Argumentative Essay: Pro Death Penalty
P.J. Harmon
Professor Branch
Ethics
7 November 2011 Pro-Death Penalty
The death penalty. Have we given much thought about it lately? I can honestly say that it was not at the top of my conversation list of things to think about today. I’m going to school to become a registered nurse, and people want to know how I can be Pro-Death if I’m part of saving lives. So, I tell them I am Pro-Death Penalty, due to the fact that there are millions of people out there every day taking away our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Just since (2011), in the month of September in the United States alone, there were seven inmates executed for murder combined with aggravating circumstances. (“Death”) I am a Christian …show more content…
who believes that we all have sinned and fall short in the sight of ” God Almighty”, and having said that I also believe what it says in the Bible that the wages of sin is death. We can definitely say we have a crime problem here in the United States.
The crimes that lead someone to the death penalty are just so incredibly pre-calculated and cold that they warrant the death penalty. Right now, as I give this information we have over (2,000,000) million people incarcerated in prison. (“Statistics”) There are those who have had a sentence of death and have spent ten plus years waiting for the execution date. When you think about that in terms of the tax payer’s money, it becomes a shocking revolution. For instance, for every one inmate it cost $134.00 per day. (“Statistics”) So let’s say that there are just a mere twenty inmates, that are to be housed, that have been sentenced to the death penalty, and they are waiting to die, so we are still obligated to care for them costing the tax payer and the state, twenty inmates times $134.00 per day, times one year equals, a whopping ($ 978,200) per year. (“Statistics”) Unfortunately that’s not counting the other (2,000,000) inmates that we are responsible for as tax payers. I want you to imagine, if it is at all possible, the money that has to be spent to maintain the jails, and the equipment, not to mention the salaries of the employees’ that has to work to keep the inmates and jails up and running. The amount of money it takes to run the criminal justice program is staggering. Lets’ not forget the reason most of those criminals are in jail. They are there for drugs, robbery, shooting crimes, rape, murder and far too many others to mention. The ones that are there for murder with aggravating circumstances, are the ones that have brutally killed there victims. I would like to paint a picture, not a pretty one, but a picture none the less of two of the seven inmates that were executed in September, four were in the state of Texas, one each in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. (Upcoming executions) These two inmates that were widely publicized, “ Lawrence Brewer” for the dragging death of James Byrd, Jr. in (1998), and “Troy Davis” for the shooting death of an off duty police officer in ( 1989). (“ABC news”) These men had been on death row awaiting execution for combined total of thirty-five years for their crimes. Maybe, giving more information as to the crimes the men committed will help in understanding my decision for the Pro- Death penalty. The first and most brutal hate crimes is that one of Lawrence Russell Brewer, who was executed in (2011) for the dragging death of 49-year-old James Byrd, Jr.in (1998). (“Murder of Byrd”) The crime so gruesome, that the mere mentioning of it to those who knew this man, could not believe the magnitude of such a hate crime, in their State of Texas. On a blistering hot summer afternoon James Byrd, Jr. was walking on some old back road in Beaumont, Texas way out in the middle of nowhere. I imagine to his surprise, he not thinking an old red pick-up truck would happen up on him, out of the blue, and let alone offering him a ride, but this would be the last ride James Byrd, Jr. would ever take, for there were three men in that truck and they would take Mr. Byrd off the back of that truck, and beat him with a ball bat, while the beating was going on, the other two men urinated all over Mr. Byrd. Then the leader, Lawrence Brewer wrapped Mr. Byrd’s feet and ankles with a logging chain he had picked up from the back of his truck, hooking him to the back of that old red pick-up, and preceded to drag him through those old back roads of Texas, leaving what the police later stated to be over eighty-one pieces of flesh from Mr. Byrd’s body strewn all over those old back roads, by now, we would have to think that this poor man would surely have to be dead, but No! Mr. Byrd was dragged for miles and miles until Lawrence Brewer hit a culvert in the road while swerving back and forth severing his whole right arm, shoulder and head clean off of his body. Brewer continued to drag Mr.
Byrd’s body, until they reached an Old African-American Church. Where that old red pick-up proceeded to a stop and dropped what was left of Mr. Byrd’s torn and decapitated body there for the members of that church to find, as Brewer drove off not even considering the magnitude what they had done to Mr. Byrd and his family, Brewer and his accomplices headed off to a good old fashion bar-be-cue not once looking back in regret. We get sick when we learn of brutal murders like this one, but just imagine that family as they wait for Lawrence Brewer to receive his justice thirteen years later, and his accomplices who are serving life on lesser charges, wondering if in some way something would happen to let this animal back out in society amongst us just to repeat a horrendous crime again. These are just a few that show what people are capable of doing. (Brewer …show more content…
execution)
This is one that still has me scratching my head in disbelief, Terry Douglas Clark, was convicted of kidnapping, raping and murdering a 6-year-old child in (1984). At the end of his trial he was let out on a (50,000) dollar bond, when just two years later in (1986), he again kidnapped a 9-year-old girl named Dena Lynn Gore, raping and shooting her in the back of the head 3 times after she told him, he was going to pay for what he had done to her. Unfortunately, if he had been put to death the first time, this little girl would be here to have a family of her own. The judge in this case should have been held accountable for this child as well as Terry Clark. . (Clark execution)
Then there is Robert W.
Jackson III, who was executed in (2011) for the ax murder of a 47-year-old woman brutally bludgeoning the woman to death for $60.00 to buy crack. (“Milford Beacon”) I know that our system works, and that the death penalty is there to put a stop to the aggravated offenders, and we as a whole have to stand by our government, and do what is right for our neighbors. A person committing a crime of aggravated murder should not be allowed to spend more than two years waiting an execution date; the punishment should be carried out as swiftly as the life they took away. No family should have to be reminded needlessly, that their loved one was brutally taken from them in any way other than by life’s own
designs.
There are currently thirty-five states that uphold the death penalty. The Federal Government also upholds the death penalty. Thus, leaving fifteen states that allow murders to live happily and comfortable in jail for the rest of their natural lives at our expense. There are approximately (3,260) inmates waiting on death row for their execution date, of which sixty-one are women. The average time spent waiting on execution is an outstanding fourteen years. California has the most awaiting on execution with a total of (695) inmates, Florida has the next highest with (400) and that leaves Texas with (335) inmates. (“Death”) Odd comes to mind when talk about the military having eight of its own awaiting execution, it makes us wonder what did they do? Treason, Murder maybe who knows they never even talk about them its only when we come across them in our research do we find out. The death penalty sentences that are handed down have dramatically declined since the (1990’s), which had (300) sentences compared to (2010) which had (114) death sentences handed down. If we were to look at an average year there are an estimated (20,000) murders and (15,000) arrests for murder that have been thrown out for the lack of evidence. There are over (10,000) murder convictions with (3000) of those who are eligible for the death penalty. (Statistics) Our justice system still offers several methods for death row inmates to choose from, even though their victims had no choice at all. The inmates have several choices as to how they wish to die one being a lethal injection that consist of three different intravenous drugs called the cocktail. The first injection is made up of sodium thiopental, which is a sedative that induces a deep coma like consciousness, the second injection is made up of pancuronium bromide, it is a paralytic agent, and the third is potassium chloride which stops the heart, the electric chair, firing squad, and hanging. Of which lethal injection is the mostly widely used. (“Death”)
That’s why I choose death for those who have chosen for themselves to give up that right by taken someone else’s precious right to live. Give some thought to the Death penalty. After reading this do a little research of your own and determine what side of the fence you stand on for or against.
Works Cited
“Death penalty” procon.org, last updated on 8/29/2011
US Department of Justice, US Bureau of justice Statistics
9/10/2011
http://deathpenalty.procon.org/veiw.resource.php?resourceID=001623&print=true
“Statistics” antideathpenalty.org (Last modified in January, 2011) http://www.antideathpenalty.org/statistics.html “Troy Davis Executed after Stay Denied by Supreme Court” - ABC News (Last modified on September, 2011) http://abcnews.go.com/US/troy-davis-executed-stay-denied-supreme-court/story?id=1457 Robert W. Jackson III executed early Friday Morning-Milford, DE- Milford Beacon (Last updated July 29, 2011 @10:55 AM.) Community News http://www.milfordbeacon.com/features/x2014920763/Robert-W-Jackson-III-excuted-ea
Murder of James Byrd, Jr. / Ask.com Encyclopedia (Last modified on OCT. 4, 2011) http://www.ask.com/wiki/Murder_of_James_Byrd,_Jr.
Albuquerque Tribune – The Terry Clark Story - Links to News Stories: Updated November, 07- 2001
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/clark741.htm
Professor Branch
Ethics
7 November 2011 Pro-Death Penalty
The death penalty. Have we given much thought about it lately? I can honestly say that it was not at the top of my conversation list of things to think about today. I’m going to school to become a registered nurse, and people want to know how I can be Pro-Death if I’m part of saving lives. So, I tell them I am Pro-Death Penalty, due to the fact that there are millions of people out there every day taking away our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Just since (2011), in the month of September in the United States alone, there were seven inmates executed for murder combined with aggravating circumstances. (“Death”) I am a Christian …show more content…
who believes that we all have sinned and fall short in the sight of ” God Almighty”, and having said that I also believe what it says in the Bible that the wages of sin is death. We can definitely say we have a crime problem here in the United States.
The crimes that lead someone to the death penalty are just so incredibly pre-calculated and cold that they warrant the death penalty. Right now, as I give this information we have over (2,000,000) million people incarcerated in prison. (“Statistics”) There are those who have had a sentence of death and have spent ten plus years waiting for the execution date. When you think about that in terms of the tax payer’s money, it becomes a shocking revolution. For instance, for every one inmate it cost $134.00 per day. (“Statistics”) So let’s say that there are just a mere twenty inmates, that are to be housed, that have been sentenced to the death penalty, and they are waiting to die, so we are still obligated to care for them costing the tax payer and the state, twenty inmates times $134.00 per day, times one year equals, a whopping ($ 978,200) per year. (“Statistics”) Unfortunately that’s not counting the other (2,000,000) inmates that we are responsible for as tax payers. I want you to imagine, if it is at all possible, the money that has to be spent to maintain the jails, and the equipment, not to mention the salaries of the employees’ that has to work to keep the inmates and jails up and running. The amount of money it takes to run the criminal justice program is staggering. Lets’ not forget the reason most of those criminals are in jail. They are there for drugs, robbery, shooting crimes, rape, murder and far too many others to mention. The ones that are there for murder with aggravating circumstances, are the ones that have brutally killed there victims. I would like to paint a picture, not a pretty one, but a picture none the less of two of the seven inmates that were executed in September, four were in the state of Texas, one each in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. (Upcoming executions) These two inmates that were widely publicized, “ Lawrence Brewer” for the dragging death of James Byrd, Jr. in (1998), and “Troy Davis” for the shooting death of an off duty police officer in ( 1989). (“ABC news”) These men had been on death row awaiting execution for combined total of thirty-five years for their crimes. Maybe, giving more information as to the crimes the men committed will help in understanding my decision for the Pro- Death penalty. The first and most brutal hate crimes is that one of Lawrence Russell Brewer, who was executed in (2011) for the dragging death of 49-year-old James Byrd, Jr.in (1998). (“Murder of Byrd”) The crime so gruesome, that the mere mentioning of it to those who knew this man, could not believe the magnitude of such a hate crime, in their State of Texas. On a blistering hot summer afternoon James Byrd, Jr. was walking on some old back road in Beaumont, Texas way out in the middle of nowhere. I imagine to his surprise, he not thinking an old red pick-up truck would happen up on him, out of the blue, and let alone offering him a ride, but this would be the last ride James Byrd, Jr. would ever take, for there were three men in that truck and they would take Mr. Byrd off the back of that truck, and beat him with a ball bat, while the beating was going on, the other two men urinated all over Mr. Byrd. Then the leader, Lawrence Brewer wrapped Mr. Byrd’s feet and ankles with a logging chain he had picked up from the back of his truck, hooking him to the back of that old red pick-up, and preceded to drag him through those old back roads of Texas, leaving what the police later stated to be over eighty-one pieces of flesh from Mr. Byrd’s body strewn all over those old back roads, by now, we would have to think that this poor man would surely have to be dead, but No! Mr. Byrd was dragged for miles and miles until Lawrence Brewer hit a culvert in the road while swerving back and forth severing his whole right arm, shoulder and head clean off of his body. Brewer continued to drag Mr.
Byrd’s body, until they reached an Old African-American Church. Where that old red pick-up proceeded to a stop and dropped what was left of Mr. Byrd’s torn and decapitated body there for the members of that church to find, as Brewer drove off not even considering the magnitude what they had done to Mr. Byrd and his family, Brewer and his accomplices headed off to a good old fashion bar-be-cue not once looking back in regret. We get sick when we learn of brutal murders like this one, but just imagine that family as they wait for Lawrence Brewer to receive his justice thirteen years later, and his accomplices who are serving life on lesser charges, wondering if in some way something would happen to let this animal back out in society amongst us just to repeat a horrendous crime again. These are just a few that show what people are capable of doing. (Brewer …show more content…
execution)
This is one that still has me scratching my head in disbelief, Terry Douglas Clark, was convicted of kidnapping, raping and murdering a 6-year-old child in (1984). At the end of his trial he was let out on a (50,000) dollar bond, when just two years later in (1986), he again kidnapped a 9-year-old girl named Dena Lynn Gore, raping and shooting her in the back of the head 3 times after she told him, he was going to pay for what he had done to her. Unfortunately, if he had been put to death the first time, this little girl would be here to have a family of her own. The judge in this case should have been held accountable for this child as well as Terry Clark. . (Clark execution)
Then there is Robert W.
Jackson III, who was executed in (2011) for the ax murder of a 47-year-old woman brutally bludgeoning the woman to death for $60.00 to buy crack. (“Milford Beacon”) I know that our system works, and that the death penalty is there to put a stop to the aggravated offenders, and we as a whole have to stand by our government, and do what is right for our neighbors. A person committing a crime of aggravated murder should not be allowed to spend more than two years waiting an execution date; the punishment should be carried out as swiftly as the life they took away. No family should have to be reminded needlessly, that their loved one was brutally taken from them in any way other than by life’s own
designs.
There are currently thirty-five states that uphold the death penalty. The Federal Government also upholds the death penalty. Thus, leaving fifteen states that allow murders to live happily and comfortable in jail for the rest of their natural lives at our expense. There are approximately (3,260) inmates waiting on death row for their execution date, of which sixty-one are women. The average time spent waiting on execution is an outstanding fourteen years. California has the most awaiting on execution with a total of (695) inmates, Florida has the next highest with (400) and that leaves Texas with (335) inmates. (“Death”) Odd comes to mind when talk about the military having eight of its own awaiting execution, it makes us wonder what did they do? Treason, Murder maybe who knows they never even talk about them its only when we come across them in our research do we find out. The death penalty sentences that are handed down have dramatically declined since the (1990’s), which had (300) sentences compared to (2010) which had (114) death sentences handed down. If we were to look at an average year there are an estimated (20,000) murders and (15,000) arrests for murder that have been thrown out for the lack of evidence. There are over (10,000) murder convictions with (3000) of those who are eligible for the death penalty. (Statistics) Our justice system still offers several methods for death row inmates to choose from, even though their victims had no choice at all. The inmates have several choices as to how they wish to die one being a lethal injection that consist of three different intravenous drugs called the cocktail. The first injection is made up of sodium thiopental, which is a sedative that induces a deep coma like consciousness, the second injection is made up of pancuronium bromide, it is a paralytic agent, and the third is potassium chloride which stops the heart, the electric chair, firing squad, and hanging. Of which lethal injection is the mostly widely used. (“Death”)
That’s why I choose death for those who have chosen for themselves to give up that right by taken someone else’s precious right to live. Give some thought to the Death penalty. After reading this do a little research of your own and determine what side of the fence you stand on for or against.
Works Cited
“Death penalty” procon.org, last updated on 8/29/2011
US Department of Justice, US Bureau of justice Statistics
9/10/2011
http://deathpenalty.procon.org/veiw.resource.php?resourceID=001623&print=true
“Statistics” antideathpenalty.org (Last modified in January, 2011) http://www.antideathpenalty.org/statistics.html “Troy Davis Executed after Stay Denied by Supreme Court” - ABC News (Last modified on September, 2011) http://abcnews.go.com/US/troy-davis-executed-stay-denied-supreme-court/story?id=1457 Robert W. Jackson III executed early Friday Morning-Milford, DE- Milford Beacon (Last updated July 29, 2011 @10:55 AM.) Community News http://www.milfordbeacon.com/features/x2014920763/Robert-W-Jackson-III-excuted-ea
Murder of James Byrd, Jr. / Ask.com Encyclopedia (Last modified on OCT. 4, 2011) http://www.ask.com/wiki/Murder_of_James_Byrd,_Jr.
Albuquerque Tribune – The Terry Clark Story - Links to News Stories: Updated November, 07- 2001
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/clark741.htm