Capital Punishment
Capital Punishment by definition is stated as punishment by death for a crime; death penalty. Capital Punishment is the ultimate punishment for people who have committed capital crimes, mostly being murder. Capital Punishment has five different methods for executing a prisoner which are the following: Lethal Injection (the most common form), Electrocution (electric chair), Gas Chamber, Hanging, and Firing Squad. Capital punishments basic reason for being practiced is to deter violent or sexually violent behavior of children age thirteen or younger, and terrorist acts (example hijacking a plane). However is that really what is happening by the instatement of Capital Punishment or are we overlooking the reality of what it is doing to our Nation?
There are several key things that I would like to emphasize why capital punishment is wrong and should be abolished; they are the following
1. The death penalty is not fair.
2. The death penalty costs more.
3. It’s inhumane.
4. The death penalty does not deter crime.
First off the death penalty is not fair. Studies have shown that since 1973 over 130 people on death row have been released with evidence of their innocence. (www.deathpenaltyinfo.org) An example of the death penalty killing innocent people would be a man by the name of Jonathan Hoffman. Jonathan Hoffman was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of a jewelry store owner. During Hoffman’s first trial, the state’s key witness, Johnell Porter, made undisclosed deals with the prosecutors for testifying against his cousin. Porter has since recanted his testimony, stating that he lied in order to get back at his cousin for stealing money from him. However by the time his cousin admitted this, Jonathan had already been executed. Another example is a man by the name of Ray Krone. Ray Krone spent ten years on death row in Arizona for a murder he did not commit. He was the one hundredth person since 1973 that was released for his innocence. He was released in 2002. These two example are just a glimpse of why capital punishment should be abolished… we know of one person that died and was innocent and many more that were proven innocent and released, I ask you, when is the killing going to stop? (www.amnestyusa.org)
Secondly, financially the death penalty is much more expensive than a lifelong prison sentence without parole. In California the death penalty system costs taxpayers 114 million per year beyond the costs of keeping the convicts locked up for life. Taxpayers have paid more than 250 million for each of the state’s executions. In Texas, a death penalty case costs an average of 2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years. In Florida, enforcing the death penalty cost 51 million a year above what it would cost to punish all first degree murderers with life in prison without parole. Based on the 44 executions Florida had carried out since 1976, that amounts to a cost of 24 million for each execution. These examples and many others show just how financially irresponsible and wasteful capital punishment is compared to life imprisonment without parole. Again I ask you, when is the killing going to stop? (www.deathpenaltyinfo.org)
Thirdly, the death penalty is inhumane. Just look at the different ways that are legal to kill the prisoners. The most common form (and considered the most humane form) is lethal injection. People say they feel no pain and it’s a quick death, however its really not. The prisoner feels extreme pain, however usually it is not shown because the prisoner is paralyzed and not able to show anything. Many prisoners have burn marks on their body made by the chemicals that were injected into their bodies. Other problems that could cause extreme pain to the victim would be the execution team is not able to find a suitable vein, the mixture or composition of the drugs are wrong, the directioin of flow of the injection is wrong, the chemicals are directed into tissue rather than a vein, and lastly the prisoner does not react normally to the drugs. All of these different problems that happen regularly cause much pain for the prisoner and is not deterred. Now lets look at the other ways of executing the prisoners like the electric chair. Often time organs are spilled from the prisoners body, their eyes pop out, or there brain is completely melted or fried. This is completely disturbing and not a humane way to die, and the other ways just become worse and worse. Also, capital punishment deters the value of human life. With all these killings, what are we teaching the younger generations? Were teaching that if you screw big you are worthless and thus should be killed. Is this the kind of message we want to show our kids or even grandkids? Where will we draw on the value of human life first capital punishment, second abortion, third euthanasia, what s next? When is the killing going to stop?
Lastly, the death penalty does not deter crime. This is the one thing that should be positive of the outcome of capital punishment, however this is not accomplished. In fact murder rates are consistently lower in states without capital punishment compared to those states with capital punishment instated. Another example that it does not deter murder is a survey in 2008 of the former and present presidents of the country’s top academic criminological societies, 88% of these experts rejected the notion that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder. Also, consistent with previous years the 2008 FBI Uniform Crime Report showed that the South had the highest murder rate, while it accounted for over 80% of executions. The Northeast, which has less than 1% of all executions, again had the lowest murder rate. So with these facts is capital punishment really doing what is was designed to accomplish? Its like trying to make two positives equal a negative. It doesn’t ever work, just like killing someone because they killed someone. So again I ask you when is the killing going to stop?
I hope that your eyes have been opened to the realities of Capital Punishment and will help you make a clear decision of your support for or against it. Given the debate that you just listened to, in my opinion there isn’t sufficient evidence or reason to keep this as a political policy. Capital punishment is expensive, inhumane, doesn’t deter crime and is very flawed. What is so wrong for a convict to have life in prison instead of being killed? It would have more beneficial effects than negative effects on our society, on crime, and even on the prisoners themselves. It gives them a chance to become better people and even a chance to deal with problems and die in peace. Lifelong imprisonment is a much wiser alternative than killing the prisoners. We as society need to examine this issue and realize the realities of capital punishment rather than believing myths that people or government tells us. When is the killing going to stop?