Death Penalty
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- Category: English: Creative Writing
- Date Submitted: 04/07/2014 12:33 PM
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Death Penalty Should Not Exist in the United States
Shih-Ju, Chen
California State University, Long Beach
Death penalty has been used to punish criminals for a long time and it is time to change now. Although some states still remain to enforce capital punishment, more and more states are taking actions to abolish death penalty in recent years. Illinois governor Pat Quinn signed a law abolishing capital punishment on March 9th, 2001 which makes the state becomes the 16th state where death penalty is no longer exist (Falsani, 2011). The number of supporters of death penalty is decreasing because people rethink about the necessity of existing execution and change their stands for several reasons. According to a Gallup poll in 2011, 35% of Americans oppose the death penalty now (Gary & USA, 2011). More than one third of people disagree with the death penalty, which is the highest rate in 40 years. People concern about gravity of innocent cases due to wrongful convictions and unfairness of executing murderers with mental disabilities. Death penalty should be banned because it brings more problems in many aspects rather than having strong influence on criminals.
Wrongful convictions are frequent and common in the justice system and this takes even more importance for death penalty under these circumstances. Police, prosecutors and personnel argue that wrongful convictions barely occur and normally happen in small percentage. We have to doubt and question about their statements because many real cases reveal the facts against their claims. In 1985, Scott Fappino was convicted of raping a married woman whose husband was a police officer in Brooklyn and put into prison for more than 20 years innocently. The victim accused Fappino was the attacker by simply looking at photograph. In fact, Fappino was five inches shorter than the man she described and he had short hair, which did not match her description. However, he was sentenced to prison...
Shih-Ju, Chen
California State University, Long Beach
Death penalty has been used to punish criminals for a long time and it is time to change now. Although some states still remain to enforce capital punishment, more and more states are taking actions to abolish death penalty in recent years. Illinois governor Pat Quinn signed a law abolishing capital punishment on March 9th, 2001 which makes the state becomes the 16th state where death penalty is no longer exist (Falsani, 2011). The number of supporters of death penalty is decreasing because people rethink about the necessity of existing execution and change their stands for several reasons. According to a Gallup poll in 2011, 35% of Americans oppose the death penalty now (Gary & USA, 2011). More than one third of people disagree with the death penalty, which is the highest rate in 40 years. People concern about gravity of innocent cases due to wrongful convictions and unfairness of executing murderers with mental disabilities. Death penalty should be banned because it brings more problems in many aspects rather than having strong influence on criminals.
Wrongful convictions are frequent and common in the justice system and this takes even more importance for death penalty under these circumstances. Police, prosecutors and personnel argue that wrongful convictions barely occur and normally happen in small percentage. We have to doubt and question about their statements because many real cases reveal the facts against their claims. In 1985, Scott Fappino was convicted of raping a married woman whose husband was a police officer in Brooklyn and put into prison for more than 20 years innocently. The victim accused Fappino was the attacker by simply looking at photograph. In fact, Fappino was five inches shorter than the man she described and he had short hair, which did not match her description. However, he was sentenced to prison...