DEATH PENALTY

Death Penalty

Abstract

Death penalty has a very ancient history; first official death penalty by law executed in the 18th century B.C. Later on, in the tenth century A.D. it became usual method to punish the offenders upon the seriousness of the crime. Laws relating to it are different from country to country and even form society to society. In USA, it remains a controversial issue that several times people come on streets in favor of it and some time for against it. Several times court made amendments in the law of the death penalty.

Death Penalty

Introduction

The death penalty is a controversial issue in our culture (Kronenwetter 2001). Many people support or oppose capital punishment. Many writers and researcher worked on this topic to date and gave several justifications in both favor and oppose (Kronenwetter 2001). Death Penalty is also very common with the name of capital punishment is the punishment of death for a person who has committed some offence or crime. Crimes that lead to the death penalty are serious crimes like murder, drugs smuggling, rape, theft of some confidential data etc (Kronenwetter 2001).

Discussion

Death penalty has come into criticism; as one group believes that the death penalty should not be abolished and criminals who have committed murders and other crimes should be given a death penalty (Kronenwetter 2001). Whereas, the other group, believes that the death penalty is harsh for a person, as it goes against humanity to torture a person to death. The author has compared and contrasted well-known theories of justice in context to the capital punishment. It has also covered in detail the death penalty practices that have been ongoing in the United States of America (Kronenwetter 2001). The purpose of the paper is to justify whether the death penalty is justified in the US or not.

The highly contentious topic of capital penalty is seen in today's society as an inhumane pattern of penalty for certain grave offenders. “The death punishment is not one of the 'cruel and odd punishments' prohibited by the Eight Amendment". Capital penalty has been round since the beginning of time as has the argument surrounding it (Baldus, Pulaski and Woodworth 2004). There have habitually been pros and cons to the death penalty as have the contentions that proceed with it. The crimes that were deserving of the death penalty have changed over the years but some have stayed the same throughout the centuries (Baldus, Pulaski and Woodworth 2004). Some persons have said that by allowing the murdering of a criminal, it will only educate other ones that revenge is what capital penalty is all about, instead of glimpsing it as a means to eliminating a hazard lastingly from society. Hopefully this essay will educate the reader on the importance of capital punishment (Baldus, Pulaski and Woodworth 2004).

Views in Opposition of Death Penalty

After Second World War, many countries restricted the death penalty due to some human laws impact and several other issues. USA retained the procedure of the death penalty with some limitations which ...