Support The Death Penalty example essay topic

As far back as Biblical times the age-old question of an "eye-for-an eye" can be documented. Many as either justified or barbaric have debated it, each with compelling arguments. In this paper, I will try to present both viewpoints and provide an overview of the rationale behind their theory along with factual evidence to support or negate it. In the United States, there are 38 states that have the death penalty, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with only 12 states opposing it. Although many support the death penalty, there is a strong difference between the states that actually use it and those that have it as just a law.

Research shows that the number of executions by states since 1976 have the majority within the southern regions (722 executions). Texas and Virginia alone have accounted for 399 executions. The Northeast have only had 3 executions, the Midwest 95, the western states only had 59 executions. The total deaths to this date have been 879 with a dramatic increase in executions starting in 1984 (24 deaths). Presently in 2003 there have been 59 deaths. This in comparison to the years prior to 1984 show the trend to use the death penalty, considering that the average number of deaths prior to 1984 were 2 a year.

This year alone, Texas has executed 21 men with Oklahoma second with 14 deaths and with other states executing death row inmates at a much slower rate. Depending on the state, I also noticed that these deaths have not been similar in method, some of which could be seen as humane to the other end of the scale of being barbaric. Since 1976, there have been 712 lethal injections (37 states), 151 electrocutions (8 states), 11 gas chambers (5 states), 3 hangings (3 states), and 2 death by fire squads (3 states). Although it appears that the death penalty is used frequently, statistics show that the imposition of this form of punishment is extraordinarily rare.

Since 1967, there has been one execution for every 1600 murders, which is 0.06%. Approximately 5900 persons have been sentenced to death from 1973-1996, yet only an average of 0.2% of those were executed (FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) & Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1996). Support for the death penalty in the U.S. has risen to an average of 80%. Support for the death penalty has grown in the U.S. as the crime rate increased.

In 1966, 42% of Americans were in favor of capital punishment while 47% were opposed to it. Since the crime rate in the United States has increased, support for the capital punishment has increased as well. In 1986, support for capital punishment was 80% for and only 17% against with 3% undecided, but most of the undecided votes said they were leaning toward a pro capital punishment if they had to vote on it. Many advocates of the death penalty feel that the above-mentioned facts signify one of the reasons that crime has been rampant in the United States. Executions are seen as the appropriate punishment for certain criminals committing specific crimes. So says the U.S. Supreme Court and so says most death penalty supporters.

According to our Constitution, citizens have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". Accordingly, the deterrence of a strong death penalty policy affords the masses a pursuit of happiness free from the fear of violent criminals not going unpunished. Secondly, proponents of the death penalty oppose the thinking of opponents who state that execution and murder are equivalent, believing that if two acts have the same ending or result, than those two acts are morally equal. Their argument seems to state a valid point. For instance, are kidnapping and legal incarceration the same?

Both involve imprisonment against one's will. Is killing in self-defense the same as capital murder? Both end in taking a human life. Proponents feel that this way of thinking is moral confusion.

"Some equate the American death penalty with the Nazi holocaust. Opponents see no moral distinction between the slaughter of 12 million totally innocent men, women and children and the just execution of society's worst human rights violators" (Stri eb, 1993). Believers in the death penalty feel strongly in this form of punishment to also eliminate the sociopath from the community. Rehabilitation of these individuals appears futile and without cause. They will be a drain on society and will not ever be a contributing citizen. Take for example the case of Lemuel Harris.

Lemuel Harris was a prisoner serving a life sentence and decided to rape and murder a female prison guard by the name of Donna Pry ant. He is now being brought up on charges and could face the death penalty. "Capital punishment is our societies recognition of the sanctity of life" (Orrin Hatch). Supporters feel that the death penalty will also deter crime. Capital punishment does not only lower the murder rate, but its value as revenge alone is a good reason for handing out death sentences. The death penalty deters murder by putting the fear of death into would be killers.

A person is less likely to do something, if he or she thinks that harm will come to them. Another way the death penalty deters murder, is the fact that if the killer is dead, he will not be able to kill again. According to a study done by Isaac Ehrlich, published on April 16, 1976, eight murders are deterred for each execution that is carried out in the United States. He then goes on to say that if one execution of a guilty capital murder deters the murder of one innocent life, the execution is justified. To most supporters of the death penalty, like Ehrlich, if even one life is saved, for countless executions of the guilty, it is a good reason for the death penalty. "If we execute murderers and there is in fact no deterrent effect, we have killed a bunch of murderers.

If we fail to execute murderers, and doing so would in fact have deterred other murders, we have allowed the killing of a bunch of innocent victims. I would much rather risk the former. This, to me, is not a tough call". (McAdams, 1996). Finally, proponents of the death penalty feel the ultimate reason to institute capital punishment is for the justice of the loved ones of those who has been murdered and that it is ethically and morally correct to do so. Ultimately, if innocent people are not afforded a life with someone, then the murderer should not be afforded one either.

This argument can and often is supported by the old-testament verse "Whoever strikes a person mortally shall be put to death. If someone willfully attacks and kills another by treachery, you shall take the killer from my altar for execution". Exodus 21: 12-14. Conversely, opponents of capital punishment state their own reasons to justify abolishing the death sentence along with other countries such as Canada. In fact more than three countries a year on average have abolished the death penalty for all crimes in the past decade. Once abolished, the death penalty is seldom reintroduced.

Since 1990, more than 35 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or, having previously abolished it for ordinary crimes, have gone on to abolish it for all crimes. The death penalty is seen as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, which violates the right to life. It is viewed as morally wrong. They as well, can quote biblical verses such as "Thou shalt not kill". Deuteronomy 5: 17. Secondly, it is an act that can never be undone and can be inflicted on the innocent.

Since 1973, over 100 inmates have been released from death row with proof of their innocence. These inmates spend an average of 8 years incarcerated before they are set free. Although this time frame seems lengthy, it would be a better alternative to the option of capital punishment. Opponents of the death penalty also state that this form of punishment does not deter crime.

According to the survey of top criminologists, 84% of experts reject the notion of the death penalty deterring the act of murder (Rade let & Akers, 1996). In fact, the FBI Crime Unit reports that the South, which has about 80% of executions repeatedly has the highest murder rate. The Northeast, which only has 1% of the executions has the lowest murder rate. Numerous studies have been conducted throughout the United States that support the fact that there is no correlation between capital punishment and deterrence. Keith Harries and Dermal Cheat wood (1997) studied differences in homicides and violent crime in 293 pairs of counties. The authors found no support for a deterrent effect of capital punishment at the county level with and without a death row population, and with and without executions.

The authors did find higher violent crime rates in death penalty counties. Clearly, it has never been shown to deter crime more effectively than other punishment. Finally, criticizers of the death penalty feel that it is economically draining. Alone, New York's death penalty has cost the state millions in taxpayer dollars and has devoted an immense amount of time of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys.

This seems to be true in numerous other states as well. In comparison, the total cost of the death penalty is 38% greater than the total cost of life without parole sentences. Many counties manage these high costs by decreasing funding for highways and police and by increasing taxes. States have been spending tens to hundreds of millions of dollars extra per year in order to practice the death penalty, while crime fighting strategies that have been proven effective are starting to suffer because of the budget deficits. Capital punishment is such a volatile issue, and both sides are so deeply engrossed in their views that they are willing to do almost anything to sway all of the people they can to their side. Such an issue brings forth a multitude of moral and religious viewpoints that do not seem to have a compromising ending in sight.