Arguments Against Capital Punishment In The United States

Capital punishment, otherwise known as the death penalty, is a form of ultimate punishment that has been in practice since ancient times. Criminals who commit the most vile crimes pay with their life. Throughout the past few decades capital punishment has been in the controversial topic spotlight. The United States is the only western civilization that still holds the death penalty in practice. Despite capital punishment being legal in the United States, many states have abolished or placed prolonged moratoriums on this practice. There are strong arguments both for and against capital punishment within politics and day to day conversation. There is an infinitesimally miniscule chance of botched trials and executions occurring; however, the
It is argued that Midazolam, one of the drugs in the lethal cocktail injected into prisoners, is essentially “the chemical equivalent of being burned at the stake” (Capital Punishment). Due to this idea, opponents claim judicial murder violates both the 8th and 14th amendments. The 8th amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, whereas the 14th amendment provides equal protection to every citizen. Even the Supreme Court, the highest court in the United States, struck down this idea in the 2008 trial of Baze v. Rees (Capital Punishment). By a monumental margin, it was ruled that lethal; injection does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, therefore, capital punishment is to be considered constitutional. Despite the highest court’s ruling, many still believe capital punishment goes against modern societal ideals. However, “a person who takes a human life deserves to lose his or her own life” (Taylor). Capital punishment is for all intents and purposes the same concept as an eye for an eye. Also, it is a prime example of the golden rule; do unto others as you wish unto
Opponents often bring the possible chance of innocents being executed, the disproportionate sentencing against minorities, and the inhumanity of capital punishment. There are historical records and data that support their arguments, as well. Opponents was to delegitimize the law system by using solitary examples of inmates being exonerated for the same reasons as to why people are convicted in the first place - forensic evidence. Many of the innocents exonerated were convicted prior to DNA evidence was evaluated and processed. Also, police may have at one point mishandled evidence that possibly may have set an actual murderer free. In spite of all this, a few regrettable mistakes is no reason to abolish a punishment that works for the