Death Penalty and Morality Essay Example

so many social issues.This is a matter of human rights and choices by the government. Is executing people wrong? Some countries do it to criminals who commit gruesome crimes, so why shouldn’t the U.

S? Cost is another problem. $3. 2 million for one execution of a prisoner, $800,000 to put someone in for life. The death penalty is being questioned about its efficiency and effectiveness(Banks, "Capital Punishment: Overview") Long ago when the United States was not even a dream Great Britain colonized the New World. In Massachusetts ‘witches’ were executed and one farmer was pressed to death for not confessing to witchcraft.

The first person to be executed under the new Constitution was Thomas Bird. He was hung in Massachusetts for murdering a British citizen in U. S waters (he was British). Problems erupted after the cases of Powell v. Alabama (1932) and Brown v.

Mississippi (1936) that imposed more restrictions on capital punishment(Banks, “Capital Punishment: Overview). The extinction of the death penalty continued from 1960 to 1976 with only 161 executions took place. Going back a few years in 1972 the Supreme Court declared 630 sentencings of death unconstitutional and all of them were pardoned.At this point the death penalty was back in full swing. Even today the death penalty raised numerous questions regarding the right to live and the way it affected people. Questions like Does the U.

S execute people because they are bad? and Is it cruel and unusual punishment? appear a lot when raising the issue. America is somewhat divided because of this problem. Executing can leave a huge emotional impact for both the victim’s families and the condemned’s families.

Not only that but the way that the U. S performs the execution raised red flags.

For example the execution of John Evans was messy and lengthy.He was sentenced to death by electric chair. The first attempt failed, as a component exploded and burned Evans’s body. Another attempt was made and pleas by Evans’s lawyer to stop were unsuccessful. At the end of the 14 minutes that the execution lasted Evans was dead with most of his body covered in burns (Banks, “Capital Punishment: Overview). Also, In 2005 Stanley “Tookie” Williams, the notorious founder of the Crips, was executed.

However, a long time back after his death sentencing he underwent a religious change. He realized that what he did was wrong, so he wrote books to promote anti-gang violence.Still, Governor Schwarzenegger ignored his appeals and he was executed. (Deborah, "Pros & Cons of the Death Penalty. ") So, based on the evidence given by the case of John Evans and “Tookie” Williams, is the death penalty ‘cruel and unusual? ’ If so, is it because of the U.

S’s unorganized method of doing so? And judging by the evidence and facts from the cases is the system disoriented and broken? And do we punish people because they are bad or just because of the crimes they commit? Now it is time to look into both cases more acutely. One good thing about the death penalty is the U. S’s humanity.Other countries do slow and painful executions, while the United States give the condemned prisoner their last rites, final meal, and performing the execution privately and painlessly. But what about those who do the most violent,

stomach turning crimes? Well, they are treated no differently. Last rites, final meal, execution.

It is a good way to get rid of bad criminals, rather than keeping a deranged cannibal with an insatiable appetite for human flesh around other prisoners. Right? Anyways, if you compare the U. S’s handling of prisoners on death row to other prisoners in other countries, you’d be surprised.In Iran they would sentence most people to death in public by brutal means (suffocation by hoisting the noose up by a crane is one gruesome example). This is not only meant to punish the prisoner but also to send a stern message to the spectators not to cross the Iranian government.

Heck, the Iranian government know that execution is wrong, yet they still do it! (Gharib,”New reports document secret executions in Iran) Meanwhile the United States don’t execute in public and they don’t hide executions from the condemned’s loved ones either, it’s a balance. And I do not remember an account where the U.S government used a crane to execute prisoners! What about the dark side of capital punishment? One important issue to focus on is the outrageous cost. It takes $3,200,000 to execute ONE prisoner, while putting them in for life only costs $800,000- $1,000,000.

Since 1976 a total of 1,135 prisoners have been executed(Number of persons executed by jurisdiction, 1930-2008). So it costs $3. 2 million for each execution. This means that in total a staggering amount of $3,862,000,000 have been spent executing prisoners! That is some serious money being spent on bloodshed, whereas that money could have gone to, oh, I don’t know.

Schools? Homeless shelters? Relief in other

countries?! The system is broken beyond repair. A good example: Maryland (“Maryland’s Broken Death Penalty”) has not executed anyone since 2005. There are some prisoners that have been on death row for almost thirty years! The DNA and evidence would usually sentence a prisoner to death, but not Virginia Tech-style massacres with multiple witnesses. The system is burdensome to the victim’s families as well because they won’t get their justice they so richly deserve. Now that the pros and cons have been covered, I have a word on the conflict as well.

I support the death penalty. An eye for an eye,” as they say. However, I do think that America's system of sentencing is broken and sloppy. Don’t get me wrong here; at least America isn’t mercilessly slaughtering millions because of their religion. It’s just too costly and there have been errors so numerous that there isn’t any reason not to question the system.

Basically to sum up both sides: The death penalty is good because the families of the victim get vengeance for their loved one. It is to punish bad people and not for their crimes. I mean, Great Britain stopped executing prisoners after 1950 due to an accidental execution of an innocent man.If a prisoner is really sorry, then you should listen to their pleas for mercy.

It is bad because of the cost and racially broken system. Did you know that more African Americans have been executed than Caucasians (U. S executions from 1608-2002)? It is not right and the system should be taken down temporarily. I have a solution for all this nonsensical arguing. The United States should stop

making a big deal on executions and waste billions on the process. Waiting years on death row increases stress on the prisoners and the wait is not really needed.

Instead, why not try to carry it out in a week the most and at maximum efficiency and mercy? Also I think that America needs to really fix the system. It is out of balance and needs to be reorganized again. It is most wise to take the system down completely and plan it out. The case of John Evans and Stanley “Tookie” Williams questioned and challenged the U. S’s system of execution.

Not only that, but the current system is draining billions from us taxpayers. It is okay to execute someone, only if they can be proven to be unfixable and truly dark of the soul. –Riyad Moughawech Gharib, Ali. New Report Documents Secret Executions In Iran. " Http://thinkprogress.

org. 5 Jan. 2012. Web.

29 Mar. 2012. . "EDITORIALS: "Maryland's Broken Death Penalty"" Death Penalty Information Center.

13 Mar. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.

. White, Deborah. "Pros ; Cons of the Death Penalty. " About. com US Liberal Politics. Web.

27 Mar. 2012. . Banks, Cyndi. "Capital Punishment: Overview.

" Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.

Corwin, Edward Samuel, Harold William Chase, and Craig R. Ducat. Edward S. Corwin's The Constitution and What It Means Today. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1978. Print.