ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: death-penalty

On February 14, 2018, Nikolas Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School located in Parkland Florida. He murdered seventeen people and injured another seventeen. Florida is a death penalty state but there are some conflicts that raise concern about this specific case. Many feel Cruz deserves the death penalty, but others believe his mental disorders should excuse him because he does not know any better. Although there are suspicions about Nikolas Cruz’s mental state, he should be given the death penalty.
Topic: death-penalty

Nikolas Cruz’s childhood was harsh, which persuades people that he should not get the death penalty. In the article “School Shooter Nikolas Cruz: A Lost and Lonely Killer” provides a glimpse of Cruz’s childhood. Nikolas Cruz was born on September 24, 1998. He was adopted by Lynda and Roger Cruz before his brother was adopted a year later by the Cruz’s as well. Both boys were raised Catholic and were very close with their father. When Nikolas was five years old, Roger Cruz passed away from a heart attack.
Topic: death-penalty

Nikolas was difficult as a child and was diagnosed with several disorders and conditions. These include: depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotional behavioral disability and autism. He is known to be impulsive and have anger issues (Wallman). This shows that he is high functioning, even with all his disorders. He knows right from wrong. He caused trouble throughout his early school years. His peers bullied him along with his brother. His brother, Zachary Cruz, confessed to bullying Nikolas when they were children and says he regrets it.
Topic: death-penalty

That school happened to be Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In 2017, Lynda passed away. His peers realized he was having a very hard time with his mother passing away. After his mother died he moved in with a former neighbor. He was soon kicked out for being too aggressive and for bringing guns around them. Cruz got expelled from MSDHS for harassing students (Wallman). Wallman shows that Cruz was bullied, but also bullied others. This being said, Cruz’s harsh childhood filled with depression, bullying, and death, should be taken into consideration but should not influence the decision of him being put on death row because many children have similar or even harsher childhoods than him, and they know not to shoot up a school.
Topic: death-penalty

Often in the United States the death penalty is applied to black defendants and not white defendants. Cruz should not escape this punishment just because of his race. Race plays a huge role in the United States judicial system. With Nikolas Cruz being white, many excuses come up that would not work if an African American or Palestinian used them. Cruz has shown many red flags since he was a young age. During his first month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Cruz posted something on Instagram that he planned to shoot up the school. Deputies were informed, but did not act upon it. There is no doubt that if a minority posted something like Cruz, that they would be treated different. According to the “Death Penalty Information Center”, “ Since 1976, there have been 293 black defendants executed for killing a white victim, while 31 white defendants have been executed for killing a black victim.” (34) This shows that there is a divide in fairness within the judicial branch, due to racial problems. This statistic should open the eyes of readers. It is common for a black defendant to get the death penalty for killing one white victim, so why shouldn’t Nikolas Cruz get the death penalty for killing seventeen victims and injuring seventeen more? Because he’s white? Even though race should not play a role in defendants cases, it always will.
Topic: death-penalty

The death penalty was made for cases like Cruz’s. In the instance of the death penalty, the defendants life is taken for the victims lives. Defendants get executed for murdering one victim so Cruz should get executed for killing seventeen and injuring another seventeen. “The Case For Life For Nikolas Cruz” written by Sun Sentinel Editorial Board quotes State Attorney Mike Satz. Satz states,“This certainly is the type of case the death penalty was designed for. This was a highly calculated and premeditated murder of 17 people and the attempted murder of everyone in that school”(7). This shows that the prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Cruz because of his premeditated actions. The Washington Post released an article with footage recorded on Cruz’s phone called “Parkland Suspect Detailed Plans in Chilling Videos: ‘I’m going to be the next school shooter’”. In the video Cruz talks about his plans to be the next school shooter of 2018. He shows very little emotion when explaining his ideas but there is a sense of joy in his eyes. Cruz states, “My goal is at least 20 people with an AR-15 and a couple tracer rounds.” As the video goes on he calls his plans to shoot up Stoneman Douglas a “big event”. Cruz states, “When you see me on the news, you’ll all know who I am.” After smirking, Cruz lets out a soft yell saying “You’re all going to die”. He follows that statement with gunshot noises…Phew Phew Phew. He claims he can’t wait (Berman). Cruz’s videos allow viewers to see what kind of person he is; cruel, bitter, and compulsive. Cruz is very aware of what his actions will cause in the future. He is capable of planning a massacre and knows there will be deaths, fame, and consequences. Cruz’s actions must result in the death penalty due to how many people were affected and how cruel the crime he committed is.
Topic: death-penalty

Defendants think Cruz should not get the death penalty because he has mental issues. “Why Nikolas Cruz’s Death Penalty Trial Would Be Complicated”, an article on CNN written by Faith Karimi and Rosa Flores, states,“During death penalty trials, the defense focuses on proving mitigating circumstances to convince a jury not to impose the death penalty, Hornsby said. Such evidence can include diminished IQ and mental health issues, among others”(16).
Topic: death-penalty

In order to safeguard the right to life, the law sets necessary restrictions on violations of that right. The death penalty is always not immediately executed, there are two years to make criminals aware of their mistakes. In China, there is a saying that murder pays life. The purpose of the death penalty is not just to kill the criminals, but to let a prisoner who has committed the crime of killing face his mistakes honestly, know his mistakes, and determine to use his remaining life to atone for his sins and contribute to the society.
Topic: death-penalty

‘Ancient and modern, clearly answers this question affirmatively. Indeed, the fact that convicted offenders almost universally seek and welcome the commutation of a death sentence to life imprisonment is consistent with intuitive ranking of the death penalty as the harshest of all punishments.’ (Ehrlich, 1973)Only when their lives are threatened will some people understand the dignity and meaning of life. If the criminals behave well, the death penalty may change to life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment.
Topic: death-penalty

‘An increase in any of the three probabilities of arrest, sentencing, or execution tends to reduce the crime rate. Results are robust to specification of such probabilities. In particular, our most conservative estimate is that the execution of each offender seems to save, on average, the lives of eighteen potential victims. (This estimate has a margin of error of plus and minus ten).’(Dezhbakhsh, Rubin &Shepherd, 2003). The data is proved from the perspective of professional statistics to show the death penalty can reduce the rate of crime.
Topic: death-penalty

‘Unfortunately, the murderer has deprived his family and friends of a loved one. Their grief begins with the murder. It may not end with the murderer’s execution, but the execution does engender a feeling of relief at no longer having to think about the ordeal—a feeling which often fails to arise while the murderer still lives on.’(Manzano, 2017). It is show that the death penalty can make a positive to the family members of victims. ‘Many victims desire and demand revenge, vengeance, and retribution.’ (Lifton & Mitchell, 2002). If the law can’t give criminals the punishment they deserve, the family members may take some measures to punish the criminals in their own way. Although the death penalty is not enacted to revenge, but can make the family members of victims feel more comfort. In Japan, an 18 years old boy raped and killed a woman and killed her son who was only 11 months old. The criminal except said sorry one time, he had no confession to the victim. When he was sentenced to life imprisonment (because he was young, he is protected by law, he may just stand in prison only seven or eight years), the husband felt painful. The husband of the victim continuously appealed, and the end of the events, the boy was sentenced to the death penalty. The death penalty is not only to remove a frenzied person from society, but also to reassure family members and let the dead get the respect they deserve.
Topic: death-penalty

On July 4, 1776, a group of men drew up the Declaration of Independence. And ‘Eighty-seven years later, containing only a few hundred words spoken under the inspiration of a great and solemn assembly, Abraham Lincoln gave to the ages America’s noblest example of oratory. In the first sentence Lincoln said, “. . . dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”’(Howett, 1944). The two historical events show that people are equal. The life of people are equal too. If a person deprived the lives of others, he should pay the same value things back.
Topic: death-penalty

No matter whether the rights of the family members of the victims and victims or in the social safety aspects, the death penalty should exist. If the death penalty doesn’t exist, there would be many people who don’t get the punishment they deserve, and there would be many people like the woman and the child who were killed. The existence of the death penalty is to give the dead a voice, and provide family members comfort. Let the criminals understand the dignity and meaning of life, let the unrepentant criminals get the punishment they should have. This is the meaning of the death penalty.
Topic: death-penalty

For years, the death penalty was a way of solving problems with criminals. In the past, it was normal for this to be done in front of an audience and people would enjoy it. Ever since a death sentence was the way to deal with criminals. At present, in America and many other countries, execution usually would be done if someone had made violations like murder, treason or war crimes. It is considered as a government-sanctioned practice which is used to punish someone, who committed above-mentioned crimes.
Topic: death-penalty

It is a proven fact that humans are the most intelligent beings on the planet. However, people still act like animals. The human life is a creation of God, not of the state. Does the State have the right to take away something it did not create? The state did not give people life, therefore, it has no ethical right to take it away. And yet there are a lot of states in which murder is a crime and the state itself practices murder as a punishment. Death punishment means that the law responded to violence with violence. Other peoples humans life is not ours to take. If a criminal has killed a person, he has to be punished so that he and the public understand that this is an illegal act. But if his conviction is a death penalty, it would confuse society and would mean that the deprivation of human life for some is punishable, and for others not. Of course, this is unacceptable, as everyone is equal before the law.
Topic: death-penalty

The death penalty can be a fatal decision. When a court makes a mistake, it turns into a crime of the State, and there is no compensation for that. Inaccurate or inadequate evidence, improper conduct of investigations, and similar mistakes by investigators or other law enforcement agencies, errors that are still human and completely possible, and in most cases, totally unintentional and unconscious, would lead to the murder of an innocent person. One wrong executed on this planet makes the prohibition of the death penalty a moral duty of any society that considers itself to be ‘advanced’.If those people who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time or they got framed by the real criminal and were sentenced to life imprisonment, their relatives, friends, and lawyers would find a way of proving their innocence and taking them back home. After their hearts stop beating, however, it becomes impossible. Death is an irreversible process.
Topic: death-penalty

Another thing, it is true that it is not moral to execute someone, even if the government is allowed to do it. However, some people say that the death sentence should be obligatory. This subject is painful for many people. Some define it as a cruel and ruthless final measure of justice, others as a just punishment for murderers and criminals. The near-dead and injured people and children are praying that a death sentence will be lawfully adopted and enforced to have retribution. At these moments, they are hardly thinking whether this is moral and ethical. Following the ancient law: ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,’ which satisfies our natural desire for vengeance, some may say: ‘Death to the murderer’. Can death, as revenge, restore what we have lost? Even if the murderer is killed, that won’t cure the pain of the grieving. They will continue to carry it with them all their lives and will add to the pain the hidden guilt of taking another human life. There is a reason why one of the Ten Commandments is ‘Thou shalt not kill’. Even if we are not that religious, that does not mean we have to kill others. Death would be an easy escape from the demolished life. Assuming that a killer is a man, who lost his idea of what is good and what evil, unconscious of right and wrong, killing him, we deprive him of the opportunity to ever understand. Remaining alive, though, without freedom, he has the chance to change.
Topic: death-penalty

It is difficult to make a decision to whether to let a person live or die. It is difficult from a moral point of view and ethical too. Perhaps that is why in most countries the death penalty is abolished and does not apply. Maybe because it’s easier. Maybe because it’s running away from responsibility. Maybe because it should. Maybe if the command of Christ ‘Love Your Neighbor’ is at the head of everyone at any time then there will be no need for these decisions. Perhaps then there will be no crimes.
Topic: death-penalty

The death penalty is, “the penalty of execution, administered to someone lawfully sentenced of a capital crime.” Research has shown that the Death Penalty for Juveniles in many states’ have obtained authorization to the execution of adolescents, this act started as early as 1973, 226 juveniles have been given the death penalty since then. Over 20 adolescents thus far have been put to death, and 82 remain in “waiting” status on death row. These statistics are astonishing and yet gut wrenching. With the unsure blame being, the effects of these children who are being neglected and abused, juveniles should not be punished with the death penalty.
Topic: death-penalty

The death penalty being given to Juveniles is a very controversial topic, some would agree, and others would not with this decision. Meanwhile the re-establishment of the death penalty in 1976 when the Supreme Court ruled 22 more juveniles had been executed for crimes committed while they were under the age of 18. (Node,39) Many rallied together to decide if this act was in violation of the eighteenth amendment which is the prohibition against harsh and rare punishment.
Topic: death-penalty

The first juvenile given the death penalty in the United States was Charles Rumbaugh this 17-year-old young man was executed for killing 58-year-old Michael Fiorillo during a jewelry store robbery. According to research Rumbaugh was not killed until 10 years later of being convicted of the crime. Rumbaugh was the first juvenile offender for 21 years to be executed in the USA. (Node,54) Prior to this murder Rumbaugh had numerous reported behavior issues starting at the age six.
Topic: death-penalty

Had juvenile correction facilities been implemented when Rumbaugh started showing signs of delinquent acts this could have been avoided. Juvenile delinquency starts from a void that is being avoided or running a deficit. The juvenile correction system is in place to rehabilitate the minds of these youth to make them self-reflect and make the conscious decision to change their behavior so that long term they will be better adults. These children’s potential of rehabilitation is very high because the mind of a child is still easy to influence, no child is beyond the possibility for redemption. Though, there are a few of our youth population who are very dangerous and are not as quickly to respond to opportunities to reform themselves. The question still stands, “should established devices for transferring or waiving juvenile court jurisdiction in these exceptional cases take away these ‘special rights’ and subject the youth to the full range of penalties for criminal behavior including, in some jurisdictions, execution” (Thomson vs. State, 1986:784). Is it fair that these children who are performing the same malicious acts as some adult offenders under subjection to the harshness of the illegal courts and the conclusiveness of the death penalty?
Topic: death-penalty

“Every death penalty case in the state of South Carolina costs taxpayers about 1.1 million. That is near three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years.” (Executions cost South Carolina Millions: Newspaper 2016) Juveniles who are convicted are on death row for approximately thirteen or more years, during that time frame of the inmate waiting, more money has been spent on heightened security, isolation within prison, appeals, and court time. All this money could have been spent on a more effective cause such as rehabilitation and counseling of these youth to really find the underlying issues within the child that cause them to get to where they are.
Topic: death-penalty

What happens to a child that they get to the place of wanting or having the desire to murder another person.? What is the juvenile correction system doing to understand the juvenile murderers/ delinquents just assumption, exterior perceptions on the criminal’s intellect, or just going strictly off what is seen in black and white? I cannot believe that these children are lifetime criminals, I believe that they are fixated into circumstances that to their premature minds are unbearable. Children go through so many feelings and emotions that go unheard; no emotional support or connection from anyone at home, being placed in foster care, and peer pressure from those around them making them believe that they must be this and that. Adults such as educators, parents, and even those within the community have the responsibility to engage and steer the youth surrounding them so that they have a committee of emotional and moral support (Bartollas and Schmallager 41). Research has proven that, most juvenile murderers have openly stated that they were disregarded in some way, bullied by peers, or just felt like they had no since of belonging and were just fed with their reality. Adults have the option to take medication to cope with life’s ongoing tribulations, whereby our undeveloped youth must cope with these things and if they aren’t sure on hot to utilize their resources then bad things start to take place.
Topic: death-penalty

The case of Atkins v. Virginia, declared by the U.S. Supreme Court that the mentally handicapped limited to our youth would not under most circumstance be punished to the death penalty, which this would be essential to the cause opposing to juveniles being given the death penalty. It is not deprived of or justified that these adolescents have committed terrible crimes and yes indeed, they should most definitely be held accountable for their actions, nevertheless firm extenuating conditions disprove the need for a death penalty (Bartollas and Schmallager 79). Additional studies have shown that the abuse and ongoing neglect adolescents experienced at your ages of their lives can create aggressive behavior in the long run. It is known to most that growing up in circumstances which affect children in their emotions as well as physical growth can so easily convince these children that violence is the way. Under such circumstances it is unfair to hold children entirely at fault. It is very informative to view the statistics and realize the childhood juvenile offenders. More than likely these troubled youth feel the need to defend themselves and execute absurd behavior. Oppose to those brought up ‘properly’ will be better able to think through problems more logically oppose to a child that is not, those who are not as privileged will rely on the only thing they know, or which feels most natural: violence. It is benign for us to assume that when a serious mistake takes place, the law must chastise these minors. In this case the penalty should not include death.
Topic: death-penalty

According to (Cameron: blog) “Adolescents who commit murder should suffer consequences since they are old enough to know right from wrong. Most, however, are unable to understand the total repercussions of their acts on themselves or their victims. Real justice is not a life for ‘a life,’ especially a life that has just begun.”” Their immaturity, less education, and less intelligence make the teenager almost incapable of evaluating the aftermath of their conduct on other hand they are being led by emotion or peer pressure than is an adult. The reasons why juveniles are not trusted with the same responsibilities of an adult are also why their careless conduct is not as morally wrong in contrast to an adult” (Bartollas and Schmallager 79).
Topic: death-penalty

In conclusion, Debate about the use of the death penalty for juveniles has grown more intense over the years considering the demand for harsher punishment of serious and violent juvenile offenders, altering insights of public safety, and worldwide challenges to the death penalty’s legality would help diminish this act and save our youth. Advocates see its use as a preventive against similar crimes, a suitable authorization for the command of certain serious crimes, and a way to maintain public safety by putting these juveniles away. Adversaries believe that it is a deterrent and is inherently cruel and point to the risk of wrongful conviction. “The constitutionality of the juvenile death penalty has been the subject of intense national debate in the last decade. Several Supreme Court decisions and high-profile cases have led to increased public interest and closer examination of the issues by academics, legislators, and policymakers (Node, 92).
Topic: death-penalty

In modern society today, the death penalty is and continues to be one of the most widely controversial and debatable topics in America. The death penalty also known as “capital punishment” is exactly what it sounds like; a sentence to death imposed by courts as a punishment for crime. Ever since the beginning of civilization, the death penalty has been effective and accepted by society and given to the worst of the worst criminals. Over the years, ways the death penalty has been diagnosed has changed dramatically.
Topic: death-penalty

Before modern technology became available, two ways the death penalty was diagnosed was by an electric chair or a public hanging. However, thanks to our consistent developing society, we can “humanely” offer the death penalty in the form of a lethal injection, so the victim can peacefully go to sleep and not wake up the next day. The reason this issue is widely debated is because one side of people think that it is inhumane, immoral mostly because of religious beliefs but then there is another side of people that think the complete contrary.
Topic: death-penalty

Currently, the death penalty is completely legal constitutional because it is supported by all member of the Supreme Court in Washington DC. However, as of October 11th, 2018, the Washington State Supreme Court declared their death penalty unconstitutional because it violates the state’s constitution by being imposed in an arbitrary and racially biased manner (Moran). The problem now becomes how the death penalty has been falsely induced to innocent people, which starts the debate of how unmoral it is for our government to condone this.
Topic: death-penalty

As a supporter of the death penalty, capital punishment is only appropriate for severe cases where criminals have completed absurd crimes such as mass murder, rape, and assault. For example, people such as Nikolas Cruz who killed seventeen innocent people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018. Fourteen aspiring students and three staff members lost their lives because Cruz decided to pursue a personal vendetta (National Public Radio). Another example is Dimitrios Pagourtzis, another school shooter who took another ten innocent lives on May 18, 2018 (exactly three months after the Stoneman Douglas shooting) at the Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas (CNN) . All in all, 24 innocent lives were taken because two people decided to go on a kill spree.
Topic: death-penalty

According to USA Today, Fred Guttenberg, a parent of one of the victims of the Parkland Shooting, after reading a transcript of what Cruz said when he took those lives of those children says “he talked about how he was going to be someone now. It is a level of thought that I can’t comprehend. It looks, from the words, like the kid had joy. I don’t want to see the delight he took in planning the murders of our children” (USA Today). This quote shows that this is an extreme criminal case where a serial killer got a sense of pleasure from taking lives. It is proven that neither of these criminals feel any regret for the crimes they have committed and all the pain they caused therefore, the death penalty should be the best way to punish them but have yet to receive it. The “consequences” they faced were jail time and counseling. They have violated the law in an extreme manner and have yet to face any sort of cruel punishment given by the state. Meanwhile, there are people who have been given the death penalty for being falsely accused of committing crimes. For example, in 1992, Cameron Todd Willingham was convicted of arson murder in Texas because it is believed he intentionally set a fire that killed in three kids. Later on, in 2004, the Texas Forensic Science Commission later found that the evidence was misinterpreted, and they concluded that none of the evidence used against Willingham was valid. As it turns out, the fire really was accidental (Innocent Project).
Topic: death-penalty

The point is that criminals whom have committed extreme crimes should face the death penalty, not every person that murders someone. People accidentally kill people more often than it should but that does not make them a serial killer. The death penalty should only be given after thorough investigation has been done and the clarity of the who the person is that committed a mass crime to prevent wrongful execution. The death penalty is necessary for serial killers such as Cruz because it comes with many benefits such as making victims and their families feel safe as he is no longer a threat to them as he is dead. It will also give many people closure because many people are still waiting for a verdict to be made in his trial. Other benefits of putting in place the death penalty is that it will probably event future criminals from committing the same crimes as they will see how serious the government is about executing it.
Topic: death-penalty

Additionally, it is not as if the death penalty is against the law. Capital punishment follows the constitution and does not break any of the amendments. Specific people deserve to be punished in this way for the crime they commit. It might immoral to people but that is not the point of the death penalty. The death penalty is not “killing for fun”. The death penalty serves justice. When justice is served, it prevents other people from becoming the next serial killer. It’s simple, the death penalty strikes fear.
Topic: death-penalty

To conclude, the death penalty is widely debated and will always will be, however it is in fact constitutional and major bodies such as Supreme Court members of the capital are strong supporters of it. In fact, as of May 1, 2018, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that 54% of Americans are now in favor of the death penalty. “Two years ago, 49% of Americans favored the death penalty for people convicted of murder” (Oliphant). This just goes to show that supporters of the death penalty are increasing, and more Americans want to see a change in society and justice being served for victims of mass murders. If the government was cruel, or out of order, capital punishment would even be an option. Criminals convicted to death row obviously do deserve it because if they committed a simple crime such as a burglary, they wouldn’t be in that position in the first place. The death penalty shows that crimes such as rape and mass murder will not be tolerated in this country and shows how powerful a nation the U.S. is. It gives people a sense of protection, security, and closure that they are and will be protected.
Topic: death-penalty

An arm for an arm; a leg for a leg. This is a common theme surrounding the death penalty. While the first recorded death penalty laws date back to the Eighteenth Century B.C. under the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, punishments carried out by death have been used since the start of time. In the past, death sentences were carried out by means of crucifixion, drowning, stoning, burning alive, and impalement (Introduction). Nowadays, the most common method is lethal injection.
Topic: death-penalty

Throughout the world, the death penalty is used to put a stop to crime. It can be seen as a deterrent or a way to put a criminal to justice. A total of 57 countries retain the death penalty in law, although, only 23 nations effectively use it. China holds the number one spot of confirmed executions, with numbers in the thousands. This has caused many protests within China (Introduction). In the United States, the death penalty is currently used by 31 states, the federal government, and the military.
Topic: death-penalty

The United States was the first country to establish lethal injection, which is now used by five others (Introduction). Lethal injection is an injection administered as a means of capital punishment (Lethal). The use of lethal injection has arose many debates whether the death penalty is constitutional or not. The arguments against the death penalty are that it doesn’t act as a deterrent to crime, it’s inhumane, it acts as a way out for criminals, it costs too much, and the conviction process is seen unjust, which gives the risk of executing someone who is innocent.
Topic: death-penalty

Critics such as Attorney General Eric H. Holder and Semon Frank Thompson believe the death penalty is a failed policy and the risk of putting someone innocent to death is far worse. They also believe the death penalty doesn’t act as a deterrent but instead acts as a way out for criminals. Eric H. Holder was a former attorney general of the United States from 2009 to 2015 (Eric), and Semon Frank Thompson was the former Superintendent of the Oregon State Penitentiary who executed 2 men, which changed his thoughts on the death penalty. These two men are just a small fraction of credible people who don’t support the death penalty (Top).
Topic: death-penalty

Studies show that the five countries with the highest homicide rates who have legal capital punishment have an average of 46.6 homicides per 100,000 people. However similar countries with those homicide rates who have abolished the death penalty for all crimes have an average homicide rate of 41.3 per 100,000 people. The five countries who have abolished the death penalty have more than half the number of homicides per 100,000 people than the five countries that still do have a death penalty (FullFact). These rates show how the death penalty doesn’t act as a deterrent and that most countries would benefit without it. The only weakness to this data is that it’s very hard to calculate whether its a deterrent or not because the data uses different countries and other outside factors may skew these results.
Topic: death-penalty

Those who argue the death penalty is inhumane believe the death penalty is morally wrong and goes against human rights. They believe that the death penalty violates the right to life and also disregards the right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatments or punishments (Why). This shows how the death penalty is morally wrong and it goes against some people’s morals. A weakness to this argument is that the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty to be constitutional in 1972 and that the convictions are the only aspect of the death penalty that is unjust (Stassen).
Topic: death-penalty

Another argument against the death penalty claims that death is simply an easy way out for those who commit atrocities. An example of this is the Boston bombers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who did not mind being sentenced to death. Most people believed that the death penalty was the most severe punishment available, but for people like this, living an unimportant life is far worse than being executed (Burek). This is an example of how the death penalty allows criminals to have an easy way out for committing serious crimes . A fault to this claim is that it’s hard to compensate all the criminals with this mindset.Most people agree that the death penalty costs too much for it not being certain if its effective. In North Carolina, the death penalty costs nearly $11 million a year and in New Jersey, the death penalty has cost taxpayers $253 million since 1983. These a just a few examples of states in the US that pay a ridiculous cost of the death penalty (Financial). This shows how the death penalty costs millions of dollars a year for the states that have it and for it not even being certain if it truly works. In opposition of this view, people can argue that life in prison costs roughly the same as the death penalty and it is also a weaker punishment. Lastly, another argument against the death penalty is that the conviction process is seen unjust. In 1972, the death penalty was stopped due to the Supreme Court finding the convictions to be unjust and based on personal whim. They found that the conviction process was corrupt and that it was convicting people just because of who they were (Stassen). These findings show how the death penalty system is a failure and how it doesn’t work appropriately. It also shows how the likelihood of executing an innocent person if far greater because of this corrupt system. A weakness to this argument is that the findings also found the death penalty itself to be constitutional.
Topic: death-penalty

On the other hand, people who support the death penalty argue it stops crime, provides closure for the victims, life in prison costs roughly the same amount or less than the death penalty in some cases, and that its constitutional in the US (Flamehorse). Some supporters of the death penalty include the President of the United States, Donald Trump and Anne Marie Schubert. They both believe the death penalty is an effective way in punishing criminals for a serious crime. President Trump said that the men convicted of killing two police officers in Hattiesburg, Mississippi “will not do any more killing.” This is evidence for the death penalty being an effective punishment. Anne Marie Schubert, a district attorney of Sacramento, believes the death penalty will help the families by putting the criminals to justice (Should). Both supporters are highly credible and make valid arguments in support of the death penalty.Supporters of the death penalty believe the death penalty is an effective way of stopping crime. For example, the death penalty could act as a deterrent to some criminals or it could take another criminal off the streets. This takes away the chance for them to commit more crimes. Evidence to support this is that the country with the highest homicide rates in the world, Honduras, has over 60 homicides per 100,000 people. Honduras doesn’t have an active death penalty (Do). This example shows how by not having a death penalty, it allows criminals to commit crimes more freely. However, a weakness in this evidence is that there are other factors internally or externally that may be the reason for those results in Honduras.Another argument for the death penalty is that the death penalty provides closure for victims. In 1984, Bobby Ross was convicted of killing eight women and was given the death sentence in 1987 for seventeen years. At first he pleaded he was crazy but in 1995 he wanted to speed up the court process to spare his victims’ families a long wait. Ross was executed in 1999 (Schaeffer-Duffy). This is an example in which the death penalty can be very helpful by giving the family ease. Some death row sentences can last up to twenty years, which can be very painful for the families affected by a situation like this. To refute this, people argue that the death penalty is seen as a way out for the criminal, however, there are no real evidence supporting this.
Topic: death-penalty

In addition, the death penalty costs roughly the same amount as life in prison throughout the United States. The costs in each state differs depending on the amount of death penalty cases held there. People also argue that life in prison isn’t as strong as a punishment as the death penalty. A study by Dudley Sharp, the Death Penalty Resources Director of Justice For All, claims that LWOP (leave without pay) cases cost $1.2 million -$3.6 million more than equivalent death penalty cases (Top). This shows that in some cases, the death penalty costs roughly the same or even less than the cost of life in prison for being seen as a far worse punishment. Lastly, the death penalty doesn’t go against the USA’s constitution. One example of this being proven is in the case Gregg v. Georgia. The Court found that the death penalty was not unconstitutional as it could serve the social purposes of retribution and deterrence (Death). This helps prove how the death penalty doesn’t violate basic human rights since the constitution, being a very credible source, believes that its not inhumane to have. In opposition of this view, people argue that in some cases, the methods carried out in capital punishments violate the Eighth Amendment. Based on the evidence shown, the death penalty should be legal and carried out by most states/countries. All the reasons supporting the death penalty are far stronger and counter the opposing views. One of the main supporters of the death penalty is the President of the United States, Donald Trump. This is a highly credible source as he has a position which is very influential in the United States.
Topic: death-penalty

On the other hand, Semon Frank Thompson, although being highly credible, has flaws to his story. Thompson was a first-hand witness of what was going on behind the scenes of the death penalty process. He witnessed everything, which ultimately changed his view on the situation as a whole. This is the most credible source available. However the reason for why he quit may be because he wasn’t mentally prepared/ ready for a job like that. This shows how the death penalty is a touchy topic and how emotions may factor into results, creating bias.The argument for the death penalty being a deterrent is stronger than the view it is not. The evidence opposing the death penalty has major flaws in it. It is difficult and inaccurate to truly find data surrounding this argument. There are multiple external and internal factors that affect the results and give inaccurate findings. This flaw is mentioned in every source of data. In addition, many people argue the death penalty is a way out for most criminals. Although this is partially true, not all criminals are the same and the death penalty may terrify them. Without the death penalty, there may be even more crimes, especially in the United States.
Topic: death-penalty

Lastly, the cost of the death penalty usually has some differentiating findings on both sides. There were many sources that showed the death penalty costing more than life in prison. Conversely there are multiple sources showing it costing less. This is a weakness to both sides, however, it tends to hurt the opposing view more since its a main argument. With this being said, there would have to be further research done in order to calculate the strength of the death penalty. Data about the homicide rates in different countries and the cost of the death penalty tended to differentiate within separate areas.This shows how more research needs to be done in order to compensate for other factors affecting results to further prove the strengths of the death penalty.
Topic: death-penalty

Personally I agree with the death penalty but to some extent because most of the cases do not know exactly if that person is really the culprit and this has harmed countless people, on the other hand doing this action seems unnecessary to me, since nobody is resolved if the other person is killed and realistically the damage will be repaired both in feeling and physical that that person has caused, I think that the best way for that person to pay his crime is with the life imprisonment because the person can react and think about everything he did, in addition he will have a miserable life since he will be behind bars.
Topic: death-penalty

Now there are many ways to perform the death penalty, one of them is lethal injection, this is considered one of the most painful forms since it is based on midazolam and this causes the condemned to feel more pain during the injection of midazolam used other types of drugs, pentobarbital, this puts them to sleep, the second causes paralysis and the third causes the heart to stop but in recent years in the United States pharmacists are reluctant to sell this product to carry out the death penalty therefore they have resorted to midazolam as another option.
Topic: death-penalty

On the other hand there is also the electric chair is given with an alternating current but to check if it had to be used by a human after they realized that it was working to immobilize an individual they started using it to execute the accused but It was no longer the main method of execution in the United States, the one that was commonly used was the hanging but it stopped being used since there were many faults, the Kurds broke, therefore it was more painful since they were hung up again.
Topic: death-penalty

Even though almost all the countries have abolished capital punishment, over the 60% of the world´s population live in countries where the death penalty is still used. Do you agree or do you disagree with this method of penalty? This topic is still a debate nowadays. Many people agree that this is inhumane and horrible, but in other hand there’re people who are supportive and encouraging. If you want to know more about where this practice came from the different point of views that exist and my personal opinion, keep reading!
Topic: death-penalty

In the middle age, during the reign of Henry VII of England almost 72,000 were estimated to have been executed, including two of his wives and many of his friends. Oh, and if you had any claim in your bloodline to the throne of England, he´d also execute you. Some of the methods he used were Hanging and boiling you alive. We can say that King Henry VII had serious anger issues. In the 20th century when the Nazi Germany emerged, there were three types of capital punishment: hanging, decapitation and shooting.
Topic: death-penalty

Cowardice, absence without leave, desertion, insubordination, shirking under enemy fire and disobeying orders were often considered punishable by the Nazis. Last but not least the contemporary era, or better said, the present day. Nowadays, capital punishment has been eradicated in a lot of countries, but there still countries that believe in this type of punishment like China, India and the United States. They use methods like the electric chair and the lethal injection.
Topic: death-penalty

Why capital punishment has been eradicated in some countries, and in others it hasn’t? Because, there´s still people nowadays that fully support it these people are called retributivists. They believe in the argument that “all guilty people deserve to be punished” This quote means that it is required that people suffer for their wrong doing. Each criminal should get what their crime deserves, and in the case of a murderer, what he or she deserves, is death. Why do they deserve it? Perhaps, because it’s not fair for the lives of wrongdoers to go well when the lives of innocent have gone poorly. Even if punishing murderers and thieves had no effect on reducing the overall crime rate, retributivists tend to think it’s still the right thing to do.
Topic: death-penalty

In other hand, there a group of people that believe death penalty is barbarous. They say death penalty is irreversible and absolute judgments may lead to people paying for crimes they didn’t commit. For example, the case of Cameron Tod Willingham. He was executed in Texas in 2004 for allegedly setting a fire that killed his daughters. Following his execution, further evidence proved that Willingham didn’t set the fire…but it was too late. Also, they said that that the death penalty does not reduce murder rates. For example, since Canada ended capital punishment, their murder rate has dropped 44%, so it means that death penalty doesn’t “scare” people to not commit crimes. Finally, death penalty costs more than life in prison. This may be a shocking fact but in order to carry out the death penalty, a state must have a substantial amount of money on hand. It is stimulated that it costs $137 million per year for death penalty, which is an insane amount.
Topic: death-penalty

In conclusion, capital punishment is a topic that you may agree as you may disagree, it all depends in your point of view. Capital punishment have always been existing since the ancient times, it is even used nowadays but less. Some people agree that this practice needs to be used nowadays since they believe in the argument that says “all guilty people deserves to be punished. In other hand, there exists a group of people which think this is a horrible practice that needs to be banned. In my personal opinion, people who commit serious crimes need to pay for their actions. But, somehow, I don’t trust the system, since I believe they would use it for their own benefits. We have to admit that the justice system isn’t a “justice” system, since corruption and racism is something that reigns nowadays. I truly believe corruption is the true enemy of development.
Topic: death-penalty

“It was unfathomable, I could barely breathe when my fiancée tried to hug me,” said murder suspect Neko Wilson when he was asked how he felt when he was released from the Fresno County jail in October 2018, where he had spent nine years awaiting trial. Wilson was the first man to walk free from prison after California passed new murder laws in September 2018, according to Abbie Van Sickle, reporting for The New York Times.
Topic: death-penalty

Back then, a person could be convicted of murder if they participated in a felony where the murder had happened, even if they did not participate in the killing nor even knew about it. However, in September 2018, the California Legislature approved legislation that stipulated that only those who have actually killed, intended to kill, or were a major participant who acted with “reckless indifference to human life” could be convicted of murder. The only exception is when the victim is a law enforcement officer.