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Summary Of Disparities In Capital Punishment

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The issue of administering the death penalty as punishment for the most heinous crimes in the
United States has remained a polemic and highly contested issue to date. Scott Philips, an Associate
Professor of Sociology at the University of Denver, uses data and statistics, particularly, data dealing with the demographics of the individuals who are being sentenced with capital punishment to illustrate the racial disparity in the distribution of the death sentence. An indie folkpop duo, The Kings of
Convenience, produce a melodic and soothing song questioning the morality and rationality behind capital punishment. Philip’s article Disparities in the Capital of Capital Punishment, makes a more effective logical and ethical assertion, while The …show more content…
This conclusion is solely based on the data collected in Harris
County, Texas, the United States capital for death penalty executions. The data includes the victims and defendants social characteristics, severity of crime, and stage of litigation. Philips’ suggest not to apply the findings comprehensively to describe the state of the nation. He claims that the findings do however
Alegria 2
“challenge conventional wisdom by suggesting that the race of the defendant and victim are both pivotal in the capital of capital punishment” (Philips). It is safe to assume that he intends to challenge other academics’ research findings that belittle the connection between race or ethnicity and the punishment received. Songwriters Eirik Glambek Boe and Erlend Otre Oeye song, Rule My World is a satirical social criticism of United States reliance on the death penalty. This conclusion can be deduced by the ending verse “Explain to me one more time, when they kill it’s a crime, when you kill it is justice” (Oye). This is an argument often championed by opponents of capital punishment, one based on the morality of …show more content…
They accomplish this by inquiry, almost in disbelief, “You set yourself above, an all forgiving
God, you say that you believe in” (Oye).
Scott Philips provides his audience with this academic finding by consulting with several experts involved in the justice system in Harris County, Texas. Notable professionals include but are not limited to, Scott Durfee, the Chief Counsel to Harris County District Attorney and Kim Bohannon who also worked in the DA’s office. His academic journal can be deemed reliable because other individuals have evaluated his work, scrutinized it, and provided valuable feedback. Philips attempts to be as objective as possible by providing data that speaks for itself and requires little interpretation which can lead to subjectivism. He also stays away from making assumptions of the implication of his findings to this broad
Alegria 3 controversial issue. He makes an effective use of both ethos and logos by reinforcing his credibility by working with facts obtained with the help of high profile individuals in the related field and garnering recognition from the academic

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