The Death Penalty Is It Just Or Unjust - 1387 Words

One highly controversial, highly debated topic in the United States today is the death penalty. Is it just or unjust? Does is deter murders and crimes? Are there proper rules for it, and a fair system to decide who gets the death penalty? The death penalty is â€Å"the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime.† Today it is mostly used for murder cases, however, depending on the state it can also be used for treason, aggressive kidnapping, drug trafficking, aircraft hijacking, espionage, and aggressive assault by felons, murders or the incarcerated. The death penalty is primarily given as a lethal injection, but in the past has also been given as electrocution, gas chambers, hangings, or firing squads. It is important here to point out the difference between execution and capital punishment. Execution is: â€Å"the act or process of executing.† Capital punishment is: â€Å"punishment by death for a crime; the death penalty.â €  They are different in that execution is not always for a crime; it can be random and unjust. Capital punishment is always for a serious crime. The question of the death penalty is a very important question because of the finality of the death penalty. Once the person is put to death, we cannot bring them back. The question of the death penalty is relevant because it it a popular, ethical, and serious question we are faced with today. I believe the death penalty today is just, however, I think there should be a better,Show MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty Is It Just Or Unjust?1806 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract Congress or any state legislature may allow the death penalty (capital punishment) for murder and other capital crimes that they see fit (â€Å"Death Penalty†, n.d.). Also, the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledges that the death penalty is not a violation of your Eighth Amendment s but defines procedural aspects to be considered by juries when they use the death penalty and how the verdict must be proportional to the crime otherwise, the punishment violates the Eighth Amendment s prohibitionRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Capital Punishment1271 Words   |  6 Pages What is the death penalty? The death penalty is a capital punishment that is punishable by death or execution. This is usually given to people that have committed serious offences or capital crimes. There are 31 states in the United States that are for the death penalty. Crimes that are punishable by the death penalty, vary from state to state. Examples of such crimes are; first degree murder or premeditated murder , murder with special circumstances, such as: intended, multiple, and murder whichRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Death Penalty931 Words   |  4 PagesEssay: Death Penalty The American Justice System has been using the death penalty, also known as capital punishment, as a way to serve a prisoners sentence usually due to the crime of murder. The death penalty in the American Justice System has been used for many years now. Although in 18 states the death penalty has already been abolished, there are still 32 states where it is still legal. The death penalty should not be legal in the American Justice System, because it is immoral, unjust, and ineffectiveRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Morally Appropriate Punishment846 Words   |  4 Pagescurrent century is the death penalty. In ancient times, actions such as speaking out against a King or the nobility were reasonable grounds to be â€Å"sentenced to death†. However, times have changed and most of society relegates this â€Å"ultimate penalty† to the most heinous of crimes such as capital murder. There is much debate about the ethical nature of the death penalty with contrasting argumen ts on both the far left and far right. Nonetheless, I believe the Death penalty is a morally appropriateRead More Capital Punishment Essay - Death Penalty is Neither Cruel Nor Unusual1166 Words   |  5 PagesDeath Penalty is Neither Cruel Nor Unusual A man sits immobile in a steel chair with a metal cap resting on his bald head. A priest reads selections from the Bible telling him he will go to Heaven if he confesses his sins to God. The man just smiles as the security guard pulls the switch, and one thousand volts of electricity flows through the mans body. His entire frame shakes in convulsions as his head bobs up and down with the shock. In a couple of seconds the mans life is over. The priestRead MoreRacial Discrimination And Capital Punishment1682 Words   |  7 Pagescase Furman v. Georgia. In the article, â€Å"Does Racial Discrimination Make Capital Punishment Wrong?† by Stephen Nathanson, his position in this argument is affirmative as he argues that racial discrimination makes capital punishment wrong since death penalty is administered in an arbitrary manner. Arbitrariness is the quality of being determined by chance or impulse, and not by reason or principle. He claims capital punishment has been used dispropo rtionately and arbitrarily since black people whoRead MoreThe Deterrence Theory Vs. Deterrence853 Words   |  4 Pagessevere, certain, and swift punishment was the key to deterrence. The deterrence theory relies on three individual components: severity, certainty, and celerity. It is thought severe penalties, will desist from criminal acts, which thus prevent crime. However, if the sentence believed to be too harsh would be considered unjust. While, punishments not severe enough will not deter criminals from committing crimes. However, classical philosophers held the belief that certainty was more efficient in preventingRead MoreAnnuling Capital Punishment Essay602 Words   |  3 PagesHomicide is unjust. Since youth we have been taught this unquestionable truth. Ask yourself, then, what is the death penalty? In its easiest structure, the death penalty is characterized as one individual taking the life of another human. Incidentally, that is the meaning of homicide. There are 36 states with capital punishment, and they should change. These states need to get rid of it because it conveys a perilous danger of disciplining the innocent, is unjust and primitive, and is an insufficientRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty1106 Words   |  5 Pagesreasons ranging from the fact that the death sentence deters crime, all the way to plain revenge, but recent polls show that a majority of Americans find the death penalty an unjust sentence. It is imperative that Americans open their eyes to the fact th at capital punishment does nothing to deter crime, is a result of erroneous sentencing, and is the most basic definition of murder. Several people in support of capital punishment claim that the death penalty is the only way we as a nation can deterRead MoreThe Death Penalty is An Effective Weapon Against Crime Essay1309 Words   |  6 Pagespunishment.  Ã‚   Many people believe that it no longer serves out its intended purpose of deterring crime.   Others believe that the death penalty is an inhumane act of violence and that it should be banished from the justice system all together.   The thought of playing God also is another aspect of the situation.   Despite these allegations however, the facts still remain.   The death penalty deters crime, stops repeat offenders, and gives Americans a real sense that justice has been served, and should therefore