Death Penalty Essays

A Debate of the Death Penalty Essay
The death penalty raises important questions about the right to life, who has a right to life, and
under what circumstances a right to life can be taken away. I believe there are no circumstances
under which capital punishment is justified. I will proceed to defend my claim that capital
punishment is unjustified by arguing a position that killing is wrong because it deprives individuals
of valuable futures. To support my thesis that capital punishment is not justified, I will expand upon
an argument made my Don Marquis in his essay "Why Abortion is Immoral" in which he argues that
killing is immoral on the grounds that it deprives human beings of a valuable future. My argument
is as follows:
1.Killing is wrong because it deprives the...show more content...
The outside factors and conditions are irrelevant. Rather, the value is determined by how that
person perceives his or her own life and these future experiences. Thus, when someone is killed, he
or she is deprived of all the things that were of value and will be of value to him or her in the
future. Causing this loss of a valuable future is ultimately what makes killing wrong and immoral
because that individual has permanently lost the opportunity to enjoy his or her future experiences
which are valuable to him or her. My second premise states that death row criminals are in the same
moral category as other human beings with respect to the moral value of their lives. The only factor
which differentiates a criminal from a non–criminal is the fact that the criminal, usually irrefutably,
violated community standards and the law to commit a crime. In the case of a criminal on death row,
he or she would have had to have committed a serious capital crime to receive the death sentence.
Since committing a capital offense is the only reason death row criminals are different from other
human beings, death row criminals are the same as other human beings in every other respect,
including with respect to the value of their futures. Furthermore, the future of a criminal on death
row is just as valuable as the future of a human being not on death row. Any form of capital
punishment is a form of killing. It does not matter who is actually doing the
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Pro Death Penalty Essay
Capital punishment and the practice of the death penalty is an issue that is passionately debated in
the United States. Opponents of the death penalty claim that capital punishment is unnecessary
since a life sentence accomplishes the same objective. What death penalty opponents neglect to tell
you is that convicted murders and child rapists escape from prison every year(List of prison
escapes, 2015). As I write this essay, police are searching for two convicted murders who escaped
from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York on June 6th, 2015. The ONLY
punishment from which one cannot escape is the death penalty.
Opponents of the death penalty believe capital punishment is unnecessary and inappropriate in our
modern...show more content...
A fifth rationale in opposition is that the death penalty is too expensive or too costly to taxpayers
to justify its use. According to those who oppose the death penalty and certain studies, it costs
more to execute a person than to keep him or her in prison for life (Death Penalty Focus, 2015).
Finally, it is believed by some that the killing at the hands of the state is not a righteous act but
instead is on the same moral level as the murderers themselves.
According to capital punishment supporters, many of these reasons of the anti–death penalty
movement are false and are now wrongly accepted as fact. The argument that the death penalty does
not deter crime is debatable. By executing murderers you prevent them from murdering again. If
these people no longer exist then they obviously cannot commit more crimes. In addition, criminals
have admitted, in thousands of fully documented cases, that the death penalty was the specific threat
which deterred them from committing murder (Pro–Death Penalty, 2014). The opponents of capital
punishment claim that the death penalty has caused and can cause the execution of innocent people.
However, according to the supporters, no evidence indicates that innocent people have been
executed. Upon reviewing 23 years of capital sentences, a Wall Street Journal study indicated that
they were unable to find a single case in which an innocent person was executed (Eddlem, 2002).
Furthermore, advocates note that the

The Death Penalty in America Essay
The Death Penalty in America
The law of God is, "Thou Shalt Not Kill" (Bible 79 ), and every system of ethics and rules of our
society echoes that law. For decades, state and federal leaders have struggled with opposing views of
the death penalty. Many minds have endured this difficult question–Who says it is right to take
another human's life because of an act that he/she committed?
The death penalty is the most severe sentence that can be administered to a criminal (Capital
Punishment 1). There are only fourteen states in the United States that prohibit capital punishment,
Iowa being among them (Death Penalty 1).
In the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, it is stated that cruel and...show
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Fewer and fewer American judges are turning towards the punishment of death in court cases. Many
moral and ethical standards require justices to think extensively about their judgments before acting
on them. The thought of sending a person to die is a very gruesome one to face, no matter how
strong someone may be. As Michael Endres stated, "The execution of an offender is the most certain
way to incapacitate him...the death penalty is not, of course, the only way to achieve this end"
(Endres 19). Equally effective methods of punishment are more often used now. Some prisoners
actually favor dying rather than being forced into confinement for life.
Each year there are about two hundred and fifty people added to death row, while thirty–five are
actually executed. Since capital punishment was resumed in 1976, there have been three hundred
and ninety–one executions ("Cruel and Unusual" 27). If the judge recommends the death penalty and
the judge agrees, the criminal will face some form of execution. Lethal injection is the most common
form. From 1972–1976, capital punishment was ruled unconstitutional (Capital Punishment 2). The
Supreme Court's reason for abolishment was the death penalty was cruel and unusual punishment.
They reversed their decision when new methods of execution were introduced.
Even though I have strong opinions against the death penalty, there are many Americans who
support it. Some people

Essay on Death Penalty
Death Penalty
The death penalty is a controversial topic in the United States today and has been for a number of
years. The death penalty was overturned and then reinstated in the United States during the 1970's
due to questions concerning its fairness. The death penalty began to be reinstated slowly, but the rate
of executions has increased during the 1990's. There are a number of arguments for and against the
death penalty. Many death penalty supporters feel that the death penalty reduces crime because it
deters people from committing murder if they know that they will receive the death penalty if they
are caught. Others in favor of the death penalty feel that even if it doesn't deter others from
committing crimes, it will eliminate...show more content...
People opposed to the death penalty also point to the fact that over half of the countries in the world
have abolished the death penalty, including all other major industrialized, democratic nations. In the
five countries with the highest homicide rates that do not impose the death penalty, the murder rate
is 21.6 murders per 100,000 people. In the five countries with the highest homicide rates that do
impose the death penalty, the murder rate is 41.6 murders per 100,000 people ("Deterrence").
Furthermore, the United States has the highest crime and murder rates of any of the other major
democratic nations, all of which have abandoned the death penalty. In 1965, Great Britain called for
a five–year suspension on executions following a recent decline in the imposition of the death
penalty and growing anti–death penalty sentiments in the country. In 1969, the government
abolished the death penalty altogether because there had been no surge in homicides or crime
(Flanders 45). Death penalty opponents feel that these statistics lend credibility to the argument that
the death penalty does not cause a decrease in homicides and in some instances may even lead to an
increase in murders. Another valid point that death penalty opponents use is that the judicial system
is not flawless, and that in the United

The Death Penalty Essay examples
The death penalty continues to be an issue of controversy and is an issue that will be debated in the
United States for many years to come. According to Hugo A. Bedau, the writer of "The Death
Penalty in America", capital punishment is the lawful infliction of the death penalty. The death
penalty has been used since ancient times for a variety of offenses. The Bible says that death should
be done to anyone who commits murder, larceny, rapes, and burglary. It appears that public debate
on the death penalty has changed over the years and is still changing, but there are still some out
there who are for the death penalty and will continue to believe that it's a good punishment. I
always hear a lot of people say "an eye for an eye." Most...show more content...
Celerity refers to the elapsed time between the commission of an offense and the administration of
punishment. In theory, the more quickly a punishment is carried out, the greater its deterrent effect,
and last the deterrent effect of a punishment is a function of its severity. However, over the last two
decades more and more scholars and citizens have realized that the deterrent effect of a punishment
is not a consistent direct effect of its severity–after a while, increases in the severity of a punishment
no longer add to its deterrent benefits. In fact, increases in a punishment's severity have decreasing
incremental deterrent effects, so that eventually any increase in severity, will no longer matter
(Radelet and Borg, 2000). Scores of researchers, including such eminent criminologists as Edward
Sutherland and Thorsten Sellin, have examined the possibility that the death penalty has a greater
deterrent effect on homicide rates than long–term. While some econometric studies have claimed to
find deterrent effects; these studies have been sharply criticized. Overall, the vast majority of
deterrence studies have failed to support the hypothesis that the death penalty is a more effective
deterrent to criminal homicides than long imprisonment. As two of this country's most experienced
deterrence researchers conclude after their review of recent scholarship, "The available evidence
remains 'clear and abundant' that,

The Death Penalty Discussion Essay
The Death Penalty Discussion
In today's world terrible crimes are being committed daily. Many people believe that these criminals
deserve one fate; death. Death penalty is the maximum sentence used in punishing people who kill
another human being and is a very controversial method of punishment. Capital punishment is a legal
infliction of death penalty and since ancient times it has bee used to punish a large variety of
offences. Criminals convicted of murder or rape need to be executed because they are danger to
society and the human race. Other people still argue that one method of execution is just as brutal as
the next.
The common sense argument that death is the best deterrent of crime...show more content...
Society and its mixed feelings towards the death penalty; capital punishment is such a harsh and
uncivilised way of treating criminals, but do they look at how the criminals are acting towards
ending other human beings life. They do not care about the lives they have destroyed, or, the
families of their victims. The death penalty can never bring back loved ones back to their families.
It seems rationally to think that if potential killers are aware that if they commit serious crimes they
would be put to death for it, they are less likely to commit these crimes again.
The concept of retribution and justice should bestow to society. This is imperative for peace to be
maintained and that justice is served. If criminals were allowed to get away with such a serious
crime as taking a humans life fear and chaos would rule. Sentence for life in prison will not be
substantial enough. The government must be trusted to protect its innocent citizens from further
crimes. A vast conception concerning death penalty is that it saves society the costs of keeping
inmates imprisoned for long periods. In the act of preserving due process of justice, the court
appeals involved with the death penalty becomes a long, drawn out and a long expensive process.
Does it save its purpose? Does executing someone for crimes such as rape, murder, adultery,
homosexual behaviour, and prostitution actually prevent

Opinion on the Death Penalty Essay
Opinion on the Death Penalty
The death penalty, also referred to as capital punishment, has been abolished in Canada since 1976,
but still exist in a few American States. The last execution in Canada took place in 1962.
I disagree with the death penalty for several reasons. My first reason is that I find it extremely
inhumane to take someone's life in order to demonstrate the power of the law. Another reason for
my disapproval of the death penalty, is the amount of money that it takes to put someone to death,
as it would cost the same to keep an inmate in jail for life, as it would to put that same inmate to
death. My third and final reason, is the guilty conscience that is placed on everyone involved: the
jury who convicted...show more content...
Therefore, I do not feel that Canada should permit such a deplorable undertaking of a human life. I
know they must be punished, but there is a better way.
Prior to putting someone to death, the accused's lawyer will attempt several appeals to the courts in
order to lengthen the amount of time he has to live; and dependent on a technicality, or a
sympathetic jury, the accused may be sentenced to life imprisonment. These appeals take up an
abundance of court time and cost the public millions of dollars. With the cost of these appeals, it
would cost the same amount to keep the same inmate in jail for a life term.
Would it not be better for the inmate to perhaps obtain an education or be given the chance to
rehabilitate, rather than strapped to a chair and killed ??? I personally would rather see the inmate
suffer in prison and have nothing to look forward to rather than letting the government put him out
of his misery by killing him. To sentence someone to death takes one trial but to actually get some
one in the chair to kill them could take a dozen of trials. The question must be asked why do we
bother with this lengthy and costly process when we could sentence people to life in prison, at the
same cost.
The killing of a human being is very traumatizing to all. Whenever the courts issue someone to death,
the innocent everyday people who are involved must be affected. Just imagine how these normal
human beings, like you and I,

Essay on Death Penalty
The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and violates the right
to life. It's hard for me as a Swede to understand that a country such as USA still have that kind of
punishment. For many people and nations the USA serves as a model, so it is to me very difficult
to imagine how you can persuade nations like Burma and China to respect basic human rights when
you don't do it yourself.
Body
A. Concerning the Death Penalty
Capital punishment –– the death penalty –– is supposed to select the worst criminals who committed
the worst murders and punish them and protect society by taking their lives.
In numbers far beyond our greatest fears, innocent people are being convicted of murder and
sentenced to death....show more content...
In Florida, it costs S3.2 million per death case, six times the cost of a life sentence; in Texas, $2.3
million, three times the cost of sentencing a defendant to 40 years in a single cell in that state's high
security prison.
Wouldn't it really be better to spend those millions of dollars on programs that might actually do
something to reduce or prevent crime? Hire more police officers, improve education, provide better
prenatal care, take your pick!
D. The death penalty hasn't been shown to be a deterrent to committing murders.
Since 1976, the number of executions and the size of death row have steadily increased. Yet there
has been virtually no change in the national murder rate. And the murder rate remains higher in death
penalty states than in non–death penalty states. According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, states
with the death penalty have homicide rates of 7.4 to 100,000; states without the death penalty have a
homicide rate of 4.9 to 100,000
Conclusion
It's natural to feel the need for revenge when a loved one is murdered. But what society needs is a
system of criminal justice, not a system of criminal vengeance. Many places in this country get along
fine without it: here in the Midwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin all seem to be
relatively civilized and peaceful places, even without the death penalty.
In addition to the United States, the countries with the most documented executions in 1997 include

Is the Death Penalty Ethical? Essay examples
"More than 4,500 people have been executed in the United States since 1930. There is no way of
knowing how many have been executed in U.S. history because executions were often local
affairs, with no central agency keeping track of them (Maloney, 1999)." Over 4,500 people were
executed and this doesn't even include the unreported deaths. Decades ago, death penalty cases
were not even to be reported in many times. For many years, people have been rationalize
themselves for death penalty as " an eye for an eye"(2010).This "eye for an eye" statement is no
longer giving any excuses for killing humans. The controversial idea of whether humans are rational
enough to decide someone's life or death has been questioned. Humans absolutely don't have...show
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People who commit the crime should get imprisoned for what they did for how long ever it is
given. Murderer who took away other's lives should be imprisoned for what they did for the rest
of their lives. Death penalty is absolutely not necessary because imprison itself will take away the
whole lives; they will not be allowed to have any life as human in society. We kill him, because he
killed is simply how death penalty works. Death penalty is only to take away people's life, not
reasonable punishment for their sin. Of course, people think death penalty is not just about the
punishment. People who believe in death penalty show the reason why they do is that death penalty
for sure is a deterrent to homicide. They also take this as a justification of supporting death penalty
system (2010). So people actually expect something out of this system other than just killing the
murderers simply for what they did. This is supposed to be a great solution to make better society by
lessoning the potential crime. In theory, the fact that society has a death penalty system should
somewhat scares the potential murderer and prevents them from committing murder. But the
percentage of murder crime shows the otherwise. Do potential murderers consider the death penalty
before they the murder? The answers are likely to be No. "Most deterrence research has found that

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