Death Penalty: Seeking Justice In An Imperfect System

[Subjugation]

Yo, I'm going to pull a Liquid Blue here...

I have a 5 page position paper to write, and I decided to write it on the death penalty (since there is a lot of factual/statistical info that I can pull off of the 'net). I would appreciate if you told me whether or not you support the death penalty, but most importantly WHY YOU FEEL THAT WAY.

My thesis is going to be something like: "The death penalty is unethical because it delivers an irreversible punishment within an imperfect system of justice."

My main argument against the death penalty is that since the justice system has been proven to be flawed (more than 100 people have been exhonerated from Death Row since the introduction of DNA evidence), it is immoral to utilize a system of punishment that has possibly executed innocent people. The system of justice is designed to protect the innocent, deter future criminals, and to punish those who have committed crimes. The accidental execution of the innocent is the ultimate antithesis of what justice stands for.

I figure most people in here are against the death penalty anyway, but regardless, I need some mental stimulation, because I'm having a hard time starting my paper.

[DoTheFandango]

The Death Penalty is a touchy subject, but I feel that it is necessary in certain cases. It's hard to support it, because you will get a bunch of people on your back claiming that it is immoral and inhumane. All I can say is that their are certain people that should not be allowed to sustain their life on government payed supplies and food.

[froedrick]

you're really cynical

[Kim]

you're really cynical

Thats what makes good essay papers sometimes.

[Ashlee]

I need some mental stimulation, because I'm having a hard time starting my paper.

Go chug ten cans of red bull, I dare you

[Subjugation]

you're really cynical

DTF or me?

Nevermind, actually...I know we're both cynical.

[genocidal]

My thesis is going to be something like: "The death penalty is unethical because it delivers an irreversible punishment within an imperfect system of justice."

I don't know how you do your theses or your writing style but if I were you I would use that as one of your points as to why the death penalty is bad. The ethical argument is a good one (and probably the meat of your paper) but obviously not everyone agrees on a system of ethics so it would be to your benefit to have other arguments as to why it is bad.

You could say that the death penalty is not economically wise because, if you do some research, you will find that the average cost of court fees, maintaining someone on death row, and finally executing them is actually more than the average life in prison cost (I know this stuff exists out there because I've written papers on this, too).

In addition to how unethical it is because people are proved innocent later you could touch on how unethical government sanctioned killing is drawing on some philosophy or something. The argument would be something like government being hypocritical by saying killing is wrong and no one can do it but we can kill you and that's perfectly fine. The "an eye for an eye" argument is morally shallow and could be dealt with briefly - though that's probably the best argument for the death penalty (or you could even spend an entire part of your essay acknowledging "an eye for an eye" as the best argument for the death penalty and use what I just said to disprove it).

As a continuation of what I just said, you could say the death penalty violates the 8th Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment) and is illegal. Since most states use lethal injection now that might be a tough argument to pull but I'm pretty sure there is literature out there criticizing lethal injections as cruel and unusual.

[Zerzera]

Yeah, until some whacko rapes your wife and pins her down on a cross

The deathpenalty has no real use, other than ethical use.

[DoTheFandango]

I think if the guy pleas guilty, then your whole "could still be innocent" idea is falliable

[Subjugation]

I don't know how you do your theses or your writing style but if I were you I would use that as one of your points as to why the death penalty is bad. The ethical argument is a good one (and probably the meat of your paper) but obviously not everyone agrees on a system of ethics so it would be to your benefit to have other arguments as to why it is bad.

You could say that the death penalty is not economically wise because, if you do some research, you will find that the average cost of court fees, maintaining someone on death row, and finally executing them is actually more than the average life in prison cost (I know this stuff exists out there because I've written papers on this, too).

In addition to how unethical it is because people are proved innocent later you could touch on how unethical government sanctioned killing is drawing on some philosophy or something. The argument would be something like government being hypocritical by saying killing is wrong and no one can do it but we can kill you and that's perfectly fine. The "an eye for an eye" argument is morally shallow and could be dealt with briefly - though that's probably the best argument for the death penalty (or you could even spend an entire part of your essay acknowledging "an eye for an eye" as the best argument for the death penalty and use what I just said to disprove it).

As a continuation of what I just said, you could say the death penalty violates the 8th Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment) and is illegal. Since most states use lethal injection now that might be a tough argument to pull but I'm pretty sure there is literature out there criticizing lethal injections as cruel and unusual.

Thanks, that's pretty close to how I have my paper planned out already (as far as the ethical argument, the economic argument, and the eye for an eye pro DP argument). Appreciate the feedback.

[Subjugation]

I think if the guy pleas guilty, then your whole "could still be innocent" idea is falliable

sometimes people plead guilty for the attention, or because they are trying to commit suicide in a way that doesn't conflict with their religious beliefs (like suicide by cop). But that's besides the point....I agree that some people deserve the death penalty, but the question is whether or not innocent people get accidentally executed with the current system.

I am all for killing the guilty, but getting it right 100% of the time is the issue.

[Pressure Drop]

what if the person was mentally ill and hadn't been getting the treatment they needed.

course not sure if they would be given the death penalty as then the might be found to be non compus mentus (or what ever you call it when your to crazy in the head to be found guilty)

[Epinephrine]

Let's not forget that the death penalty unfarily targets a certain demographic (black men make up by far most of the death row inmates way out of proportion of the amount of murders they commit compared to other ethnic groups) because of race issues and social-economic factors.

As well the death penalty is not an effective deterrent of crime. The USA has one of the highest murder rates in the first world, and yet it has the death penalty. There are numerous studies that show murder rates for having a death penalty isn't really different between different states in the US that have it or don't have it, and also that the murder rates don't actually rise after the death penalty has been abolished.

[Subjugation]

Let's not forget that the death penalty unfarily targets a certain demographic (black men make up by far most of the death row inmates way out of proportion of the amount of murders they commit compared to other ethnic groups) because of race issues and social-economic factors.

As well the death penalty is not an effective deterrent of crime. The USA has one of the highest murder rates in the first world, and yet it has the death penalty. There are numerous studies that show murder rates for having a death penalty isn't really different between different states in the US that have it or don't have it, and also that the murder rates don't actually rise after the death penalty has been abolished.

Good info, do you have a link that I could check out so I could use the statistics with a bibliography on the paper?

[Epinephrine]

Sure, give me 3 days and I'll write your paper too

Just look on google you'll find tons of links if you know what you are looking for. Or hey maybe you can even look up at the library