...John Brown’s Address John Brown Primary Sources Lesson To the Virginia Court, when about to receive the sentence of death for his heroic attempt at Harper’s Ferry, to give deliverance to the captives, and to let the oppressed go free. [Mr. Brown, upon inquiry whether he had anything to say why sentence should not be pronounced upon him, in a clear, distinct voice replied:] I have, may it please the Court, a few words to say. In the first place, I deny everything but what I have already admitted, of a design on my part to free slaves. I intended, certainly, to have made a clean thing of that matter, as I did last winter when I went into Missouri, and there took Slaves without the snapping of a gun on either side, moving them through the country, and finally leaving them in Canada. I designed to have done the same thing again on a larger scale. That was all I intended. I never did intend murder, or treason, or the destruction of property, or to excite or incite Slaves to rebellion, or to make insurrection. I have another objection, and that is that it is unjust that I should suffer such a penalty. Had I interfered in the manner, and which I admit has been fairly proved, -- for I admire the truthfulness and candor of the greater portion of the witnesses who have testified in this case --had I so interfered in behalf of the Rich, the Powerful, the Intelligent, the so-called Great, or in behalf of any of their friends, either father, mother, brother, sister...
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...America, men have tried to figure out the correct way to deal with law-opposing criminals. From crucifixion and slavery, to death by firing squad and life sentences, the world has utilized different forms of discipline. The death penalty has formed into the most questionable form of punishment, drawing the most attention from the public eye. The United States government uses this sanction to punish criminals for committing the most heinous crimes and offenses. The crimes that obtain the death penalty mostly consist of murder which include murder during a kidnapping, murder for hire, drug-related drive by shooting, and genocide. However, the crimes can also consist of other capital offenses, such as espionage, treason, and death resulting from aircraft hijacking. The United States of America...
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...The Death Penalty The death penalty is a form of punishment in which a person who has been convicted of a serious crime is executed under the precept of the criminal justice system. The death penalty has been in existence for thousands of years and has gained wide acceptance in the United States since early colonial times. Even those who framed the Constitution specifically the Fifth Amendment approved of it though implicitly (McCord and Latzer 9). Despite the growing acceptance of the death penalty as an appropriate punishment for certain kinds of crimes such as first degree murders, there are still some people who argue against it on certain grounds. The debate as to the justification of the death penalty has raged on for a long time. On one hand, there are those who are of the opinion that the death penalty is a cruel punishment which is morally wrong and a violation of the right to life for its victims. Others defend their opposing views by citing the wave of abolition of other types of corporal punishment such as branding and flogging and propose that imprisonment should also replace the death penalty (McCord and Latzer 9). However, the death penalty has proved to be a punishment befitting certain crimes such as horrific murders as it is the ultimate punishment. It has taken many harmful elements off the streets besides acting as a deterrent for both the convicted criminals and other potential murderers out there. In essence, it has saved many innocent lives that otherwise...
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...committed even in broad daylight. In consideration of the rising criminality in all parts of the country, the revival of death penalty is being given a serious thought. The rationale behind death penalty, is retribution. The reasoning behind it is that individuals who have committed a capital crime should receive similar punishment that equals their crime. Tracing the historical development of the death penalty, it is evident, that with time, being put to death became a common form of punishment that ensures that those who had committed crimes that were not forgivable by the society received punishment equal to the crime. The death penalty is deeply rooted in justice as articulated by natural law, however goes against the same law. According to the natural rights theory, every human being has the right to lice and should not be denied this right, either by the government, or any other manmade law. However, the death penalty is used as a form of punishing those who have committed crimes against natural law, such as first degree murder. Death penalty has been considered to be one of the most cruel and unusual punishments for sentencing criminals who have been found guilty of heinous crime, as it requires the law enforcement officers to execute the offender for his punishment. It has a lot of ethical and religious matters tied to it. There are many who support death penalty while others oppose it. From a Christian standpoint it is our moral duty to follow the commandment "thou shall...
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...part of the American criminal justice system and the topic has created much debate on if this punishment is appropriate for the U. S. society. Many believe capital punishment is a necessary punishment for those who commit capital offenses and acts as a deterrent to violent criminals. Essentially, Americans that support the death penalty believe that it contributes to the overall wellbeing of U. S. society. Activists still desire to eliminate the punishment. Though, this country’s founding fathers broke away from England they did not completely disagree with everything they believed. When it came down to capital punishment, they adopted it from British common law. Even as history is reviewed, debate over capital punishment can be seen as far back as the American Revolution Debates over capital punishment continued from the Civil War until the 1960’s. During this period some states abolished and later reinstated the death penalty, but from 1968 to 1976, due to public out cry, no executions took place in the U.S. In 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the death penalty in the Supreme Court case Furman v. Georgia because of the unfair application of the death penalty, and in this case, capital punishment was declared as excessive as well. This decision was then overturned by the 1976 U.S. Supreme Court case Gregg v. Georgia after the state of Georgia amended its law so that it would be applied more fairly (Grant, 2005). In the U.S. there have been...
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...The Death Penalty The death penalty is a form of punishment in which a person who has been convicted of a serious crime is executed under the precept of the criminal justice system. The death penalty has been in existence for thousands of years and has gained wide acceptance in the United States since early colonial times. Even those who framed the Constitution specifically the Fifth Amendment approved of it though implicitly (McCord and Latzer 9). Despite the growing acceptance of the death penalty as an appropriate punishment for certain kinds of crimes such as first degree murders, there are still some people who argue against it on certain grounds. The debate as to the justification of the death penalty has raged on for a long time. On one hand, there are those who are of the opinion that the death penalty is a cruel punishment which is morally wrong and a violation of the right to life for its victims. Others defend their opposing views by citing the wave of abolition of other types of corporal punishment such as branding and flogging and propose that imprisonment should also replace the death penalty (McCord and Latzer 9). However, the death penalty has proved to be a punishment befitting certain crimes such as horrific murders as it is the ultimate punishment. It has taken many harmful elements off the streets besides acting as a deterrent for both the convicted criminals and other potential murderers out there. In essence, it has saved many innocent lives that otherwise...
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...Writing to Convince Argumentative and Persuasive Essays Sometimes we write to defend an opinion, to argue against somebody’s point of view, or to convince readers why and how we think a certain problem should be settled. The argument we develop should be a logical, properly thought-out presentation of ideas that makes a claim about an issue and supports that claim with evidence. Within this general frame, our argument consists of four basic components: (1) an issue, (2) a claim, (3) support, and (4) a recognition and refutation of the opposing view. A. The Issue. An argument is concerned with an issue – a case (like war, smoking, cloning, etc.) on which people hold opposite or different opinions. To build a convincing argument about an issue, it is essential that we be aware of the audience we are addressing: • Agreeing audience: When you write to people who already agree with your claim, the focus is usually to urge them to take a specific action and build emotional ties with them. • Neutral audience: In writing to a neutral audience, try to emphasize the importance of the issue and offer explanations that clear up your readers’ questions or misunderstandings about, or lack of interest in it. • Disagreeing audience: The most challenging audience combines people whose viewpoints contrast with yours; they may be hostile to your claim and have strong feelings about the issue. In writing to a disagreeing audience, your goal is to convince readers to consider...
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...Argument for Capital Punishment Since the 1970's, almost all capital sentences in the United States have been imposed for homicide. There has been intense debate among Americans regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment. Critics charge that executions are violations of the “cruel and unusual punishment” provision of the Eighth Amendment; while supporters of the death penalty counter that this clause was not intended to prohibit legal executions. In the 1972 court case of Furman vs. Georgia , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was no longer legal. However, in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), the court allowed capital punishments to resume in certain states, and shortly thereafter, Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad in Utah. Since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States,a separate penalty trial has been required for some capital cases, at which time the jury reviews circumstances that suggest the need for capital punishment. In 1982, Texas became the first state to execute a prisoner using lethal injection; other common methods of execution used in the United States include lethal gas and electrocution. In recent years, the Supreme Court has made it more difficult for death row prisoners to file appeals. Nearly 3 of 4 americans support the death sentence as a form of punishment. The other third has condemned it and their list of claims against it is long. Opponents challenge proponents on issues of deterrence, economics, fallibility...
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...Unit III English Composition 12. A topic sentence briefly informs the reader what is to be covered in a given paragraph. Essentially, a topic sentence is stated at the beginning of the sentence. However, this is not always the case. A topic sentence could take the following five positions in a sentence; • Stated first This is a topic sentence that appears at the beginning of a paragraph. The sentence gives the reader a basic idea of what to expect in the paragraph. • Stated last It is a topic sentence that is stated at the end of the sentence. This allows the author to develop a paragraph and summarize with a convincing conclusion at the end. • Stated in the middle This is a topic sentence that appears in the middle of a paragraph. The idea is to allow the author to develop an argument and support it with ideas. • Stated first and last The topic sentence appears both at the beginning and at the end. It is a technique that is used by authors in cases where the content of the paragraph is complex. The topic sentence that appears at the end aims to remind the readers about the content in the paragraph so that they do not loose focus. • Stated implied This is a situation where an author states an obvious topic sentence to avoid being direct. In this case, the topic sentence is not conspicuous. The readers have to read in between the lines to identify the hidden topic sentence. 13. Paragraphs are the building blocks of coherent, authoritative and well-developed essays...
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...California because too many innocent people have been executed, it cost too much money, it does not act as a deterrent to crimes, and life without parole is a more practical option than capital punishment. There are too many flaws in the capital punishment system and many of them lead to innocent people being executed. According to John W. Whitehead in his article “The Death Penalty Should be Abolished”, “In a Columbia University study on 5,760 capital cases, the report found an overall rate of error of 68 percent. In other words, courts found serious reversible errors in nearly 7 out of 10 capital cases.”(1). If one innocent person was executed that would be one to many, but the fact that there is an error rate of 68 percent is unacceptable. The most infuriating thing however, is that these innocent people are being executed because the law enforcement are cutting corners and not doing their jobs right. In Juan Roberto Meléndez-Colón’s article “DNA Testing Cannot Solve Fundamental Flaws in the Capital Punishment System” he explains the evidence that was used against him in his case, “I was convicted and sentenced to death based on the testimony of two questionable...
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...The death penalty remains one of the most controversial issues, not only in the United States, but around the world as well. The debate on the death penalty is not new in the world, considering the death penalty has been used as a method of punishing criminals for several centuries, although it may have gained momentum in the twentieth century with the human rights movement (Fagan). Those in support of the death penalty mainly consider the causes, while those who oppose the death penalty mainly consider the effects. The main cause behind the death penalty, has to do with retribution (Fagan). In whichever view the death penalty is considered that the reasoning behind it is that individuals who have committed a capital crime should receive similar punishment that equals their crime. Tracing the historical development of the death penalty, it is evident, that with time, being put to death became a common form of punishment, that ensures that those who had committed crimes that were not forgivable by the society, received punishment equal to the crime (Muhlhausen). The death penalty is deeply rooted in justice as articulated by natural law, however goes against the same law. According to the natural rights theory, every human being has the right to lice and should not be denied this right, either by the government, or any other manmade law (Fagan). However, the death penalty is used as a form of punishing those who have committed crimes against natural law, such as first degree...
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...Unit III English Composition 12. A topic sentence briefly informs the reader what is to be covered in a given paragraph. Essentially, a topic sentence is stated at the beginning of the sentence. However, this is not always the case. A topic sentence could take the following five positions in a sentence; • Stated first This is a topic sentence that appears at the beginning of a paragraph. The sentence gives the reader a basic idea of what to expect in the paragraph. • Stated last It is a topic sentence that is stated at the end of the sentence. This allows the author to develop a paragraph and summarize with a convincing conclusion at the end. • Stated in the middle This is a topic sentence that appears in the middle of a paragraph. The idea is to allow the author to develop an argument and support it with ideas. • Stated first and last The topic sentence appears both at the beginning and at the end. It is a technique that is used by authors in cases where the content of the paragraph is complex. The topic sentence that appears at the end aims to remind the readers about the content in the paragraph so that they do not loose focus. • Stated implied This is a situation where an author states an obvious topic sentence to avoid being direct. In this case, the topic sentence is not conspicuous. The readers have to read in between the lines to identify the hidden topic sentence. 13. Paragraphs are the building blocks of coherent, authoritative and well-developed essays...
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...Viewpoints Essay Andrea Counts Professor Lincoln Schreiber Critical Thinking May 3, 2015 Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the punishment for a crime by death ("legal definition of capital punishment," n.d.). It is usually administered via the use of lethal injection for heinous crimes such as murder and other serial offenses. I am a defendant of capital punishment for several different reasons, which are detailed in this assignment. One of the main premises that support my position as a defendant of the death penalty is the separation of church and state ("Should the death penalty be allowed?" n.d.). Many opponents of the death penalty contend that it is an immoral act, as it essentially murder and that murder is inherently wrong. This viewpoint is flawed due to the fact that the United States is a country that believes in separation of church and state. Murder is a sin in many religions, but religion cannot play a role in how punishment for crime is carried out, nor is there anything in the constitution asserting that the death penalty as a form of punishment is against any civil liberties afforded to the citizens of this country. The death penalty is reserved for and carried out on the worst of the worst ("Should the death penalty be allowed?" n.d.). I agree with this premise and it goes back to my original statement in which I said the death penalty is used as punishment for those who have committed heinous crimes. There are those who commit crimes so unthinkable...
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...Concerning the Death Penalty by Joe Delgado Introduction In the article “The Case Against the Death Penalty,” which appears in Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints, Eric Freedman argues that the death penalty not only does not deter violent crime but also works against reducing the crime rate. Freedman says, “The death penalty not only is useless in itself, but counterproductive . . . ” (140). This paper will analyze Freedman’s article from the viewpoints of a middle-age working man, a poor person, and a politician. Summary Freedman argues that the death penalty does not deter crime. In his article, he argues that states that use the death penalty have crime rates nearly indistinguishable from those states that do not have the death penalty. He also adds that criminal cases in which the death penalty is sought are much more expensive to investigate and try, thus denying much-needed funds to programs that have been proven to reduce crime. A Middle-Age Working Man A middle-age working man would probably agree with Freedman’s point of view with relation to the financial aspect of capital punishment because Freedman talks about how much more the death penalty costs than life imprisonment. He says, “In Florida, each execution costs $3,200,000, six times the expense of life imprisonment” (141). The workingman would probably be amazed at how much the execution actually costs compared to how much life imprisonment costs. The workingman would probably wonder why...
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...Since the 1970's, almost all capital sentences in the United States have been imposed for homicide. There has been intense debate among Americans regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment. Critics charge that executions are violations of the “cruel and unusual punishment” provision of the Eighth Amendment; while supporters of the death penalty counter that this clause was not intended to prohibit legal executions. In the 1972 court case of Furman vs. Georgia , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was no longer legal. However, in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), the court allowed capital punishments to resume in certain states, and shortly thereafter, Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad in Utah. Since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States,a separate penalty trial has been required for some capital cases, at which time the jury reviews circumstances that suggest the need for capital punishment. In 1982, Texas became the first state to execute a prisoner using lethal injection; other common methods of execution used in the United States include lethal gas and electrocution. In recent years, the Supreme Court has made it more difficult for death row prisoners to file appeals. Nearly 3 of 4 americans support the death sentence as a form of punishment. The other third has condemned it and their list of claims against it is long. Opponents challenge proponents on issues of deterrence, economics, fallibility, and rehabilitation. Their...
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