Thy Shall Not Kill: the Death Penalty
- Submitted by: nzinga
- Views: 1089
- Category: Other
- Date Submitted: 10/19/2010 10:37 PM
- Pages: 9
- Report this Essay
Thou Shall Not Kill: The Death Penalty
Introduction
The United States, China, Iran, and a few other countries continue to preserve the death penalty as an option. All European nations, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have abolished capital punishment while others have suspended execution of criminals sentenced to capital punishment (Stephen Bright). I will state evidence to argue the fact that the death penalty is not in the best interest of anyone involved nor is it a deterrent to murder and may well contribute to the murder of innocent individuals.
Background
The death penalty is considered by some as a necessary evil to deter dangerous crimes primarily murder and has been part of human society and its legal system for millennia. According to Louis P Pojman when anyone kills another human the only possible retribution is that the life of that person be given in exchange for the victims’ life. As individuals and governments began to see the far reaching disparities involved in the prosecution and conviction rates of the poor, mentally ill, minorities and those wrongly accused the more the death penalty has been called into question. As of 2009, fewer than 60 countries actively retain the death penalty according to deathwatch international. Some of the most common and brutal types of punishment has been; burning, hanging, drowning, crucifixion, dragging, boiling to death, electrocution, firing squad, gassing, lethal injection, hacked, whipping, the stockades, branding, cutting
Thou Shall Not Kill 3
off appendages, and maiming to name a few.. The social status of the condemned in some instances dictated which method of punishment was given to the convicted and in some cases determined if there was even a charge brought against the accused. In the case of an aristocrat a relatively painless, “respectable” way of execution was the sentence, whereas the common people received the most painful forms of execution – such as hanging,...
Introduction
The United States, China, Iran, and a few other countries continue to preserve the death penalty as an option. All European nations, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have abolished capital punishment while others have suspended execution of criminals sentenced to capital punishment (Stephen Bright). I will state evidence to argue the fact that the death penalty is not in the best interest of anyone involved nor is it a deterrent to murder and may well contribute to the murder of innocent individuals.
Background
The death penalty is considered by some as a necessary evil to deter dangerous crimes primarily murder and has been part of human society and its legal system for millennia. According to Louis P Pojman when anyone kills another human the only possible retribution is that the life of that person be given in exchange for the victims’ life. As individuals and governments began to see the far reaching disparities involved in the prosecution and conviction rates of the poor, mentally ill, minorities and those wrongly accused the more the death penalty has been called into question. As of 2009, fewer than 60 countries actively retain the death penalty according to deathwatch international. Some of the most common and brutal types of punishment has been; burning, hanging, drowning, crucifixion, dragging, boiling to death, electrocution, firing squad, gassing, lethal injection, hacked, whipping, the stockades, branding, cutting
Thou Shall Not Kill 3
off appendages, and maiming to name a few.. The social status of the condemned in some instances dictated which method of punishment was given to the convicted and in some cases determined if there was even a charge brought against the accused. In the case of an aristocrat a relatively painless, “respectable” way of execution was the sentence, whereas the common people received the most painful forms of execution – such as hanging,...