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Impact of the Death Penalty

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The Impact of the Death Penalty

Political Science 1101

June 12, 2012

The Impact of the Death Penalty In our society today, there are various reasons why we have to punish the criminals so that they would learn their lesson for the crime that they committed and stop committing such crimes. There are several different ways to punish the criminals and one that has been receiving a lot of attention in the 21st century is the death penalty. The discussion about the death penalty has been going on ever since the early days but the publics’ opinion about this matter has been changing. While some people might support the idea of the death penalty for they may feel that it is fair for one to be sentenced to death and be killed if they kill others. The topic of the death penalty is a moral issue and it just basically depends on whom you ask to get a better understanding of whether it is just or unjust punishment. Although the percentage of Americans in favor of the death penalty has fluctuated significantly over the years, eighty percent of Republicans support the death penalty. Democrats are more likely to oppose the death penalty while Republicans will support the death penalty because they consider it a necessary deterrence to crime. However Harrison and Harris noted, “America prides itself on being a human rights leader, but “since 1973, states have released more than 107 prisoners from death row after evidence of their innocence was presented to the courts” (2011). The death penalty is currently abolished in only 17 states in the United States. I know some are wondering if there will be more states to follow Connecticut’s lead this year and abolish the death penalty, however, it is a little too early to tell , but there is always hope. According to Bae, “capital punishment concretely diminishes

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