The Use of Capital Punishment in America Essay - 1432 Words

The Use of Capital Punishment in America The use of capital punishment in the U.S. is a growing concern for most American citizens. According to statistics, seventy percent of Americans are in support of the death penalty, while only thirty percent are against it. These statistics show that few people are against capital punishment (â€Å"Fact† 1). With the use of the death penalty growing the controversy is becoming more heated. With only twelve states left not enforcing it the resistance is becoming futile (â€Å"Fact† 4). Many debates have been made and even clauses have been invoked, such as, the â€Å"Cruel and Unusual Clause† that was invoked by the Supreme Court in 1962 (Meltsner 179). The use of death as a punishment has been viewed as â€Å"cruel†¦show more content†¦The curiosity of whether capital punishment is Biblical depends on the interpretation of such scriptures. It is an area of religious concern that is not addressed directly. Despite this on going argument, outlawing capital punishment in America could create many unhappy citizens, and cause a division in the U.S. government. By enforcing the death penalty prevention in crime could occur. If death is the punishment for murder then criminals are not gaining from their crimes, but receiving the punishment they have inflicted on others. The crime rate is lower in the states that do not invoke capital punishment, but as Walter Burns stated â€Å"the number of murders tend to rise with the crime rate in general - and not only in America,† (105). Capital punishment is maintained to hopefully show criminals that when they kill they will eventually meet the same fate. By enforcing the death penalty the government could be trying to scare criminals from their crimes, and in some cases it has worked. When the death penalty was restored in Kansas, for example, the homicide rate dropped considerably (Bedau 122). According to research done by Bedau the cri me rate continued to sore between 1960-1969 when capital punishment was rarely being used in most states (Bedau 127). As a whole, capital punishment has worked to lower homicidal crimesShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of The Death Penalty1348 Words   |  6 Pagessystem uses many methods of punishment on lawbreakers and criminals. These include jail time, community service, paroles, fines, and the most shocking, the death penalty. The death penalty, also referred to as capital punishment, was first introduced in the form of hanging hundreds of years ago when America was first established. Now, the most common way of execution proves to be death by lethal injection. For hundreds of years, people have argued over whether or not the general idea of capital punishmentRead MoreEssay on The Evolution of Capital Punishment1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Evolution of Capital Punishment Ever since there has been crime, there has been punishment. One form of punishment that has existed since the beginning of society is capital punishment. As crime and societies have evolved over time, so have capital punishment, its forms, and its reasons for use. Capital punishment is defined as the execution or death for a capital offense. (Hill Hill 1995: 75) A capital offense is defined as being any criminal charge that is punishable by the death penaltyRead MoreThe Death Penalty : Costly, Counterproductive, And Corrupting1678 Words   |  7 Pagescrime: costly, counterproductive and corrupting; 35 Santa Clara Law Review 1211 (1995) Summary paragraph: In Stephen Bright’s article, â€Å"The Death Penalty as the Answer to Crime: Costly, Counterproductive, and Corrupting† Bright asserts that capital punishment does not work because it is racially biased, the quality of the lawyers and attorneys supplied by the state to poor defendants is unfair, and that the law system currently in place does not accomplish its true goals. Bright defends his claimRead MorePersuasive Essay On Capital Punishment1414 Words   |  6 PagesCapital punishment is a heated topic in today’s America. Capital punishment is the repercussion of a capital crime; most capital crimes committed in America are murders. The crime of murder can be punishable by the death penalty. A great way to stop future killing from happening is capital punishment but it is only currently allowed in 32 of the 50 states. Murder in America is at such a high rate that there needs to be something done to help stop the climbing rate. In Edward Koch’s essay â⠂¬Å"Death andRead MoreEvolution of Capital Punishment1142 Words   |  5 PagesEvolution of Capital Punishment Ever since there has been crime, there has been punishment. One form of punishment that has existed since the beginning of society is capital punishment. As crime and societies have evolved over time, so have capital punishment, its forms, and its reasons for use. Capital punishment is defined as the execution or death for a capital offense. (Hill Hill 1995: 75) A capital offense is defined as being any criminal charge that is punishable by the death penalty.Read MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment764 Words   |  3 PagesDeath penalty is also known as capital punishment. Capital Punishment is a penalty of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. The death penalty was established in America in 1608. The British influenced America to use the death sentence. The first recorded practice of the death penalty in America was to Caption George Kendall in Virginia, he was found guilty of being a spy for Spain. However, the death penalty came long before Captain George Kendall. The first establishedRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Allowed Or Not?927 Words   |  4 PagesIn the United States of America, the issue of capital punishment is one of the major controversial topics which is being debated over and over due to different ideologies of people. Many support the use of death penalty but other oppose the use of this form of punishment because they think it’s barbaric. There are numerous reasons why some individuals believe that capital punishment should be allowed or not. Most of these individual’s beliefs are influenced by religion, the Constitution, and deterrenceRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty1708 Words   |  7 PagesCapital punishment has been around for centuries taking the life of guilty convicts to bring justice to the people. However, many people see the death penalty as a brutal action which no human should have to face, guilty or innocent. After the death penalty travelled around t he world, it became very popular in America leading to many Supreme Court cases and protests. Endlessly, people have argued their viewpoints about whether the death penalty is constitutional in relation to the 8th amendment whichRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Be Legal1457 Words   |  6 Pagesthe entire family was executed with them as a warning to the people of their tribe or city to not commit the same crime. In today’s time, since most people have found the term â€Å"death penalty† offensive, we have moved to calling it â€Å"capital punishment†. This punishment today is primarily used for offenders who have committed a first degree murder. Other reasons for this sentence vary from state to state. In Florida, the death penalty may be used for an offender(s) who has committed aggravated sexualRead MoreProposal Annotated Bibliography Assignment: Capital Punishment1255 Words   |  6 PagesProposal Annotated Bibliography Assignment: Capital Punishment Proposal Annotated Bibliography Assignment: Capital Punishment By: Richard Dilay Proposal I am proposing writing a research paper on the contemporary issue of capital punishment. While, capital punishment has been outlawed in Canada, it still remains a viable option in most parts of the World, including some areas of the United States. With the recent push by the Stephen Harper government, with their crime agenda initiatives