Essay about The Debate Over Capital Punishment - 1141 Words

The debate over capital punishment has been raging on for countless number of years. Capital punishment has been used for thousands of years due to the physiological fear it inflicts on the people who witness and learn about the death penalty. The use of this punishment has helped to reduce crime and alter the minds of future criminals to deter them against committing heinous crimes such as murder, treason, espionage, terrorism and in some cases aggravated kidnapping. Advocates say it deters crime while abolitionists say it is unconstitutional. It is historically shown that the use of capital punishment is justified. Capital punishment should be upheld due to its constitutionality, morality, and deterrence against heinous acts. The†¦show more content†¦Since the death penalty is administered fairly, it is constitutionally abiding. â€Å"The uses of modern day capital punishment techniques have never been seen as cruel or unusual.† (Marquis 2007) In other words, no ex ecution has been botched while using the modern U.S. capital punishment system such as gas chamber, shooting squad, electric chair, or lethal injection. In short, capital punishment is constitutionally abiding and is administered fairly. Implementation of capital punishment is morally justified. Most abolitionists say the death penalty is not administered humanly, thus it is not moral. The 34 states that still use the death penalty have switched to lethal injection for their preferred method of execution. This method is painless due to combination of certain chemicals that have been scientifically engineered to be as painless as possible. Our country still exercises methods of execution because the system has been proven to work. The use of the death penalty is an acceptable punishment for murder as explained by the author Carmical. â€Å"It is morally wrong not to execute a murderer because the punishment should fit the crime.† (Carmical 2011) If a person commits a murder, i t would not be suitable to lock them in jail for the rest of their life; the punishment needs to fit the crime. The term â€Å"an eye for an eye† can be used towards the morality of the death penalty. This term has been used for hundreds of years and is most likelyShow MoreRelatedThe Debate Over Capital Punishment936 Words   |  4 Pages The debate over capital punishment is in regards to whether the death penalty contradicts the Eighth Amendment. If the death penalty does contradict the Eight Amendment, then the State should not have the power to sentence criminals to death for capital crimes. However, if capital punishment is not against the Eighth Amendment, then the State has the right to sentence criminals to death. In this essay I will first summarize Justice Brennan’s argument on why the death penalty is beyond the powerRead MoreThe Debate Over Capital Punishment1183 Words   |  5 Pagesmorally just and constitutional. Those thinking it is cruel want capital punishment abolished. The others want to see it revised and maintained. Capital punishment is being sentenced to death and executed for committing various crimes. Usually, it is reserved for convicted murder cases, but had been used for others such as: armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, and treason. Only about sixty countries still use capital punishment – the United States included. Canada, Australia, and most EuropeanRead MoreThe Debate Over Capital Punishment1599 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The Capital Punishment is a sure punishment. Sure punishment in the sense that the convicted never commits another crime, namely a homicide, again. 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