To Live Or To Die Essay, Research Paper

To Live or To Die

Everyday hundreds of Americans die in either accidents, shooting, from sickness,

and evening the death penalty. Capital punishment is a very difficult issue and there are as

many different opinions for or against it as there are people. Each yeah over two hundred

people are placed on death row. Some of those people deserve to be on death row and a

few don?t but there is no way to separate the wrongly accused from those who belong. To

live or to die is the question that crosses every judges mind when the time comes to

prosecute a criminal. It is not an easy decision but it has to be made. Once the decision is

made to place someone on death row, there is no turning back, only the anticipation of

that day when a life is brought to an end slowly but surely. Those opposing capital

punishment think of losing a loved one to someone who has no meaning for taking a life.

those who are defending capital punishment, think about a loved one that maybe wrongly

accused and sentenced to death. There are two sides to capital punishment either to live or

to die, who makes the decision.

There was a period were capital punishment was ruled unconstitutional by the

supreme court. Their reason for this was that the death penalty was cruel and unusual

punishment under the eighth amendment which states, ? that excessive bail shall not be

required, nor excessive fines imposed, no cruel or unusual punishment inflicted.? When

the constitution was drafted, indeed capital punishment was practiced widely in this

country but it was not specified as cruel and unusual. Those who are for capital

punishment argue that penal laws are demonstrating to everyone that it is not in the best

interest to murder. Capital punishment is something that is deserved when someone takes

the life of another individual for no reason. ? The fear of death deters people from

committing crimes,? says Leslie Cantu (Internet: The Deterrence). Those in support of

capital punishment think achieving model citizens and a better society happen through

fear and intimidation.

The death penalty is the basic moral issue of conservation of human rights and

humanity. Opponents of capital punishment say the death penalty demeans moral order. It

is the most premeditated form of homicide of all. Jessica Spinler argues, ?the death

penalty is nothing more than the state lowering there moral lively to that of a criminal and

it raises the criminal to moral equality with the social order?(internet:Violate Human

dignity/rights). contrary to popular belief, the death penalty does not act as a deterrent to

crime. The crime level has increased instead of decreased. There is also the belief that

execution cost less than imprisonment, however with the cost of materials and

maintenance of the procedures far outweighs the expense of maintaining in prison the tiny

fraction of criminals who would otherwise be slain.

The death penalty saves lives. It saves lives because it stops those who murder

from ever murdering again. this is the answer that most pro-capital punishment defenders

say when asked why the support it. Some defenders feel that rotting in jail for the rest of

life is more tortuous and inhumane that execution. The death penalty also solves the

problem of the over crowding of jails and prisons. Imprisonment is simply not as

sufficient and safe guard against the future actions of criminals because it offers the

possibility of parole. Some criminals must be made to pay for their crimes with their

lives.

Over the last one hundred years there have been more than seventy-five

documented cases of wrongful conviction of criminal homicide. ?The death sentence was

carried out in eight cases were accused criminals were put to death and found wrongly

accused after their execution? (Internet: Possibility of innocent death). A prisoner who is

discovered innocent can be freed, but a corpse cannot be released from compensation .

Away for criminals to suffer would be to re-pay society and the victims family by

working for no compensation or doing community services. ?There is no doubt that

someone can do more alive than dead.? ?By working, the criminal pays back the victim or

victims family as well as society.? (Internet:Chance for convict to pay-back society.)

Capital punishment has safe guards that protect anyone that may be wrongly

accused from being put to death. A prisoner waits seven to eight years before they are

executed. The reason for the long wait is so that the state and federal courts can review

the case and make sure that the alighted charges are correct. With all of these

opportunities it is almost impossible for an innocent person to be executed. If it is clear

that a person is guilty of murder, than that person should be sentenced to death. Placing

murderers in prison isn?t a tough enough punishment. In jail they would have a chance

for parole and who?s to say that putting a murder back on the streets they won?t murder

again. That is why capital punishment is a good thing, the criminal won?t have another

chace to take another life.

Capital punishment is a topic where both sides can be agreed on. There are so

many different things that can make a person against it but also reasons for defending. yes

capital punishment is inhumane and morally wrong. Two wrongs don?t make a right

meaning killing a person because of their wrong actions does not solve the problem. On

the other side the world may not be safe with a criminal walking the streets. It is so hard

to choose a side, however, no matter the action, taking a life for a life is not right There

are other ways of making a criminal pay for ther debts but capital punishment should not

be one of them.