The Death Penalty Controversy - 3007 Words

The Death Penalty Controversy The methods for carrying out the death penalty or capital punishment have varied throughout history. The word ‘capital punishment’ comes from the Latin word, capitalism (‘meaning the head’) since it was carried out through decapitation. Methods for carrying out the death penalty have ranged from boiling to death, flaying, disembowelment, impalement, stoning, shooting with a gun, and dismemberment. The death penalty or capital punishment is a type of sentence that carries an outcome of death. This type of punishment has been a heated topic and gets voted on around the country. The death penalty has been a form of punishment throughout human history and across societies, most commonly used for the†¦show more content†¦The death penalty is a very controversial topic and some believe in it and some do not. I believe that capital punishment is a very good idea because it proves to the family of the victim that the state doesn’t only care about the community, but they care about those people in general. Capital punishment is also a great idea because it also keeps the community safe. Capital punishment proves to criminal offenders that the state will take a state and not put up with everything they believe they can get away with. When the state kills those whose guilt is in serious doubt, or when the state kills those to whom it has not given fair justice, it doe sn t just perform an injustice upon the individual, the rule of law, and the Constitution. It also undermines the very legitimacy of the death penalty itself, for its continuing use as a sentencing option derives its civic and moral strength mostly from the fiction that it can be, and is, credibly and reliably imposed (â€Å"Capital Punishment†). Supporters of the death penalty argue that it provides the only fair punishment for the most heinous crimes. A prison sentence, even a life sentence without possibility of parole, does not adequately avenge the cruelest and most calculated murders, proponents say. A convicted murderer has taken life, they argue, and the government has a moral obligation toShow MoreRelatedControversy Over The Death Penalty2147 Words   |  9 PagesA Controversy over the Death Penalty Over the years criminals were dealt with in many different ways: they were sent to jail, getting little punishment, or in worse cases, death. The death penalty continues to be an issue of controversy, and it is an issue that will be debated in the United States for many years to come. The death penalty is the highest punishment administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. This is the only punishment that leaves room for no mistakes. TheRead MoreThe Controversy Over the Death Penalty Essay907 Words   |  4 PagesThe Controversy Over the Death Penalty Why is the death penalty used as a means of punishment for crime? Is this just a way to solve the nations growing problem of overcrowded prisons, or is justice really being served? Why do some view the taking of a life morally correct? These questions are discussed and debated upon in every state and national legislature throughout the country. Advantages and disadvantages for the death penalty exist, and many members of the United States, and individualRead MoreThe Controversy Behind the Death Penalty Essay995 Words   |  4 PagesThe Controversy Behind the Death Penalty Some people think that the death penalty is a bad thing and others think that it serves the people right but I don’t really know which side to believe because there are good facts protecting both sides. The Death Penalty is a controversial issue. What is Capital punishment? 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In America, there are multiple methods of execution, lethal injection, firing squad, hanging, electrocution, and the gas chamber. Imagine, being strapped to a chair in various areas; usually the chest, groin, arms, and legs. A metal skullcap attached to your head, and then you’re blind f olded. What might be going through your head? Were you wrongly convictedRead MoreCapital Punishment Has Always Been A Major Controversy1710 Words   |  7 PagesCapital punishment has always been a major controversy ever since the Supreme Court ruled it constitutional. Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, became extremely popular as a use of â€Å"punishment† for ones illegal actions. The death penalty was first established during 1834 for crimes committed such as â€Å"idolatry, witchcraft, blasphemy, murder, manslaughter, poisoning, bestiality, sodomy, adultery, man stealing, and false witness in case rebellion† (Bohm). 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The financial expenses may be betterRead More The Case Against Capital Punishment Essays784 Words   |  4 Pagesis murder.   It is as simple as that.   There have been so many different controversies surrounding this debate that often, the issues become clouded in false statistics and slewed arguments.   The basic fact remains that killing is morally and ethically wrong.   This fact does not disappear by simply changing the term murder to capital punishment.   The act is still the taking of a life.   On these grounds, the death penalty should be abo lished. Proponents of capital punishment believe that killingRead More Capital Punishment Essay - True Justice Through Application of the Death Penalty1069 Words   |  5 PagesTrue Justice Through Application of the Death Penalty      Ã‚  Ã‚   The death penalty, as administered by states based on their individual laws, is considered capital punishment, the purpose of which is to penalize criminals convicted of murder or other heinous crimes (Fabian).   The death penalty issue has been the focus of much controversy in recent years, even though capital punishment has been a part of our countrys history since the beginning.   Crimes in colonial times, such as murder and theftRead MoreCapital Punishment As A Form Of Retribution1149 Words   |  5 Pagesgoverned civilizations since they were created. For most ancient and non industrial civilizations there was no refuting what the final punishment was going to be. The most severe and often most brutal was being ruled to die. The death penalty has been a major controversy for decades. Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, stated that â€Å"a person should not be treated as a means to an end, but as an end in him or herself.† Capital punishment does not abi de by this principle. Utilitarians support capital