Okay guys, I'm writing a paper for a college class, and I chose the death penalty or capital punishment as my subject.

I have to present my argument and also address or prove wrong the counterarguments in my paper.

I'm not sure which side to write about.

Post some of your arguments/counterarguments and help me out?

But please don't fight, I'm just trying to to extend my research for my paper. I've found some information supporting a ban on the death penalty and some that says the death penalty should not be banned...


Try to use facts and statistics, but also maybe some emotional things if you want, I've not decided which angle I will go from yet.


Thanks in advance for your help!

Your school or public library should have a nifty little book (part of a series called Opposing Viewpoints) on capital punishment. Half of the book gives pros, and half cons. The series publisher is Greenwood Press. Others have to do with abortion, drugs, gun control, civil rights, etc.

*I've seen dead man walking, it doesn't really present and facts though..

Thanks wondergirl, I will look for it. :)

Like, I'm not sure if I should go at it emotionally, for which I'm all for the capital punishment, the victim's suffering on the behalf of the murderer (which is the least crime the penalty is given for in all states today) constitutes the punishment, it's deserved, but factually, I'm against it... it is not only racist but innocent people are occasionally put to death. Most people support the death penalty but I think it's an emotional/restitution/revenge/eye for an eye/ thing, which is supposed to be wrong but feels right?

I don't know. Anyone got any facts that might help?

For the death penalty:, if they get back into the public and god knows it won't be as long as the judge says, they'll thinkthey got away with it and won't be afraid of doing it again

I agree, there needs to be more life without ANY CHANCE of parole (unless the charges are overturned based on new evidence) sentences if they don't want to use the death penalty, but I think that a murder, just like a rapist or child molestor, can not be rehabilitated and deserves capital punishment.

I'm not trying to be offensive to anyone, just stating my opinion.

I am for it because I feel in my heart that heinous crimes need to be punished severely, and they took away or ruined someone's life so justice has to be served.

I am against it in the facts area because of the racism issue and the fact that some innocent people are put to death, but I feel that killing a murderer is killing a murderer, not killing your neighbor.

Hello charlotte:

Not ALL people killed by the state are murderers. Nope, they even kill drug dealers.

excon

That's a good thing

Hello allbear:

Capital punishment is barbaric. Killing someone because of an ECONOMIC crime is beyond barbarism, it's insanity.

excon

I'm against it for that reason... Judges and Jurys are human too, and they (often) make mistakes... there's no way of overturning a death penalty!

I find it amazing that a Christian country like America can still happily have States that have the death penalty... surely to God there's some sort of Commandment against this sort of thing?

J

I wish they had the death penalty here, it would greatly reduce major crimes

What makes you think that then?

Generally because people don't want to die

I've done research actually, on the people who were killed by the death penalty, and there are 2 states who have laws stating they can execute peopl e for drug trafficking (major drugs) and those states are Florida (drugs coming from cuba?) and Missouri, however, no one is currently on death row for drug trafficking.

Death Penalty for Offenses Other Than Murder


Either way, someone drug trafficking enough drugs to institute them receiving the death penalty are selling and involved in huge drug trades that cause the deaths and ruin the lives of many people, so I can see why it's acceptable in some cases, although not any of these people are currently on death row.

Generally because people don't want to die


No one wants to be murdered either, but the killer takes their life away.

(Note, if you make an argument, I'm going to argue against, I need both sides for my paper so thank you all, I'm not trying to be rude.)

I wish they had the death penalty here, it would greatly reduce major crimes


There is no evidence that shows the death penalty deters crime, it seems to not have an effect on murders and major crimes punishable by the detah penalty, mostly I'm guessing because people don't care if they're involved in these crimes or they don't think of the consequences.

Hello again, charlotte:

You make a lot of assumptions, most of them wrong. There is a federal death penalty. It covers ALL the states. IF someone brought in a lot of pot, which, of course, never killed anybody nor has it ruined anybody’s lives, he can still be put to death for it.

It's shameful.

excon

I'm against it for that reason... Judges and Jurys are human too, and they (often) make mistakes... there's no way of overturning a death penalty!

A total of 69 people have been released from death row since 1973 after evidence of their innocence emerged. Twenty-one condemned inmates have been released since 1993, including seven from the state of Illinois alone. Many of these cases were discovered not because of the normal appeals process, but rather as a result of new scientific techniques, investigations by journalists, and the dedicated work of expert attorneys, not available to the typical death row inmate.


69 sentences overturned, 3,350 people currently on death row, (source: Bureau of Justice Statistics Publications Alphabetical Listing)

current executions: (updated sept 28, 2007)

Total since 1976 (including 2007): 1099
Executions in 2007: 42
Executions in 2006: 53

Hello again, charlotte:

You make a lot of assumptions, most of them wrong. There is a federal death penalty. It covers ALL the states. IF someone brought in a lot of pot, which, of course, never killed anybody nor has it ruined anybody’s lives, he can still be put to death for it.


true, but no one is currently on death row for drug crimes, and marijuana is not typically punished as severely as crimes involving other (much more dangerous) narcotics.

There is a federal death penalty

True, also, but only 37 executions have ever taken place on order of "federal death penalty" none for drug crimes.


Source: General Services Administration, October 12, 1993 (with updates by DPIC)

I have to go shower now, but keep posting the arguments/counterarguments, you guys are really helping me out, as I have to consider all sides/arguments pertaining to this issue. =)

1. I thought we were talking about the death penalty not about people getting murdered. So that counter argument bit was bull
2. wouldn't it be that because of the introduction of the death penalty people would be more cautious of committing the more serious crimes, because there is a higher risk




(please use the 'quote 'button under our posts, because it makes it easier to read, just a little pointer)

Hello again, Charlotte:

I suppose my thoughts aren't mainstream, but….

Because I oppose the death penalty, doesn't mean that I'm opposed to killing. I'm not. If someone hurt one of my family, I would have no compunction about killing him.

I am, however, opposed to killing in the name of the state.

excon

Thank you

I see all of your sides of the argument and I'll be involving them in my paper, so thank you all so much again, this thread is very helpful to me.

The thing I was saying is that a murderer doesn't want to be killed as punishment, but their victim didn't want to be murdered either. The death penalty takes away their rights as they took away other rights.

I don't necessarily agree with that but that's the idea behind it I think.



I would have thought so too but statistics show that crime rates don't decrease because the criminals A) don't care about the consequences, or don't value their life
B) Don't think they will be caught or C) Don't think at all because the crime is committed in the heat of the moment.

I think a lot can be attributed to;

Also, the fact that people are being and have been sentenced to death proves the point that it's not an effective deterrant.