capital punishment essay

Submitted By kellysheabracuto
Words: 1798
Pages: 8
Open Document
Capital Punishment Isn’t the Answer
The use of capital punishment goes as far back as the early 1800’s. Although the death penalty is now called capital punishment, its ways of going through out its punishments have evolved into the new modern world. Back in the 1600s and it seemed to be used a lot more loosely than it is used now in our time. As a citizen of the 20th century I find that the death penalty is wrong in most cases. Innocent men in the past have been killed and once someone is dead there is no bringing them back. Also the ways that people die are definitely inhumane, even though most will argue that it isn’t. If you look at the past how it was used shows how evil people that run the nation can even act. Just because a murder murders someone doesn’t mean that the lesson to show others is used by murdering them.
The death penalty, or as it’s now called; capital punishment traces back to before America was even established as a country. The first legally executed death of a criminal was supposedly in 1622 of a man named Daniel Frank, which occurred in Virginia. Virginia had very loose laws on executing their people while other colonies had very strict laws and didn’t feel it had to be used every single day. Under the Capital Laws of New-England that went into effect between 1636-1647 the death penalty was inflicted on pre-meditated murder, sodomy, witchcraft, adultery, idolatry, blasphemy, assault in anger, rape, statutory rape, man stealing, perjury in a capital trial, rebellion, manslaughter, poisoning and bestiality. Some of those reasons for the death penalty seem reasonable, but executing a man for committing blasphemy and rebellion seem a little extreme. These executions of murder are not humane and the answer for anything.
In the tenth century A.D in Britain, the death penalty was very heavily used. Hanging was the method that they mostly resorted to. Following the 10th century, William the conqueror didn’t want any person to be hanged. He also didn’t want anyone to be killed in any circumstances except in the times of war, which he could not necessarily stop that. Although it wasn’t until the 16th century that henry VII took the power and executed an estimated amount of 72,000 people. There were executions being carried out for reasons such as capital offenses, be married to a Jewish person, treason, and not confessing to committing a crime. Some of his most commonly used methods of execution were boiling, burning at stake, hanging, beheading, and drawing and quartering. Even though all of these events happened way in the past and their laws weren’t like they are today they seem unlawful to do to any human being no matter what the crime was. In the twentieth century there are still many ways to legally execute a person. In America there are only five ways that the government can legally execute a man. The five ways are lethal injection, electrocution, the gas chamber, hanging, and a firing squad. The most common method used of all four of those is the lethal injection. Lethal injection is a fast and painful death, why give a man that caused so much pain a quick painless death.
Studies show that the most common race to be legally executed are the Caucasians and then following the Caucasians are the African Americans. Even though there is a higher percentage rate of the white Americans being executed doesn’t mean that the entire process is racist. There are many racial discrepancies that follow with capital punishment. The white ratio in America to black is a big difference. There are a lot more white people in American than there are black people, so statistically there should be more white males or females’ receiving the death penalty since there is a bigger amount of them. Even though there are a little bit less of black people receiving the death penalty, there is a higher ratio. Since there are less black Americans in our country, the amount that is actually receiving these penalties is a lot
Show More

Related Documents: capital punishment essay

Capital Punishment Essay

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN AMERICA The history of the death penalty is long and varied. Since human ethics and moral values are constantly evolving, so have our views on punishment and the death penalty. All we know about punishment and retribution has been passed down to us through common law. Capital punishment passed into the American justice system through English Common Laws. Crime and punishment played an important role in the settlements of Colonial America. “Two of the most important buildings…

Words 1860 - Pages 8

Punishment Capital Punishment Essay

Capital Punishment Capital punishment is and has been a major discussion point for many years and I personally believe it is time to bring it back. Not only will it lower the level of crime rates but it may also grant the victims’ families a bit of justice. Capital punishment should be brought back but only be used for the worst of crimes so it will only take place for the most heartless criminals. Although the death penalty may seem like a good option to put off crimes the statistics show otherwise…

Words 738 - Pages 3

Essay on Capital Punishment

When we hear the term capital punishment or the death penalty we often think of people being executed for the horrific crimes they committed. Justice is served. In ancient times any person could be sentenced to death for any charges brought about by their accusers. Often, many innocent people were condemned to die along with the guilty. Now that we are in the modern era, society has taken a different stance on capital punishment. Many countries have abolished the death penalty on the basis of…

Words 1491 - Pages 6

Capital Punishment Essay

Capital Punishment 3 United States government needs to go the opposite way because the United States government is in a lot of debt with other countries because of the wars. Many people can be wrongly accused of committing crimes and given capital punishment. “More then 170 people have been exonerated by DNA testing after being misidentified before conviction. In most murder cases there is no DNA present, only 10% of all murder cases there is DNA available (Cardozo).” If America doesn’t completely…

Words 503 - Pages 3

Capital Punishment Essay

Death Capital Punishment has always been a controversial topic in American history. From the Salem Witch Trials of burning individuals accused of practicing witchcraft, to lethal injections for persons found guilty of a heinous crime. These sentencing are based on the ancient quote/belief, “an eye for an eye” meaning if a person killed any other person then he should also be killed. Capital punishment was also established to detour criminal activity and to protect society. I believe that capital punishment…

Words 387 - Pages 2

View Capital Punishment Essay

Capital Punishment Capital punishment, or commonly referred to as the death penalty, is a very serious and tough is issue to debate, but it is extremely relevant in our current society. Capital punishment commonly defined as the practice of executing someone as punishment for a specific crime after a proper legal trial. Capital punishment has a long and ever expanding history in the world, and as a result, it has given way to a multitude of variations, which in their own respect, have given way…

Words 2473 - Pages 10

Essay on Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment When it comes to capital punishment I am against it. I don’t believe that someone should be killed for committing a murder because that just makes us a killer as well. If I were for capital punishment I guess it would be a way to send a warning to future criminals. Although murder still happens, maybe the person committing the crime might think about the consequences and decided to let the victim free because in the back of their head they think about the capital punishment.…

Words 840 - Pages 4

Essay on Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is a legal practice in which prisoners are executed as punishment by the state in accordance with judicial practice when they are convicted of committing a crime what is known as a “capital crime.” People may also use the term “death penalty” to refer to capital punishment. The judicial order that someone be punished in this procedure is a death sentence, while the actual process of killing the person is an execution .Worldwide, this practice is extremely controversial, with a…

Words 1326 - Pages 6

Capital Punishment Essay

and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments" (Bedeau 2). The death penalty is an unconstitutional punishment and should not even be considered to be part of the United States’ justice system. Although the death penalty can bring closure to a few relatives of murder victims, the execution of those convicted of murder violates basic human rights, can come at the cost of incompetent lawyers and, in many cases, the lives of innocent people. Capital punishment, better known…

Words 1553 - Pages 7

Essay Capital Punishment

After DNA testing, Damon was proved innocent (After fifteen years 1). Many innocent people wait years on death row much like Damon, but only some of them are proven innocent after it is already too late. Innocent lives have been lost due to capital punishment, which was first and foremost an exercise of state power that legitimated government authority and controlled crime; overall whose right is it to choose who lives and who dies? The death penalty was started to help control crime, protect…

Words 889 - Pages 4