Death Penalty

In the eighteenth century, England would punish by death for pickpocketing and petty theft. Ever since the 1650's, colonist could be put to death for denying the true God or cursing their parents advocates. Capital Punishment has clashed almost continuously in the forum of public opinion, in state legislatures, and most recently in courts. In 1972,the case of Furman vs.Georgia reached the Supreme Court. The court decided that punishment by death did indeed violate the eighth amendment to containing that "excessive fines imposed,nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted." By this decision death sentences all over the country were set aside.

The three most common death penalties are the gas chamber, lethal injection, and the electric chair. Capital punishment has become an increasingly controversial issue over many decades. The problem lies between, whether the death penalty should be accepted in murder cases or ruled out completely. While some people feel that Capital Punishment will not discourage crime, others feel that Capital punishment should be legalized in all states, because it is morally just and it will deter crime.

The many opponents of capital punishment who are against it feel that the death penalty is not a deterrent, that it is a barbaric act of the past, and that it has no place in a civilized society. One of the biggest arguments against capital punishment is the feeling that it violates the eighth amendment which forbids cruel and unusual punishment. People against Capital Punishment believe the death penalty is absurd and is an un-christian practice. Furthermore, they feel society should not "encourage sentiments of vengeance and cater to a morbid interest in ritual execution". Criminologists also built a strong case that the threat of death failed to deter murder anymore effectively than prison. Therefore, to inflict harm to one, is simply useless.

However, the counter argument is that the punishment fits the crime, therefore, it is morally just. Capital punishment is an expression of society's moral outrage at offensive conduct. This may be appealing to many, and it is essential in an ordered society. It asks our citizens to rely on legal procedures rather than to self-help their wrongs doings. It is morally right to sentence a person to the death penalty who has committed a serious crime as murder. If someone has murdered a person, it is unethical to let the murderer live when you have an innocent person who is dead. Capital Punishment has to be based entirely on consideration of justice and morality.

Finally, the death penalty is a deterrent against crimes. Statistics show that the crime rate is reduced in all states that hold the death penalty. The point given to these people is that they are less likely to commit a crime knowing they will receive the ultimate punishment to kill. "No other punishment deters men so effectively from committing crimes as the punishment of death". Still, Capital Punishment is supported by many Americans. They usually rely on deterrence as their main reason to deter people from committing serious crimes. Hopefully Capital Punishment will be legalized in many states to eliminate violence from American life.

Many people feel Capital Punishment will not discourage crime . It promotes murder rather than deters it. A desire for suicide is what leads some murderers to their criminal acts. Capital Punishment should remain legalized in all states. The two main reasons are it is morally just and it will deter crime. The way our society is today, we need to continue with the death penalty. It deters other murderers and it protects our society from them. Clearly, the usage of the death penalty will force crime to be unacceptable in our world and protect our citizens.