Death penalty VS Life in prison By Colin Robertson “Other states are trying to abolish the death penalty... mine's putting in an express lane.” – Ron White The death penalty, as it is commonly referred, is the penalty sometimes given to the criminals faced with the most horrific crimes possible. Many feel it is necessary in order to keep society safe because of how it permanently removes these select people from society, feeling that this will keep them safe from danger. It has been a part of the justice system since the beginning of human history, used primarily in cases of murder, treason and in military service, but just because something is old, doesn’t mean it’s what is right. The last several centuries have seen the emergence of modern nation states. Almost obvious to the concept of nation state is the idea of citizenship.
One of the functions of the criminal justice system is to administer a fair and just punishment for the crime committed by the suspect .Most Americans seem to agree with or oppose capital punishment on a case by case basis. Some Americans believe the death penalty brings justice, when someone is murdered. Capital punishment is a controversial issue in the society. Pros--Some people favor the death penalty because it is believed to deter crime. Criminals might think twice before they commit a crime if they knew they were going to get the death penalty.
Although there are some legitimate reasons as to why the death penalty seems like the best choice in certain circumstances, such as closure for the victim’s family or the possibility and risk of the criminal getting out of prison and doing the same things that got him/her in there, there are many factors to look at and speculate before making the decision to take another humans
Mia Michael H.English Mrs. Gaskill April 23, 2013 An argument that never seems to have a clear winner is “Life in Prison” vs. “The Death Penalty”. Although both sides have valid points, I feel that only one should be allowed. The death penalty is inhumane and unethical. It seems hypocritical for us, the American people, and are judicial system to say that murder is wrong and illegal, but continue to murder both the guilty and thee wrongfully accused. The death penalty gives those that are actually guilty the easy way out of punishment, and the innocent a wrongful death.
The death penalty is a great tool for the American justice system. Without it, criminals may have the opportunity to reoffend or commit other heinous crimes. The death penalty also saves the lives of what may be future victims by preventing these criminals from ever having the opportunity to commit another crime against innocent civilians. There are those who will argue that we are taking away their human rights to live. True, every human was born with human rights, but I believe if you take away someone else’s life, you give up your human rights.
The Dangers of Carrying a Gun In 1985, about 31,600 people were killed with guns, and perhaps another 130,000 people suffered nonfatal gunshot wounds. However, the majority of the deaths, 55%, were suicides, rather than criminal homicides. Only 37% were homicides, 5% were fatal gun accidents, and 1.5% each were due to legal intervention (police officers killing suspects in the line of duty) and to death where it was undetermined whether the injury was intentionally or accidentally inflicted. Moreover, among all deaths due to "external cause,"( i.e. accident, suicide or homicide) a gun was involved in 22% of them, handguns in about 13% of them.
Does the death penalty serve as a justified and legitimate form of punishment? This issue has recurrently created controversial debates. Whenever the word "death penalty" comes up, extremists from both sides start yelling out their arguments. One side says discriminative, the other side says fair; one says execution; the other side says justice. Crime is an inevitable part of society, and everyone is aware that something must be done about it.
In this paper, I will discuss the effect that capital punishment has on deterring criminal activity. Capital punishment is the execution of criminals by the state, for committing crimes, regarded so terrible, that this type of punishment is the only acceptable punishment for the crime committers. For decades now, there has been an ongoing debate over the death penalty in America. The chief argument in favor of death sentences is the fact that it can be used as a deterrent. Deterrence is the idea that executing the murderers will decrease the rates of homicide by discouraging future murderers.
First, females are rarely sentenced to death and executed, even though women committed 20 percent of all murders that have occurred in recent years. Second, a disproportionate number of nonwhites are sentenced to death and executed. A black man who kills a white person is 11 times more likely to receive the death penalty than a white man who kills a black person is. In Texas 1991, blacks made up 12 percent of the population, but 48 percent of the prison population and 55.5 percent of those on death row are black. Before the 1970's then the death penalty for rape was still used in many states, no white men were guilty of raping nonwhite women, whereas most black offenders found guilty of raping a white woman were executed.
Advocates for victims’ rights have struggled and worked hard over the years to give victims a say and necessary protections under the law, leveling the playing field of perpetrator vs. victim. Victims’ Rights It is my belief that the changes to our laws involving victims’ rights are necessary and shed a positive light on our justice system. Not only are victims’ allowed to face the offender, but they are allowed to tell their story, confer with prosecution, and witness the prosecution, giving the victim some sense of accomplishment and justice. Allowing the victim to be active in a case and the positive perception regarding these rights are what makes the Crime’s Victim Rights Act (CVRA) worthwhile. The one area that I do have a problem with in the current law’s standing is the ability of the perpetrator to confront the victim in court in certain situations, such as rape or other highly emotional topics.