Green Mile Death Penalty
Against Capital Punishment One of the scenes from Green Mile, a film staring the famous Tom Hanks, portrays a scene where a prisoner is sentenced to death. The prisoner sat in a chair, strapped down, with a wet sponge on top of his head as electricity begins to flow through his body. His limbs and torso are jerked all over the place and pain is clearly seen. Later on in the movie, John Coffey, who was an innocent man who was sentenced to the death penalty for a crime he was accused of. Sadly in our judicial system there are people who end up getting sentenced to life while they never have committed the crime. These people could be put to the death penalty for no reason whatsoever. Could you live with yourself if you knew someone was killed
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by the death penalty after finding out they were wrongly accused? Or even, could you handle having the power to kill someone for something they did wrong? Morally and religiously people have varied opinions when it comes to capital punishment, but it is becoming more and more unpopular as time has progressed. Another reason behind this is because of its effectiveness. It is unclear whether or not the death penalty actually makes a difference in the society we live in today. Capital punishment goes against many morals and religions as it is becoming more unpopular across the world with a question of its effectiveness. The effectiveness of capital punishment is under question. Fifty-eight percent of police chiefs philosophically support the death penalty, but do not believe that it has an effect in law enforcement. This is against the thirty-four percent that believe it does have an impact and works well in our law enforcement (Police Chiefs Reject Effectiveness of Death Penalty). In addition, few states even execute their ability of the death penalty. As of 2000, there were over four-thousand inmates on death row in thirty-seven different states. Of these four-thousand inmates only ten percent of them could afford a lawyer (We, On Death Row). This tells us that many were quite poor and couldn’t afford a better lawyer that possibly could have gotten them out of the death penalty. Also, with our judicial system people can get accused and convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. There have been eighteen people with an average sentence of eleven years have been released of their charges due to DNA evidence since 1993 (Caplan, Lincoln). Any on of these people could’ve been on death row wrongfully. There are loopholes where people could get out of the death penalty. This happened in a Supreme Court ruling where the execution of a mentally retarded person is unconstitutional. People have said that they were mentally ill after the crime had already been committed. In this case with Warren Lee Hill, they took seven experts to decide whether or not he was considered mentally handicapped and four of the seven said he was. This meant he was taken off of the death penalty after killing two people (Caplan, Lincoln ). The effectiveness of capital punishment seems to be ineffective as our law enforcement agrees and the loop holes to get out of death row, while there’s a possibility of killing an innocent person. Not only is the effectiveness of capital punishment seem to diminish, so does its popularity. Over the past six years, six states have abolished the death penalty. This brings the number to 18 states that no longer support death row (Caplan, Lincoln). Twenty-one nations eradicated capital punishment in 1970, however today there are over one hundred and three nations have. Also, thirty-six of the countries that do have the option of capital punishments haven’t used it for over a decade (Asia 's dying death penalty). Democratic societies have started to venture away from death row, which may be some of the reasoning behind the increasing unpopularity. China, between 1998-2000, was said to have about fifteen-thousand executions per year. That number has significantly dropped to around five-thousand in 2008 (Asia 's dying death penalty). Internationally, people are beginning to gravitate away from capital punishment, whether it is the complete abolishment of it or a significant decrease in its usage. Morally and religiously, this is a very controversial topic. In the Bible John 8:7 it states
that “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” This would first seem as a statement favoring the death penalty, but I see it in a different light. You have to be without sin, however in the Bible it also says that everyone has sinned. So would no one be able to throw the first stone? Roman Catholicism is one of the largest subset of Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church is against the death penalty (USCCB). Also the Union of Orthodox Jewish congregations, which include over a thousand congregations nationwide, have imposed a moratorium of capital punishment (OU Endorses Death Penalty Moratorium). Buddhism is another religion that favors against death row. They believe in more of a reformative approach than disciplinary approach such as this (Buddhism and Capital Punishment). From the moral standpoint, do you believe the saying “eye for an eye”? This question is directly related to this scenario. Should Bernard Madoff be put on death row seeing that he is sentenced to one hundred fifty years? He stole from a lot of people but he would be considered on the chopping block in some people’s eyes. He didn’t kill any one however, so it wouldn’t be considered moral. Not everyone put on death row has committed murder, so the “eye for an eye” wouldn’t seem like a fair trade. Also what used to be believed as a quick death by lethal injection, has seemed much more painful than previously thought (We, On Death Row). Excruciating pain shouldn’t be the last thing any person should go through before their death. On top of this, the majority of adults and political parties agree that they would prefer life sentences than the death penalty (Life in Prison Is Preferred over the Death Penalty). It is morally wrong to kill someone in general, even if they seem to deserve it. With morals and religions in mind, the death penalty is not in favor. In conclusion, the death penalty should be abolished and more than likely will as time progresses. As the world viewed as a single society, capital punishment is being left behind whether it’s the lack of its usage over time or abolishment. The effectiveness contributes to its unpopularity because if we are killing individuals without seeing positive results on society, than was it worth killing that person in the first place? We are living in a time where capital punishment is under scrutiny based off of its effectiveness and how it goes against the morals and religious backgrounds of many people of the world.
Bibliography
"Asia 's dying death penalty." The Wilson Quarterly 34.4 (2010): 87+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"We, On Death Row." Human and Civil Rights: Essential Primary Sources.
Ed. Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and K. Lee Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 176-179. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
Caplan, Lincoln. "The withered writ: habeas corpus, the age-old means for prisoners to challenge their detention, has never been more restricted than it is now." The American Prospect 24.4 (2013): 42+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
"Life in Prison Is Preferred over the Death Penalty." The Death Penalty. Ed. Jenny Cromie and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints.Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"Police Chiefs Reject Effectiveness of Death Penalty." Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime? Ed. Stephen E. Schonebaum. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
"OU Endorses Death Penalty Moratorium." OU Advocacy Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"Buddhism and Capital Punishment." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"USCCB - The Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty." USCCB - The Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept.
2013.
by the death penalty after finding out they were wrongly accused? Or even, could you handle having the power to kill someone for something they did wrong? Morally and religiously people have varied opinions when it comes to capital punishment, but it is becoming more and more unpopular as time has progressed. Another reason behind this is because of its effectiveness. It is unclear whether or not the death penalty actually makes a difference in the society we live in today. Capital punishment goes against many morals and religions as it is becoming more unpopular across the world with a question of its effectiveness. The effectiveness of capital punishment is under question. Fifty-eight percent of police chiefs philosophically support the death penalty, but do not believe that it has an effect in law enforcement. This is against the thirty-four percent that believe it does have an impact and works well in our law enforcement (Police Chiefs Reject Effectiveness of Death Penalty). In addition, few states even execute their ability of the death penalty. As of 2000, there were over four-thousand inmates on death row in thirty-seven different states. Of these four-thousand inmates only ten percent of them could afford a lawyer (We, On Death Row). This tells us that many were quite poor and couldn’t afford a better lawyer that possibly could have gotten them out of the death penalty. Also, with our judicial system people can get accused and convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. There have been eighteen people with an average sentence of eleven years have been released of their charges due to DNA evidence since 1993 (Caplan, Lincoln). Any on of these people could’ve been on death row wrongfully. There are loopholes where people could get out of the death penalty. This happened in a Supreme Court ruling where the execution of a mentally retarded person is unconstitutional. People have said that they were mentally ill after the crime had already been committed. In this case with Warren Lee Hill, they took seven experts to decide whether or not he was considered mentally handicapped and four of the seven said he was. This meant he was taken off of the death penalty after killing two people (Caplan, Lincoln ). The effectiveness of capital punishment seems to be ineffective as our law enforcement agrees and the loop holes to get out of death row, while there’s a possibility of killing an innocent person. Not only is the effectiveness of capital punishment seem to diminish, so does its popularity. Over the past six years, six states have abolished the death penalty. This brings the number to 18 states that no longer support death row (Caplan, Lincoln). Twenty-one nations eradicated capital punishment in 1970, however today there are over one hundred and three nations have. Also, thirty-six of the countries that do have the option of capital punishments haven’t used it for over a decade (Asia 's dying death penalty). Democratic societies have started to venture away from death row, which may be some of the reasoning behind the increasing unpopularity. China, between 1998-2000, was said to have about fifteen-thousand executions per year. That number has significantly dropped to around five-thousand in 2008 (Asia 's dying death penalty). Internationally, people are beginning to gravitate away from capital punishment, whether it is the complete abolishment of it or a significant decrease in its usage. Morally and religiously, this is a very controversial topic. In the Bible John 8:7 it states
that “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” This would first seem as a statement favoring the death penalty, but I see it in a different light. You have to be without sin, however in the Bible it also says that everyone has sinned. So would no one be able to throw the first stone? Roman Catholicism is one of the largest subset of Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church is against the death penalty (USCCB). Also the Union of Orthodox Jewish congregations, which include over a thousand congregations nationwide, have imposed a moratorium of capital punishment (OU Endorses Death Penalty Moratorium). Buddhism is another religion that favors against death row. They believe in more of a reformative approach than disciplinary approach such as this (Buddhism and Capital Punishment). From the moral standpoint, do you believe the saying “eye for an eye”? This question is directly related to this scenario. Should Bernard Madoff be put on death row seeing that he is sentenced to one hundred fifty years? He stole from a lot of people but he would be considered on the chopping block in some people’s eyes. He didn’t kill any one however, so it wouldn’t be considered moral. Not everyone put on death row has committed murder, so the “eye for an eye” wouldn’t seem like a fair trade. Also what used to be believed as a quick death by lethal injection, has seemed much more painful than previously thought (We, On Death Row). Excruciating pain shouldn’t be the last thing any person should go through before their death. On top of this, the majority of adults and political parties agree that they would prefer life sentences than the death penalty (Life in Prison Is Preferred over the Death Penalty). It is morally wrong to kill someone in general, even if they seem to deserve it. With morals and religions in mind, the death penalty is not in favor. In conclusion, the death penalty should be abolished and more than likely will as time progresses. As the world viewed as a single society, capital punishment is being left behind whether it’s the lack of its usage over time or abolishment. The effectiveness contributes to its unpopularity because if we are killing individuals without seeing positive results on society, than was it worth killing that person in the first place? We are living in a time where capital punishment is under scrutiny based off of its effectiveness and how it goes against the morals and religious backgrounds of many people of the world.
Bibliography
"Asia 's dying death penalty." The Wilson Quarterly 34.4 (2010): 87+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"We, On Death Row." Human and Civil Rights: Essential Primary Sources.
Ed. Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and K. Lee Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 176-179. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
Caplan, Lincoln. "The withered writ: habeas corpus, the age-old means for prisoners to challenge their detention, has never been more restricted than it is now." The American Prospect 24.4 (2013): 42+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
"Life in Prison Is Preferred over the Death Penalty." The Death Penalty. Ed. Jenny Cromie and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints.Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"Police Chiefs Reject Effectiveness of Death Penalty." Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime? Ed. Stephen E. Schonebaum. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
"OU Endorses Death Penalty Moratorium." OU Advocacy Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"Buddhism and Capital Punishment." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"USCCB - The Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty." USCCB - The Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept.
2013.