Capital Punishment Essay

Capital Punishment Essay

Capital punishment is the execution of criminals by the state for



committing crimes so wicked that it is the only acceptable punishment. The



debate over the death penalty has endured for years and has become



increasingly controversial. According to an article written by Richard



Worsnop, entitled "Death Penalty Debate Centers on Retribution," in 1966,



42% of Americans were in favor of capital punishment while 47% were opposed



to it; in 1986, support for capital punishment was 80% for and only 17%



against with 3% undecided. Most of the undecided voters said they would



support capital punishment, if they had to vote on it immediately.



Currently, public approval of the death penalty is about 70%. While some



people are ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...The criminal must be aware that



other criminals have been punished in the past for the same crime that her



or she is about to commit. A criminal must also know that what happened



to a person, who committed the same crime, can also happen to him or her.



The death penalty deters murder by putting the fear of death into possible



killers' minds.



Undoubtedly, many murders occur in the heat of the moment or during



periods of temporary insanity. Nevertheless, an individual on death row is



given ample opportunity for appeals. Capital punishment may be carried out



only when a person is found guilty with clear and convincing evidence. The



average stay on death row is eight years; longer stays are not common.



This shows that if an individual claims to be innocent, he or she has the



chance to prove that innocence throughout multiple appeals. Obviously, if



one has endured years of appeals, he or she will most likely never be found



innocent. Therefore, the individual should be sentenced to death.



One who commits murder should never be sentenced to life in prison. In



today's world, prisoners are provided with a very suitable lifestyle. They



have everything they need and are blessed with the privileges of watching



television and going outside. It is not humane that an individual who took



the life of another should receive clothing, heating, food, and shelter,



while a homeless person who has not harmed anyone receives nothing. A



criminal guilty of

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