Abolishing Death Penalty In The United States
Abolishing Capital Punishment
Capital punishment, more commonly referred to as the death penalty, has been a highly debated topic in our country for quite some time. In 1972, the Supreme Court case, Furman V. Georgia deemed the death penalty unconstitutional in a 5-4 ruling (“Death Penalty”). After that, capital punishment stopped being used. However, the ruling was short lived. Gregg V. Georgia was a Supreme Court case in 1976 that reinstated the use of the death penalty (“Death Penalty”). As it is surrounded by controversy, many citizens debate if the death penalty should be legal in the United States. The death penalty should be illegal in all 50 states because: it is unconstitutional; criminals get special treatment; and innocent people …show more content…
In the Constitution, the Founding Fathers stated every person has inalienable rights. The Constitution grants humans the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The dictionary defines inalienable as “impossible to take away or give up.” Meaning, the government has no right to take those freedoms away from us. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Beyer believes the death penalty has many defects that make it unconstitutional. He believes, “The death penalty is unreliable, it is arbitrary and there are delays that undermine the purpose.” (Heyns). On another note, using the lethal injection can be very inhumane, which is why many believe capital punishment is unconstitutional. One author sheds light on how gruesome lethal injection can be, “In 2014 the lethal injection took 40 minutes to kill Oklahoma inmate Clayton Derrell.” (Heyns). Many countries have outlawed the use of capital …show more content…
Capital punishment is a cruel and barbaric way to stop crime. Most kids have heard the expression “do not fight fire with fire.” Using the death penalty is doing just that. Punishing criminals for murder by doing exactly what landed them in jail in the first place seems counterproductive. Instead, making felons live in prison, reflecting on their actions, gives them the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. No one would be able to live with themselves if they were involved with an innocent man being wrongfully executed. Eliminating capital punishment would make that fear
Capital punishment, more commonly referred to as the death penalty, has been a highly debated topic in our country for quite some time. In 1972, the Supreme Court case, Furman V. Georgia deemed the death penalty unconstitutional in a 5-4 ruling (“Death Penalty”). After that, capital punishment stopped being used. However, the ruling was short lived. Gregg V. Georgia was a Supreme Court case in 1976 that reinstated the use of the death penalty (“Death Penalty”). As it is surrounded by controversy, many citizens debate if the death penalty should be legal in the United States. The death penalty should be illegal in all 50 states because: it is unconstitutional; criminals get special treatment; and innocent people …show more content…
In the Constitution, the Founding Fathers stated every person has inalienable rights. The Constitution grants humans the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The dictionary defines inalienable as “impossible to take away or give up.” Meaning, the government has no right to take those freedoms away from us. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Beyer believes the death penalty has many defects that make it unconstitutional. He believes, “The death penalty is unreliable, it is arbitrary and there are delays that undermine the purpose.” (Heyns). On another note, using the lethal injection can be very inhumane, which is why many believe capital punishment is unconstitutional. One author sheds light on how gruesome lethal injection can be, “In 2014 the lethal injection took 40 minutes to kill Oklahoma inmate Clayton Derrell.” (Heyns). Many countries have outlawed the use of capital …show more content…
Capital punishment is a cruel and barbaric way to stop crime. Most kids have heard the expression “do not fight fire with fire.” Using the death penalty is doing just that. Punishing criminals for murder by doing exactly what landed them in jail in the first place seems counterproductive. Instead, making felons live in prison, reflecting on their actions, gives them the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. No one would be able to live with themselves if they were involved with an innocent man being wrongfully executed. Eliminating capital punishment would make that fear