...The death penalty is a fair punishment Jeffrey Thompson PHI 210 Critical Thinking Alice Nworah Dec 8, 2013 The death penalty is a fair punishment The death penalty is a fair punishment Jeff Thompson Jeff Thompson 1. What is your topic? The death penalty is a fair punishment 2. What are the possibly different main claims/positions related to this topic? What are the motives for the death penalty? Does it decreases/reduce the crime rate? Does it improve our Justice system? 3. What is your position on the topic My position is don’t think it is fair punishment 4. What “evidence” have you offered to support your claim/position? Have you included your survey results? I have provided evidence from such references as the Supreme court website, have investigated a few states that have the death penalty, Mental health facilities that have interviewed criminals that could possibly be executed under the death penalty with statistics 5. Put your claim/position and “evidence” through the “Scientific Method” and “Proving a theory” steps. Are there any steps on which your claim/position and evidence do not measure up to the examination? If so, what can you do to make them more acceptable? Yes, however I can provide more data as I continue to dig deeper into demographics, ethnic group and home environment, ie. Single parents vs dual household. 6. Who is your intended audience? Subjects interested in the justice system, criminal justice and...
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...he death penalty has been around for centuries. It dates back to when Hammurabi had his laws codified; it was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. Capital punishment in America started when spies were caught, put on trial and hung. In the past and still today people argue that, the death penalty is cruel, unusual punishment and should be illegal. Yet many people argue that it is in fact justifiable and it is not cruel and unusual. Capital punishment is not cruel and unusual; the death penalty is fair and there is evidence that the death penalty deters crime. A big part of abolitionist’s argument is that the death penalty is not humane. They pull in Amendment 8, “…nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” What the victim went though was indeed “cruel and unusual punishments’.” The murderers’ death is not cruel. The people will demand justice for what he or she has done (Bidinotto 19). Hanging and the electric chair are topics more reasonable to argue, but now because of lethal injection capital punishment has become more humane. The death penalty is not barbaric, the pain and agony that the victim went through is barbaric. Abolitionists were very upset in 1996 when rapist and murderer John Albert Taylor was executed by firing squad; they said his death was barbaric (Feder 32). Charla King, the poor 11-year-old girl he raped and strangled with a telephone cord, her death was barbaric! It makes no sense to think that John Taylor’s’ death was barbaric or inhumane. He would...
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...justification for punishment – deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation or incapacitation? Give reasons for your answer. In this essay the following methods of punishment; deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation and incapacitation will be critically evaluated with example to reference, thus the most appropriate method in collaboration with the justice system for the UK can be selected. There has been much debate with regards to the meaning and purpose let alone the most efficient method of punishment for many years. For the purpose of this essay punishment can be defined as ‘social artefact’ Garland (1990). Punishment such as prison and ASBOs tell us a lot about society such as who has broken the law and who is legit and trustable, nevertheless dose this in reality justify why punishment exists and conducted in a social environment? As stated by Durkheim punishment has a diverse effect on each person certain people react in a positive manner and others in a negative. However he left us to question from all the different strategies at the core of punishment which one actually works in different places or at different times, do societies use different kinds of penal strategy? Why did punishment such as ducking stools and stocks go out of fashion? Why have so many industrial democracies given up on capital punishment? Why has imprisonment become such an important form of punishment” Hudson, J (2003). Capital punishment can be defined as ‘capital punishment has been relatively...
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...punishable by death. If you kill an innocent person you too should face the same fate.. "who ever shed mans blood, by man his blood will be shed". As stated in the ten commandments "Thou shall not kill" The death penalty should be reinstated in Minnesota, as it is a necessary form of punishment for careless and coldblooded calloused killers. Whom show no reguard in preserving the life of the person they kill, why should we show reguard to theres. The eye eye for an eye . The punishment should fit the crime committed. Does is make sense for a person who commits a petty crime such as stealing a candy bar, versus a person who kills and dismembers a human or that raped and killed a little girl decapitating her. The killer deserves the same punishment, no obviously in situations like described the death penalty is a necessary form of punishment. [P] 2. I am in favor of X (The death penalty in Minnesota) Because Y – Capital crimes deserve capital punishment. If a person commits an act that is so ungodly in nature the person should face severe punishment. There is not a fear factor affect, if a person can commit murderous crimes and face no punishment to the same degree. Then in that case people will thinks is ok because no extreme or potentially fatal punishment is an option so they don’t care if they just go to prison for life. [P] Capital punishment which is often misprecieved as vengeful punishment, as supporters of the death penalty, I believe it...
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...Capital Punishment Capital punishment has been the center of much controversy dating back to its origins. Although the roots of capital punishment can be traced as far back as the life of Christ, arguments over its effectiveness and morality continue in the midst of its existence today. There are many people who have come up with reasonable arguments for both sides of the issue. Most people who believe that the death penalty is a fair punishment use the argument, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, an arm for an arm, a life for a life." Otherwise known as Hamarabi’s Code. While most people who are in opposition use the argument that capital punishment is a cruel and unusual punishment which violates the eighth amendment to the United States Constitution. In the times surrounding the origins of capital punishment, it was used for a wide variety of crimes. Capital punishment can also be found in the Bible. The Bible prescribed the death penalty for crimes such as murder, kidnapping and witchcraft. By 1500 AD, in England, only major felonies carried the death penalty: treason, murder, larceny, burglary, rape, and arson. (Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia, 1989) The United States inherited capital punishment from European settlers in the seventeenth century. They promoted the idea that heinous crimes deserved severe punishment. And this is what brought capital punishment to its present standing. In the United States justice system a proportionate punishment is achieved, in the...
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...In 2017, 23 people were executed in the United States. The Death Penalty has been a part of history since the eighteenth century B.C. Although the United States Supreme Court suspended the death penalty in 1972, it was reinstated in 1977. Since then, there has been over 1500 executions carried out. Capital punishment is just because it is reserved for the sinister criminals, provides justice for the family, and deters future criminals from committing felonies, and has a natural deterrent effect which pushes away future convicts from committing violent acts. however others fear innocent lives are being taken. One of the most popular counter arguments from the non-supporters of the death penalty is the notion that innocent lives through the use of capital punishment....
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...The controversy over the death penalty seems to be always be talked about, however execution goes against moral rights. Wanting to have someone put to death, or doing so defines our society in only negative aspects. Having the fear of letting a human live for their actions, gives the prosecuted power over our emotions. In society it doesn’t take one person’s action to define us, however what does is the way the manner are dealt with. Also someone’s death shouldn’t be in the hands of another, death isn’t something that can be reversed. Ironic how people who favor the death penalty say that what a prosecutor has done is morally unjust, but who can justify that they have greater morality. In many instances the judgment of another has put innocent people to death, life isn’t a game to take chances on. Government plays a huge role in everyone life, whether the person is illegally or not however it should not have the control over any ones existence. In the cases of Furman V. Georgia, and Gregg V. Georgia death has been debated, from both of these cases our government has grown to challenge the decision of death. In the case Furman V. Georgia our government adopted the requirements on...
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...In the case of the death penalty, I am against it because I believe people are sometimes wrongly convicted for crimes and they might have to pay for a crime they didn’t commit with their life. Another reason why I am against the death penalty is because in my opinion, I think that there is no greater punishment than holding the individual that committed a heinous crime to spend the rest of their life having to live with what they did. The death penalty violates the 8th amendment on cruel and unusual punishments because the government is taking away someone's life for an action they did when all they might need is some psychological help. The government should apply some sort of action to try and help kids at a young age to see if they have any differences from the other kids. Another way to try and discourage people away from killing is to stop advertising killing like it's fun like on video games, since the kids who are playing it are the future of our country and all those games show is people killing each other to be at the top of the leaderboard. According to a study on oadp.org, it lists many reasons why the death penalty should be gone. One reason is, the death penalty is applied at random, from the 15,000 homicides that are committed a year, only 120 get the death penalty. So it hardly used. Also it showed that your race could play a huge part in how your sentencing could go, if you’re a minority your sentencing could be worse than a white person for example. Another...
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...The Death Penalty PHI103: Informal Logic Professor Donald Ceplenski March 26, 2012 The Death Penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the lawful infliction of death as a form of punishment. It is considered to be one of the most controversial and a debated topic across the United States which leads to the logical question; is the death penalty just and applied fairly? Although in theory sentencing a criminal to death may bring closure to the victim’s families, the practice of sentencing someone to death is an unjust form of punishment with factors such as costs, deterrence, and rehabilitation failure show that putting a criminal to death is counterproductive and inhumane. Death Penalty laws have been around since Eighteenth Century B.C., but the execution in American dates back to the colonial days in 1608, when Virginia carried out the colonies first execution to Captain George Kendall (Randa, 1996). According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), in the last four hundred years, 36 states have instituted the death penalty, making execution the ultimate form of punishment (2012). In theory the death penalty appears to be a reasonable method of punishment but in reality it has major flaws that damage the integrity of the state. Not only does it have serious flaws it is absolutely inhumane in every way. The death penalty goes against our rights as human beings. We are supporting the message that killing is okay if the reason...
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...revoked to an unjust standard. With the lack of punishment as severe as the death penalty, the astonishing number of criminals that walk the streets after serving their short sentences are a risk to not only our current generations, but future justice systems as a whole. In turn, I propose the implementation of the death penalty in the Canadian justice system. The death penalty is a form of punishment one convicted of a serious crime receives which results in the ending of the offender’s life. These executions are primarily conducted through the use of lethal injections or hangings, often leaving the choice to the condemned. Introducing this form of punishment is a necessity for the Canadian justice system. Canada has always taken pride in its “just” society, but is this truly the case? According to dictionary.com “Just” refers to being or behaving accordingly to what is fair. A just society requires the death sentence as the punishment an individual receives for their action must be fair and according to the crime they have committed. In the case of a murder, jail time would not be seen as a fair consequence in comparison to the event the victim was forced to overcome. The only appropriate retribution for the disorderly conduct would be equally taking the offenders life. It is not to say that the death penalty must be used in every conviction, but in the event of a murder, deathly rape, or other life threatening crimes, the death row would be an appropriate repercussion. In...
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...Is capital punishment to violent and inhuman to think of? Do you believe that capital punishment should be abolished without question? Should a man or woman not receive the same punishment as they committed? Is it better to kill a person or allow them to sit in prison for there whole life? What do you think is right, what do you think America needs to do about capital punishment? Capital punishment dates back to the eighteenth century B.C. in the code of King Hammurabi of Babylon. At this time only twenty five crimes were punishable by death. These crimes were carried out by crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive and impalement. As you can tell capital punishment has been around for a long, long time and probably not going anywhere (DPIC). Do you know when the first form of capital punishment was performed on North American soil? The first execution in the colonies was that of Captain George Kendall. The execution took place in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608. Captain Kendall was executed for being a spy for Spain. From there on out, capital punishment continued throughout the colonies. The crimes punishable by death varied for colony to colony (DPIC). Today, there are around fifty countries that still use the death penalty. One of these countries is the United States of America. The United States has condemned over a ten thousand people to the death penalty since its beginning. Should the United States continue with the death penalty or should it...
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...College | Capital Punishment | Death Penalty | Chineata Edwards 10/6/2012 | Capital Punishment: The Death Penalty Capital Punishment or the death penalty is a legal process whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a committed crime. These crimes are known as capital crimes or capital offenses. The typical judicial decree of a capital offense is issued the death sentence also known as an execution. Capital Punishment is used in only thirty three states in the United States including the federal, civilian, and military legal systems. The History of Capital Punishment in the United States of America provides a means of understanding the dynamics of change and continuity. The death penalty, optional or mandatory is invoked capital crime, but no universal definitions of that term exist. Criminal law is a complex and involves many legal jurisdictions and social values. Usually capital crimes are considered to be treason or terrorist attacks against the government, crimes against property when life is threatened, and crimes against a person that may include murder, assault, and robbery. Today in media, Capital Punishment is a more popular and opinionated topic than Religion. Religious groups have put forth several arguments regarding capital punishment. One argument states that perfect judgment is not humanly possible. A secular argument against capital punishment is that historically the verdict for capital punishment has been rendered most...
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...Murder is wrong. Since childhood we have been taught this indisputable truth. Ask yourself, then, what is capital punishment? In its simplest form, capital punishment is defined as one person taking the life of another. Coincidentally, that is the definition of murder. There are 36 states with the death penalty, and they must change. These states need to abolish it on the grounds that it carries a dangerous risk of punishing the innocent, is unethical and barbaric, and is an ineffective deterrent of crime versus the alternative of life in prison without parole. Capital punishment is the most irreparable crime governments perpetrate without consequence, and it must be abolished. “We’re only human, we all make mistakes,” is a commonly used phrase, but it is tried and true. Humans, as a species, are famous for their mistakes. However, in the case of the death penalty, error becomes too dangerous a risk. The innocent lives that have been taken with the approval of our own government should be enough to abolish capital punishment. According to Amnesty International, “The death penalty legitimizes an irreversible act of violence by the state and will inevitably claim innocent victims.” If there is any chance that error is possible (which there always is), the drastic measure of capital punishment should not be taken. Also, it is too final, meaning it does not allow opportunity for th accused to be proven innocent, a violation of the Fifth Amendment which guarantees due process...
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...ntroduction The death penalty is the punishment usually give to those who have committed the most serious and devastating crimes, specifically murder. The death penalty or capital punishment may be bestowed by congress or any state legislature. The death penalty is no longer a form of punishment in many democratic country, for example Britain effectively demolished capital punishment in 1965, many felt that the punishment was not fair and adequate and most of all may not be fitting to the crime. As the country moved to the 21st century opinion changed on the stance on capital punishment, as it has never been proven that capital punishment effectively eradicates other committing similar crimes and murders, it seem to be redundant Although the death penalty is scares and only limited to certain states in individually country it is an important and widely speculated topic. In certain countries it is a legal form of punishment to kill a person who has committed a terrible or serious crime. According to meehan report there are various reason to back and support the capital punishment, here are a few argument that have been put across. When a person commits a crime such as murder the have given up their human rights, which includes the “right to stay alive” (cbbc 2013). This argument poses a moral and just statement, can a life be taken to substitute for another? We are also use to hearing an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, we do not consider what it actually...
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...April 15, 2012 Capital Punishment Capital Punishment is the killing of people as punishment for their crimes legally (Haines 3). Since the beginning of time, capital punishment has been a way of punishing people who have committed higher levels of crimes. Although capital punishment has been around for centuries, the first known case of the death penalty in the American colonies happened in the James town colony in 1608 when George Kendall was executed for spying for the Spanish (Green, Melissa S.,compiler. (1998-2009). Focus on the Death Penalty). Capital Punishment is a subject in the United States that was and still is very controversial. Many people want capital punishment to be abolished but on the other hand there are a handful of people who want capital punishment to end. The purpose of this study is to show why capital punishment should be abolished. Capital punishment needs to be abolished because there are way too many cases and executions. During the time span of the Revolutionary war, capital punishment was widely accepted. During this time 162 documented cases of capital punishment were recorded. In the nineteenth century, following that era, capital punishment had increased to 1,391 documented cases. As of April 1, 2008, there were a total of 1,099 people who received the death penalty. The State of Texas had the most cases of capital punishment with a number of 405 cases (Bureau of Justice Statistics 1-2). That is way too many cases just for one state. The...
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