countries far removed from Westernized thinking. Originally the sentence of capital punishment necessitated death by beheading however, along with the dilution of the name came weaker and more “humane” ways of executing prisoners and is now known as the death penalty.…
- 1406 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
The death penalty goes back as far as the 17th century. From burning alive to beating to death, the death penalty was carried out in some of the cruelest and most painful ways one could imagine. Although more efficient ways of execution have been discovered, such as lethal injections, capital punishment is still ruthless and a lot of times unnecessary. Capital punishment is like the easy way out of dealing with criminals by “eliminating the complexities of judge and jury” (Source J), when there are much more efficient punishments that could be used when dealing with a felony. Capital punishment should not be used for so many different reasons; it is immoral, very costly and mistakes that could be prevented happen way too often.…
- 776 Words
- 4 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The death penalty is a controversial topic that has existed since the beginning of civilization. The death penalty, and capital punishment are interchangeable terms that provide legalized murders at the hands of the government. This form of killing is permitted in approximately 38 states (Capital Punishment, 2011). The death penalty has been a way for humans to control one another throughout history. The death penalty is a chancy way of instilling justice. In addition, there is no guarantee that the person sentenced to death is completely innocent. For many years, the death penalty has been the cause of many innocent and untimely deaths. The death penalty is a final decision to a possible mistake. Also, the death penalty infringes on…
- 395 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays