8346995

Diamond Barnes

Ms.Vega

English IV

October 22, 2017

The Death Penalty

The death penalty, or also known as the punishment from the capital, refers to

punishment by death given to a person by the state or legal actions. Because of the nature of the

punishment, the death penalty raises a numerous amount of human-rights issues, which

consequently, has led to its abolishment in a variety of countries across the globe. Despite the

controversies surrounding it, it is still being practiced in one form or another in about 58

countries. The purpose of the death penalty is to prohibit acts of law breaking and different

methods criminality. If the aim of legal punishment, by a way of the death penalty, is

prevention of crime are there any other methods to prevent these unlawful acts? These

misdemeanors are acted off of impulsiveness which could be related to situational or

circumstantial instances in one's life. Retribution and not extinction should be preferred.

The history of the death penalty goes as far back as the 1800s. At one point in time the

death penalty was the only punishment for all crimes committed. England affected America's

utilization of capital punishment more than other nation. When European pioneers went to the

new world, they brought the act of the death penalty. The first recorded execution in the new

settlements was that of Captain George Kendall in Jamestown, Virginia in 1608. Kendall was
 8346995

executed for being a government agent for Spain. In 1612, Virginia Governor Sir Thomas Dale

established the Divine, Moral and Martial Laws, which gave capital punishment to even minor

offenses, such as taking grapes, executing chickens, and exchanging with Indians. There were

many legal forms of execution back then some that are not as popular but still an option for the

offenders. The top two forms that America and many other countries know of today are the lethal

injection, and the electric chair. In my opinion other methods that add to the abolishment of

human dignity are the firing squad, the gas chamber, and hanging. And to these there are some

who believe in legal punishment by way of death.

As you may know there are a lot of citizens who support the use of execution of a

criminal. Taxpayers are the ones who pay the costs of these death penalties. Looking at it from a

political standpoint Republicans and Democrats are just a select few of supporters of this cruel

punishment. Although their opinions on the death penalty differ, the majority in both groups

endorse it. Eighty percent of Republicans support the death penalty, while 65% of independents

and 58% of Democrats support it. These polls have been based off race, sex, religion, and age

and there is still discrepancy when you view these numbers.

 8346995

Americans who say they bolster capital punishment have considered an assortment of

reactions throughout the years. The main expression stated by those that are pro capital

punishment was "an eye for an eye," or striking back, reliably has been named as the number one

motivation behind why capital punishment should be given to the offenders. Today the number

of supporters has decreased since the poll on Gallup was first taken in 1991. Theyve also stated

that without any concern about future benefits, they give a good reason for punishment because it

was deserved. Let the punishment fit the criminal was their method of justification. While the

anti- supporters of the death penalty believe one serving time in a penitentiary ought to be

enough others differ.

 8346995

Anti-supporters of the death penalty view the capital punishment as morally, socially and

politically amiss. Morally, murdering anyone by any means is not considered ideal. Murder

performed by the state is viewed the same as a criminal murdering their victim. The only

difference is the state has been given the authority to perform these crimes. Further

investigations of inmates who were sentenced to the death penalty were later found innocent of

their crime. Nebraska State Senator, Ernie Chambers says, Over 150 people in the last few years

have been taken off death row because they were innocent. Which leads me to my next point

that some people that have already been executed could have been wrongly convicted of a crime

that they didnt do. That means that it is too late to give someone their justice if they are already

deceased. Therefore this is an additional reason on why anti-supporters believe that criminals

should just be giving a life sentence instead of an execution. Another debate was that the state

can save money if they execute an offender. But if you were to research, it is proven that giving

someone the death penalty actually is worth more. You have too envision that jury selection, the

trial itself, furthermore initial appeals will extend for a long time. The price of the execution is

not price friendly for the government and taxpayers. A case without the death penalty annually

costs about $740,000, and a case with the death penalty costs about $1.26 million accredit the,

Death Penalty Information center. The overall thought process of a anti-supporter is that no

national premium could defend mankind's privileges violations such as, those capital punishment

alternately torment.

A topic that is a big theory within a controversy is about which race has it worst. Many

believe African Americans get more of the crucial sentencing when it comes to any punishment.

It is likely proven that if an African American had a victim that was white, the jury saw them as

guilty. In spite of the late discoveries that would bring suggestion that racial inclination seems to
 8346995

saturate the framework of capital punish-ment, those issue will be mind boggling. For example

harshly a large portion of those executed inmates in the United States are African Americans,

Hispanic, or Asian. Despite only 34% claiming prisoners who have been exe-cuted have been

African American. As of January 2007, 213 African Americans death-row inmates were

executed to murdering a white victim, whereas just 15 white inmates were executed for

slaughtering a African American exploited person. Those same investigation also uncovered that

demise qualifica-tion status might have been altogether identified with jurors convictions that

being prejudice remains an issue in the United States today. Specifically, death-qualified juror

were less averse to think that separation against African Americans is never again an issue in the

United States. It also seems that basically looking more Black influences the jurisdiction and

settle on sentencing choices clinched alongside many instances. For example, later discoveries

propose that in cases including white victims, the stereotypically Black a respondent will be

observed to be, then more likely that person will be sentenced. Nevertheless in either of these

events there is always going to be injustice within in our government system.

Non-supporters of capital punishment provided a number of claims on supporting their

position. In the first place, it is restricted by people on religious grounds. Representatives and

many different religious gatherings claim that only Gods force could detract a human an

aggregation and these individual are not authorized to murder one another. An additional

argument states that since each individual needs an inherent right to dignity and life, the vast

majority of countries has abolished the death penalty. The basis behind capital punishment

should be a kid's meaning of equity that hate instead of kindness and decency. The advantage

of speaking to kindness and reasonableness over retaliation and hate is a calm point of view on a
 8346995

specific wrongdoing and the acknowledgment that criminal demonstrations don't characterize

criminal character. As loathsome as any violations submitted may be, the death penalty is a

detestable extraction of retribution and nothing more regardless of the shroud that defenders

endeavor to veil it under. The main "decency" set up by applying capital punishment is

comparing the mindset of an equity framework or people with the attitude of the criminal being

referred to.This underscores that capital punishment enough serves the principle reason for

existing of the lawful system to ensure honest nationals. In conclusion to this crucial punishment

it is always going to be looked upon as a godawful thing to the U.S. citizens and people

worldwide. Whichever happens soon enough we can all get this form of injustice abolished.

Works Cited

The Death Penalty in Black and White | Prison Legal New

Author: Loaded on Sept. 15, 1994 by Michael Ross

Part I: History of the Death Penalty | Death Penalty Information Center

Article Title Part I: History of the Death Penalty 1999

Death Row | Death Penalty Information Center

Article Title: Death Row 1997

 8346995

Amnesty International USA

Article Title Death Penalty and Race Amnesty International USA