Capital Punishment Essay - 1241 Words

On July 2, 1976, almost two hundred years since the United States of America passed the Declaration of Independence, the Supreme Court legalized capital punishment (Appendix 1). Capital punishment executed for the crime of theft. Since then there have been an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 people lawfully executed(Espy pp.194). In the eighteenth century, England would punish by death for crimes such as pick pocketing and petty theft. After the 1650s colonist could be put to death for denying the true god or cursing their parents advocates. Capital punishment has clashed for a long time in the forum of public opinion in state legislatures and most recently in courts. In 1972, the case of Furman vs. Georgia (Appendix 1) reached the supreme†¦show more content†¦It appears that killing a black is much less death-worthy, as Black puts it, than killing a white. Throughout the years studies have shown that Americans favor the death penalty by a small margin (Gallup Poll 63). The reasons are many, though they can be grouped into general categories. The death penalty is a proven deterrent to violent crime. Statistics show that the crime rate is reduced in all states that hold the death penalty (Bedau 125-30). Others argue that it is morally just to execute a proven murderer. When confronted with the numerous false indictments and possible deaths due to falsified testimony, the advocates of the death penalty reply that it is no different than any other non-capital punishment in which so called offenders often serve unjust time in prison. Finally, pro-capital punishment supporters maintain that ridding the country of violent criminals is both necessary, and for the benefit of the public. One such advocate is Ernest Van Den Haag, who, in his article In Defense of the Death Penalty: A Legal-Practical-Moral Analysis, (cited by Bedau 137-41) presents his reasons for the death penalty. His main thesis, however, is not why we should have the death penalty, but rather why the abolitionists reasons are faulty. In reply to the abolitionists argument that quot;innocent people may be falsely accused of murder and sentenced to deathquot; he states that quot; Justice requiresShow MoreRelated Capital Punishment1099 Words   |  5 Pages Capital Punishment Murder, a common occurrence in American society, is thought of as a horrible, reprehensible atrocity. Why then, is it thought of differently when the state government arranges and executes a human being, the very definition of premeditated murder? Capital punishment has been reviewed and studied for many years, exposing several inequities and weaknesses, showing the need for the death penalty to be abolished. Upon examination, one finds capital punishment to be economically weakRead MoreCapital Punishment1137 Words   |  5 Pagescorresponding punishments. Among all penalties, capital punishment is considered to be the most severe and cruelest one which takes away criminal’s most valuable right in the world, that is, right to live. It is a heated debate for centuries whether capital punishment should be completely abolished world widely. The world seems to have mixed opinion regarding this issue. According to Amnesty International (2010), currently, 97 countries in the world have already abolished capital punishment while onlyRead MoreCapital Punishment1786 Words   |  8 PagesCapital Punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the toughest form of punishment enforced today in the United States. According to the online Webster dictionary, capital punishment is defined as â€Å"the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offence or a capital crime† (1). 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Capital Punishment is a large controversy in the U.S. but before a personal opinion can be formed, some facts need to be known, such as what it is, where it is used and why it could be good or bad. Well, what is Capital Punishment? Capital Punishment is where a person is executedRead MoreCapital Punishment Is The Ultimate Punishment1704 Words   |  7 Pageswhat would you want from the government if he had killed someone you know? He should receive the capital punishment. The capital punishment is the ultimate punishment given to the precarious crimes. It is the last stage of capital punishment. There are different methods of like hanging, electric chair, lethal injection, firing squad, gas chamber. Murderers and rapist should be given extreme punishment, and they have to pay for their wrongdoing. 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