Abolishing Capital Punishment

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that each year there are quite a few people who die as a result of violent crimes, and each year a handful of people who commit violent crimes also die. The only difference is that in the case of the criminals, the government makes the decision and chooses the means of execution. The writer maintains that the death penalty is an abhorrent, barbaric practice from the days of kings, queens, and sorcerers, and it should be abolished immediately. The writer discusses that it is terrible that society has to live with violent crime, and that people die young or seemingly needlessly, but to deter crime there must be a system that works. The writer maintains that better jobs, less drug abuse and a better economy are all things that work, while taking another human being's life, even under the pretext of justice, is wrong.

From the Paper:

"Most Americans also believe that the death penalty brings some amount of closure to the families of the victims of violent crime, but most family members who are willing to comment on the issue feel that wishing for someone to die does not help them heal. The death of the criminal only causes another family to grieve, instead of helping the family of the victim to stop grieving. Most victims' families would rather work on getting on with their lives and dealing with their pain than wait around to see if the murderer of a loved one is going to be executed. Fighting for an execution is a constant reminder to these people that they have lost someone to senseless and tragic violence. There are many issues to look at when it comes to how people react to the idea of the death penalty."

Sample of Sources Used:

• AAMR. Position Statement on Mental Retardation and the Death Penalty. 6 March 2002. AAMR. <http://www.aamr.org/Policies/position_statements.shtml>.
• American Civil Liberties Union. Mental Retardation and the Death Penalty. 26 June, 2002. ACLU Publications. < http://www.aclu.org/DeathPenalty/DeathPenalty.cfm?ID =9314&c=63>.
• Death Penalty, The. 2002. Human Rights Watch. <http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/deathpenalty /mr.htm>.
• Derbyshire, John. She was just someone. (2000, August 10). National Review Online. Retrieved from <http://www.nationalreview.com/nr_comment/nr_comment081000b.shtml>
• Ganda, Ambrose. The degradation of Sierra Leone. (1998, December). Focus on Sierra Leone. Retrieved from <http://freespace.virgin.net/ambrose.ganda/Vol4_1.htm>

More papers on Abolishing Capital Punishment:

• Persuasive Essay # 17163 : "Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime?"
• Persuasive Essay # 149353 : "The Flaws of Capital Punishment"
• Argumentative Essay # 136360 : "Capital Punishment as a Necessary Evil"

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