Death Penalty

Amber Mosby

Professor Navdeep

English Composition 1

December 1st, 2016

Death Penalty

The Death penalty is a sentence of punishment by execution which was first established in the Eighteenth Century. The types of executions were crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement. Now as time goes on changes have been made to death sentences. Executions are now done by lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, firing squad and hanging. Lethal Injection is the primary method of execution used in the United States. Some states that currently participate in the death penalty are Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. Many people believe the Death Penalty is a good idea and support it while the rest of America oppose of it. Although, proponents argue that Capital Punishment deters crime, the U.S should ban the use of the Death Penalty because it is immoral and unethical.

The death penalty serves a purpose of retribution or revenge. Many families who have lost a loved one to a murder may feel that the death penalty will not give them closure or end their pain. The money being used to execute the criminal should be used to help families put their lives back together by counseling, relocating, and any other services helping their needs. “When someone takes a life, the balance of justice is disturbed. Unless that balance is restored, society succumbs to a rule of violence. Only the taking of murders life restores the balance and allows society to show convincingly that murder is intolerable crime which will be punished in crime.” (Deathpenaltycurriculm.org) Revenge serves no purpose than to please personal feelings. “Whichever way you look at it, killing another human isn't humane, not even close. And when you get to the details it is simply vengeful and cruel.” (Michael Hayworth). Two wrongs don’t make a right. The death penalty causes more violence than it prevents. Not only does the victims families suffer the criminal families suffers as well. Criminals families have to deal with being criticized, knowing their family member committed an awful crime, and paparazzi harassing them for the rest of their lives.

Race plays a big role in who lives or dies. History has proven that the judicial system or this country even the world that the court system is basis. Slavery has played a part in the death penalty because of hanging which was lynching back then. Sometimes people of color are likely to be executed than white people, especially if the victim is white. (prosecutor vs defendant). People of color have accounted for a disappropriate 43% of total execution since 1976 and 55% of those currently awaiting execution.” (ACLU). The death penalty discriminates against the poor. Most of the time the jury isn’t concerned about the crime, they are more concerned on your race and appearances.

Another reason why the Death Penalty is unethical and immoral is religious beliefs. According to the bible it says “Thou Shalt not kill.” In Romans 13:1 says “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be ordained of God.” Life is a gift from God. He gives it and only he takes it away. No one should have the right to take a life of another even the state. Life without parole is better punishment for most crimes. To have a criminal sitting in prison for the rest of their life is more harsh of a punishment than killing them. Memories of that crime will haunt them because of their guilt.

Many innocent people have been convicted and executed. When the outcomes are life and death, the government needs a better philosophy to prove if the person is innocent or not. “Larry Griffin was convicted of a drive by shooting where Quin Moss was killed. The conviction was based on the false testimony. The witness said the shooter used their right had to shoot the victim. Larry was left handed. There were no fingerprints on the weapon. Appeals courts upheld his conviction and death sentence. In 2005, a professor reopened the case his investigation concluded Griffin was innocent.” (Convicted, Executed, Not Guilty). Since 1973, over 140 people have been released from death row with their innocence.

The Death Sentence costs more to execute a person than to keep him or her in prison. “The additional cost of confining an inmate to death row, as compared to the maximum security prisons where those sentenced to life without possibility of parole ordinarily serve their sentences is $90,000 per year inmate. With California’s current death row population of 670, that accounts for $63.3 million annually.” (Death Penalty Focus). The money taxpayers worked hard on is being spent on executing someone's life. Instead, the money being used to execute the criminal should be used on helping the victim’s family. Also, lawyers are very expensive and not everyone is able to afford one. For example, in the movie Dead Man Walking, Matthew Poncelet was a poor man who couldn’t afford a lawyer to prevent him from being sentenced to death.

Proponents believe that Capital Punishment should bring the crime rates down and that capital punishment is the conclusive crime deterrent. However, crime rates are very high even in states where the death penalty is legal. If a man has taken the life of another man then he deserves