Argumentative Essay: Debating The Death Penalty
The death penalty has always been a controversial topic. Everyone has different views and opinions on how it should be handled and whether they agree or disagree with it. This paper will discuss a little bit of the history of how the death penalty came to be, how or if the death penalty deters people from committing murder, which states have abolished the death penalty and the opinion of a judge and a lawyer on the death penalty. I gathered my information from different resources including The Death Penalty by Ida Walker, Debating the Death Penalty edited by Hugo Bedau and Paul Cassell and a few Internet articles.
The British settlers brought the concept of capital punishment to America. The first execution in America was in 1608 in Jamestown, …show more content…
The result of capital punishment makes it impossible for the criminal to commit another crime. However, the question does arise about crime prevention. Is it knowing that they’ll take away your life the best way to deter you from committing a crime? The role of a sentence is also under debate. Is it meant to be rehabilitation or revenge? Proponents and opponents of the death penalty share a desire to punish criminal behavior and protect society. The two groups’ beliefs diverge in how those tasks are accomplished and whether the death penalty should be an …show more content…
Baal was on death row for murder and waived his right to an appeal. Kozinski shares his entire sleepless night as he couldn’t stop thinking of Baal and the fact that he was living his last moments. When he finally fell asleep he slept long enough to sleep through the time of the execution. Kozinski writes how grateful he was that he slept through because he couldn’t imagine “how Baal was strapped onto a gurney, how his vein was opened, how the deadly fluids were pumped into his body”. He says he finds it creepy “that we pervert instruments of healing by putting them to such an antithetical use”. He ends his essay expressing his utter opinion on the death penalty and why he does his job the way he does
“Despite the queasiness I still feel every time an execution is carried out in my jurisdiction, I tinker away. I do it because I have taken an oath. But there’s more. I do it because I believe that society is entitled to take the life of those who have shown utter contempt for the lives of others. And because I hear the tortured voices of the victims crying out to me for
The British settlers brought the concept of capital punishment to America. The first execution in America was in 1608 in Jamestown, …show more content…
The result of capital punishment makes it impossible for the criminal to commit another crime. However, the question does arise about crime prevention. Is it knowing that they’ll take away your life the best way to deter you from committing a crime? The role of a sentence is also under debate. Is it meant to be rehabilitation or revenge? Proponents and opponents of the death penalty share a desire to punish criminal behavior and protect society. The two groups’ beliefs diverge in how those tasks are accomplished and whether the death penalty should be an …show more content…
Baal was on death row for murder and waived his right to an appeal. Kozinski shares his entire sleepless night as he couldn’t stop thinking of Baal and the fact that he was living his last moments. When he finally fell asleep he slept long enough to sleep through the time of the execution. Kozinski writes how grateful he was that he slept through because he couldn’t imagine “how Baal was strapped onto a gurney, how his vein was opened, how the deadly fluids were pumped into his body”. He says he finds it creepy “that we pervert instruments of healing by putting them to such an antithetical use”. He ends his essay expressing his utter opinion on the death penalty and why he does his job the way he does
“Despite the queasiness I still feel every time an execution is carried out in my jurisdiction, I tinker away. I do it because I have taken an oath. But there’s more. I do it because I believe that society is entitled to take the life of those who have shown utter contempt for the lives of others. And because I hear the tortured voices of the victims crying out to me for