Capital Punishment A System With Flaws - 1691 Words

Hatch 1 Capital Punishment: A System with Flaws Introduction The death penalty in America has been declining: despite the diminished use, flaws are more apparent than ever. Some of these are racial bias and the execution of innocent people. With a topic like capital punishment the information available can be overwhelming, with as much information that is out there. The words capital punishment and death penalty often have strong emotional opinions, due to being a controversial topic that so many people have different views on. History of the Death Penalty in America Americas use of the death penalty was influenced by Britain s laws of capital punishment. The first recorded execution was that of Captain George Kendall in Jamestown Colony of Virginia in 1608, for spying for the Spanish Government (Death Penalty Information Center). Laws about capital punishment was different depending on the colony. In North Carolina both harboring slaves and inciting slaves to insurrection were punishable by death. Virginia sentences sometimes depended on rather the offender was white or black, there were five capital crimes for white people and about seventy for black people (Constanzo, 1997). In 1767 Cesare Beccaria theorized that there wasn t a justification for the state to take someones life, giving abolitionists a voice, which was the abolition of the death penalty in Austria and Tuscany, Beccaria influenced Americas as well. The first attempted reforms of the deathShow MoreRelatedAgainst The Death Penalty Essa y959 Words   |  4 PagesAgainst the Death Penalty â€Å"Murder is wrong† (â€Å"Capital Punishment†). We’ve been taught this indisputable truth since childhood. The death penalty is defined as one human taking the life of another. Coincidentally, that is a classification of murder. There are as many as thirty-six states with the death penalty, and it’s essential that they change it. The United States needs the death penalty abolished because it is filled with flaws, cruel and immoral, and is an ineffective means of deterrentRead MoreBanning Capital Punishment in the United States Essay1187 Words   |  5 PagesBanning the use of capital punishment in the United States Capital punishment (the death penalty) is a legal procedure which is known as the most severe punishment where the law authorizes execution as a punishment for criminals (Gerald, 2008). Many people claim that allowing such a punishment will help decrease the crime rate, and also give closure to the victim’s family, but if you as American citizens analyze this situation in more detail you can see that taking a life for taking a life is moreRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Eliminated1342 Words   |  6 PagesCapital Punishment should be eliminated in America The European influence on America gave way to the similarities between our cultures, including the death penalty. The first recorded execution in America was that of Captain Kendall in Virginia in 1608. Kendall was executed for being a spy, but at that the time capital punishment was used even for minor crimes. Fast forward 150 years to the Abolitionist Movement and we see Cesare Beccaria post an essay in 1767 declaring the state has no right toRead MoreA Summary On Capital Punishment1345 Words   |  6 PagesSean Starosta Mr. Cobb American Literature May 26, 2015 Capital Punishment In 1939 Joe Arridy was convicted and executed for the 1936 rape and murder of a Pueblo Colorado schoolgirl despite serious doubts over his competence and guilt. Fast forward seventy two years and capital punishment is at its lowest rate in years, murder rates are at some of the lowest levels on record (Johnson). and Colorado governor Bill Ritter grants Arridy an unconditional pardon based on an â€Å"overwhelming body of evidence†Read MoreCapital Punishment: Should it be Legal? Essay955 Words   |  4 PagesCapital Punishment: Should it be Legal? After the Timothy McVeigh execution over 80 percent of viewers polled supported the decision the courts made to put McVeigh to death, and even a handful of the people who supported the execution thought it was preformed in a way that was too humane. Some people say that the death penalty is the most effective way to control serious crimes such as murder, while others say that it is extremely unethical and should not be legal in a country as developed asRead MoreThe Value Of Human Life907 Words   |  4 PagesSome of those against capital punishment believe that human life is so valuable that even the worst murderers should not be deprived of the value of their lives. They believe that the value of the offender s life cannot be destroyed by the offender s bad conduct - even if they have killed someone. Some abolitionists don t go that far. They say that life should be preserved unless there is a very good reason not to, and that the those who are in favor of capital punishment are the ones who haveRead MoreRace, Capital Punishment, And The Cost Of Murder884 Words   |  4 Pageswill critique â€Å"Race, Capital Punishment, and the Cost of Murder† by M. Cholbi. The critique will discuss and point out some unnecessary concepts and flaws in the author’s argument along with logical fallacies. The author appeals for a moratorium among capital punishment due to racial disparities. This essay will analyze the author’s paper on the subject of race and capital punishment. The subject of capital punishment is controversial, as some citizens believe capital punishment is unconstitutionalRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Abolished Essay1293 Words   |  6 PagesApproaching the topic of capital punishment is difficult when looking at society as a whole. In the opinio n stated by my class group, capital punishment should be entirely abolished due to the possibility of mistakes while sentencing. This idea relies on the basis that capital punishment has absolutely no purpose or benefit. Members of my group mistakenly used a utilitarianist point of view to argue their case, even though this view can be stretched to fit almost any argument. This paper will exploreRead MoreThe Issue Of Capital Punishment Essay1411 Words   |  6 PagesIssues with Capital Punishment Capital punishment, also known as death penalty is a legal procedure in which a state executes a person for crimes he/she has committed. This punishment has been implemented by many states and used for barbaric crimes, especially murder. It is also used on crimes against the state such as treason, crimes against humanity and violent crimes. There are mixed reactions on capital punishment depending on one’s faith. In my view, I am not in favor of capital punishment as I stronglyRead MoreThe Death Penalty Must Be Abolished1011 Words   |  5 Pages The death penalty is legal in thirty-two states. I shall argue that capital punishment should be abolished in our country because it is never moral to kill a human being no matter what they have done, because it often costs more money to keep someone on death row than to keep someone in prison for life, because of the men and women who are wrongly accused of a crime they did not commit, and because death is the easy way out. I believe that there is a standard when it comes to morality