Capital punishment has been occurring within the United States for over two centuries. A concept first created by the ancient Egyptians, and is still used in todays society of crime and punishment. Although enforced for hundreds of years, the topic was not morally debated until recent times. Many believe that execution is justifiable, and should therefore be used, but an overwhelming number of people oppose it, saying not only is it unconstitutional, but immoral, ineffective and racist. Nevertheless, those who support the abolition of the death penalty for these reasons are entirely wrong. One of the focal points of those who oppose to the death penalty is that its unconstitutional.
Their reasoning behind this is our Eight Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. However to use this, as justification would be taking the amendment out of context, thus separating it from the document without looking at the surrounding amendments. The Fifth Amendment states: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or other wise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury (United States Constitution, 1787).
The amendment specifically states that killing by the government is only unconstitutionl if the one being killed is deprived of due process. A second related protest in opposition to the death penalty is the fact that its supposedly immoral. The explanation for this statement comes largely from the Bible; Thou shalt not kill also Judge not, lest ye be judged.
The Research paper on Capital Punishmen Death Punishment Penalty
Against Capital Punishment Against Against Capital Punishment Essay, Research Paper Against Capital Punishment At 8: 00 p. m. it was nearing the end of John Evans last day on death row. He had spent most of the day with his minister and family, praying and talking of what was to come. At 8: 20 he was walked from his cell down to the long hall to the execution room and strapped in the electric ...
Later on in the bible, in Matthew 26:52, Jesus said, all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Other verses in the bible, which defend the death penalty, include Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds Mans blood, by Man his blood shall be shed. The Bible also condones the death penalty for rapists, as show in Deuteronomy 22:25, and kidnappers, as shown in both Exodus 21:16 and Deuteronomy 24:7. Consequently, hiding behind the bible to oppose the death penalty is pure hypocrisy. The last point they make is that the death penalty targets blacks and poor whites. This is an incorrect statement, because race isnt a concern. In the U.S.
16 out of 1000 whites arrested for murder are sentenced to death, while 12 out of 1000 blacks arrested for murder were sentenced to death. 1.1%of black inmates on death row were executed, while 1.7 of white inmates will die (Isaac Ehrlich).
Another cry for discrimination that is raised by advocates of the death penalty is based on the color of the victim. For instance if the victim is white, it is more likely that the offender will get the death penalty than if the victim had been black (Isaac Ehrlich).
This is true, more people who kill whites get the death penalty, then people who kill blacks and get the death penalty. The reason for this is that more whites are killed, and the murders were captured. Percent wise it is almost the same number for any race, and this is not even an issue.
In conclusion, there is no real justifiable reason for not using the death penalty. It has been proven to be moral, and will be fair to all if it is brought into common use. It also insures peace of mind because it insures that murders will never kill again. There are numerous statistical studies that illustrate its effectiveness. Therefore, the death penalty should become a standard penalty in the American justice system.
