Capital Punishment Essay, Research Paper

Many people support the death penalty, and a lot of them use the

defense that comes from the Bible: an eye for eye, and a limb for a limb. I on

the otherhand believe otherwise. Punishment by death, in my opinion, is a

very barbaric way of penalization . In the world, it is known that at least

2500 prisoners are executed in at least 37 different countries, on an annual

basis. There will be various statistics, opinions, history, and background

information discussed through out the residuum of this thesis.

The history of the death penalty, dates back to the days of Hammurabi

and his code to the days of the present. The methods nowadays are certainly

different, but the objective and goal has remained the same. The earliest

known date of any form of organized capital punishment was in 1750 B.C.,

with Hammurabi and his code. The Bible prescribed death for more than 30

different crimes, including: murder, treason, theft, arson, and rape, to name a

few. In the Medieval Times, treason ( grand and petty ) murder, larceny,

rape, and arson were all crimes recognized as punishable by death. During

the reigns of King Canute and William the Conqueror, it was not used at all.

By 1800, though, more than 200 crimes were construed as punishable

by death, but most were commuted by a royal pardon. In the American

Colonies, in the years before the Revolution, it was commonly for a wide

variety of offenses. Near the end of the 18th century, though, efforts to

abolish it arose in Europe. It was led mainly by the Quakers, who believed in

non-violence all together. Then when influential documents arose, it

prompted and inspired the great French philosopher, Voltaire, to oppose it

publicly.

At the present there are many fundamental questions raised pertaining

to the fact that with the death penalty intact and fully operational, isn?t the

government condoning killing. Also, isn?t the government being kind of

hypocritical when they say taking a human life is bad, but then they go ahead

and do exactly the opposite of what they are saying? One of the axiomatic

questions erected is: ?Whether the death penalty is more effective than

life-time imprisonment??. Also, is it an effective deterrent to future violent

crimes?

Defenders point out that since taking a life is more severe than any

sentence imaginable, it must be the right and just thing to do. Public opinion

in the United States supports it by more than a 2 to 1 ratio. They, also, point

out that there is no other adequate hindrance in life imprisonment that is

effective for those who commit heinous crimes inside or outside of the prison

walls. On the flip side of the coin, the opposers say that in adjacent states in

which one has it and one doesn?t, there is no long term significant differences

in murder rates and amplitude. Also, and this seems hard to believe, but

states that use the death penalty actually show higher murder numbers than

states that do not. When a local execution occurs, the murder rates do not

fluctuate at all, they stay the same.

There are literally thousands of ways to kill someone or something.

But only about 10 of those are used in conjunction with the death penalty,

itself. Many of those thousand are considered barbaric and uncivilized by

today?s standards . There are usually specific procedures for each execution

method, to ensure a quick and painless death.

There are nine methods of execution that I will now discuss. The first

is crucifixion. Crucifixion was most likely first used in the 6th century B.C.

and was last used in approximately the 4th century A.D. Most notably, it was

used on Jesus Christ in the year 33 A.D. It is where the person is nailed to a

cross for as many hours as it takes them to die from loss of blood. The

second is boiling in oil. Boiling in oil usually occurs after a severe beating has

been administered. It burns the cuts and open wounds, it is truly a very

painful way of death. Death by boiling in oil is considered savage by today?s

society.

The third is death by beheading. It was used commonly during the

Medieval days. Usually some form of torture is performed beforehand.

Some tortuous acts include: partial hanging, taking out and destroying of the

innards, and incinerating. It can be carried out with either an ax or a

guillotine. For an example, watch the movie, ?Braveheart? starring Mel

Gibson. The fourth is death by drowning. He/she is usually weighted down

with something of a metal nature; i.e. an anvil. The fifth is ?curtains? by

hanging. It is the traditional method of execution throughout the English

speaking world. It has to be done with very specific measurements, that is

why the prisoner is weighed prior to the execution. The ?drop? is based on

the prisoners weight to deliver 1260 foot pounds of force to the neck. That is

done to assure almost instantaneous death. Properly done, death is by

dislocation of the third or fourth cervical vertebrae. It is used in Delaware,

Montana, and Washington.

The sixth is doom by lethal injection. It was introduced by Oklahoma

in 1977. Lethal injection involves the continuous intravenous injection of a

fast acting barbiturate in combination with a chemical paralytic agent. Many

doctors have pointed out that the drugs may not work correctly or effectively

with former drug users or diabetics. In some cases, minor surgery may have

to occur. A total of 27 states use it including: Illinois, North Carolina, among

others. Also, the US Military and the US government utilize this method.

The seventh technique is dissolution by electrocution. It produces

visibly destructive effects on the body. The prisoner often leaps forward

against the restraining straps and harnesses, when the switch is flipped. Also,

the body changes color, the flesh swells and may even catch fire, eject feces

through the anus, urinate, or vomit blood. Witnesses perpetually report the

looming smell of incandescent flesh. States that use it embody: Florida,

Kentucky, in the midst of eight others.

The eighth methodology is disintegration by way of gas chamber. The

prisoner is restrained in a hermetically sealed steel chamber, below which is a

pan. Upon a second signal, about 8 oz. of potassium cyanide crystals or

tablets are dropped mechanically into the pan, producing hydrocyanic gas

which destroys the ability of blood hemoglobin to perform through out the

body. Unconsciousness usually occurs within a few seconds if the prisoner

takes a deep breath, and longer if he/she holds their breath. After

pronouncement of death, the chamber is expunged through carbon and

neutralizing filters. Gas-masked crews decontaminate the body with a bleach

solution and the body is out gassed prior to release. An unwary undertaker

may be killed if this is not done.

The 9th and last style of execution is demise by firing squad. There is

reportedly no specific protocol for this procedure, which according to

information from published reports, involves a five man team. Four out of the

five use blank bullets, so that no one will know who the real shooter is. Since

its reinstatement in 1976, there have only been 2 executed; Gary Gilmore and

John Taylor.

Where there is the death penalty there are moral concerns. When ever

you have a person dying in a situation that is controversial, there will be some

serious moral concerns. There have been many moral arguments in favor and

many arguments that are against. Many of the moral concerns in favor have

been biblical and retributive. Supporters also say: ? Let the punishment fit the

crime.? Proponents of capital punishment have and will continue to claim

that society, as a whole, has the right to kill in defense of its members. There

have been numerous moral arguments opposed to the death penalty. Critics

have pointed to the risk of executing the innocent. Also, it has been argued,

that ?one can accept a retributive, without necessarily resorting to death.?

Also, some arguments are that women rarely are executed, a disproportionate

number of non-whites and the poor and friendless are often executed.

The current status of the death penalty is firm, at least in the US. It is

firm because 36 out of the 50 states authorize the death penalty as a

punishment. The American people back this up by more than a 2 to 1 ratio.

In the 1970?s there were a series of decisions that made capital punishment

?unconstitutional if it is mandatorily imposed without sufficient evidence or if

it is imposed for a crime which does not threaten a life.? Apart from crimes of

treason and espionage, the death penalty has been reserved for crimes of

murder. There was a total of 38 states that revised and reenacted after the

ruling. Also, it was decided that all emotionally supportive and unsupportive

of capital punishment are barred from jury duty. In the early 1990?s, the

trend of favorable rulings for Death Row inmates were cut back.

The death penalty in other countries is not especially similar to the one

we have here. It is inflicted for an extremely wide variety of crime, unlike in

America. A few African and no Asian or Arab nations have abolished it.

Approximately a dozen European countries have had executions fulfilled

since the late 1970?s. Around 1/2 the world?s countries have abolished it. 55

nations abolished it for every crime. On average, 2 countries a year abolish

the death penalty in one form or another. Some countries are: Paraguay,

Greece, Italy, and Hungary. Once abolished it is seldom reintroduced. Since

1985, 24 countries have abolished the death penalty in law. During the

same period, only 3 have reintroduced it.

During 1994, 2,331 prisoners were known to be executed in 37

different countries. Also, there were 4,032 in 75 countries that were

sentenced to die. China led the way, so to speak, with 1,791 killed.

International Human Rights prohibit anyone under the age of 18, at the time

the crime was committed, to be executed. More than 100 countries have laws

specifically denoting this. Five countries since 1990 are known to have

executed a human being under the age of 18 years old. They include: Iran,

Pakistan, USA, and Yemen. The majority being in the US.

As long as the death penalty is maintained, there will always be a

minute possibility, that you are executing the innocent. During the years of

1900 to 1975, a total of 350 people were convicted of capital crimes and

executed for a crime they did not commit. Some escaped execution by

minutes, but others were not so lucky. 48 people were freed from Death Row

since 1972.

In terms of people on Death Row, California is number 1 with 477,

while South Dakota has 2. Illinois has 165, that is an above average amount.

The US total is 3,365. Out of 50 states, 14 do not have it. They include:

Hawaii, North Dakota, and Maine. 28 states authorize 2 methods of

execution.

My personal opinion about the death penalty is lukewarm, meaning that

I could go for or against it. I will discuss the pros and cons and my heartfelt

opinion. I believe that retribution plays a huge role in the death penalty

process. It helps bring closure to a subject that once was unimaginable.

Also, it helps the families move on and put behind them what has caused

them anguish, for some that has been literally years.

Also, forgiveness is a major player in this situation. It brings the

convicted into the hands of God, where he will be forgiven. Hopefully, the

convict leaves this world with nothing on his chest because the family has

forgiven him. Fear. It plays a major role in this. It shows a future criminal

what quite possibly could happen to them. Also, it puts fear into society, as a

whole, that committing heinous crimes just isn?t good.

The cons of the death penalty, and there are some, are large in my

mind. I will explain how certain states weigh in, killing the innocent, and

death, in it self. There are many statistics floating around, but these are the

two most accurate. One state shows that incurring it will not all deter crime,

while the second shows that the number of murders does stay the same in

areas that have it. Killing the innocent is very important because whenever a

human life is concerned, you should proceed with caution. In the case that

you execute the innocent there should be some serious remorse. Death, in

and of it self, is huge here. Think about it, you are taking a fellow human?s

life, which is just as bad as what they did.

I believe that capital punishment is a crude and barbaric form of

punishment. In some cases, people who are really sorry for what they did,

are executed. Sometimes, death is delayed, and they have to start over again,

while the ?executionee? is half-alive. I further believe that it is

unconstitutional for people, to be submitted to so much pain and agony. Life

without the possibility of parole would be fine. At one point in time, not too

long ago, the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. Also, statistics show it

doesn?t decrease the murder rate, it only decreases the population. It does

not deter criminals from future crime.

In closing, I believe that the death penalty is a crude and vulgar source

for some sick people to find joy. I believe that capital punishment is in fact

unconstitutional. The Bible may prescribe death, but on this one I believe

that it is wrong. Statistics show that capital punishment doesn?t decrease

murders, but in some places increases them! Some day soon, I believe, the

Supreme Court of the United States of America will in fact outlaw all forms

of capital punishment, and instead implement more life without parole

sentences. It cost the taxpayers millions to execute someone! Why do it?

Would you?