Capital Punishment by Danyal

This paper was the product of our research unit. Students researched "Tough Talk" topics. These topics emerged from themes from novels we read over the year in small groups. Students explored topics that hooked them and made them want to dig deeper, developed a question around that topic, searched for answers and shared what they found. 


Capital Punishment,Should it be Abolished?


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By Danyal 



What is the death penalty?
The death penalty is a punishment used by the government which involves killing a criminal. The death penalty has been used since 1750 BC for murder, treason, rape, and arson. The death penalty today has many types of punishments such as firing squad, hanging, lethal injection (the most common) and beheading. It is a very controversial subject.
The history of the death penalty.


The death penalty has been used for a very long time. The death penalty used to consist of much more barbaric punishments such a judus cradle, crucification, stoning, and the guillotine ( a beheading machine). The guillotine was the most common form of death penalty in France. Efforts to try to abolish the death penalty began at the end of the 15th century by the quakers (Society of Friends ). Also, an Italian jurist named Cessare Buccaria wrote essays on crime and punishments to inspire influential thinkers to oppose torture, flogging ( being hit with a stick multiple times), and the death penalty.
Supporters of the death penalty


The supporters of the death penalty think that it is useful in reducing crime rates in the way that it teaches criminals to think twice before making a bad choice. They think that the government should not spend so much money on criminals, they also think that if the death penalty did manage to get abolished, future criminals would not be scared to break the law. Supporters also think that it is humane and very safe. Many people think that there are no racial or religious biases in the death penalty. However critics very much disagree. In Saudi Arabia, if you get caught for theft, murder, or rape you go to the chop chop square ( a square where people watch executions) where many people come to see you die.


Opposers of the Death penalty


Against the supporters are obviously the opposers. The opposers think that the death penalty does not deter crime, is unhumane, and can result in punishing the wrong person. In many cases, an innocent person is executed later to be found innocent by further evidence. In 1944 a 14 year old black child named George Stinney was discriminated against and wrongly accused of murder. He then was sentenced to the electric chair but later found to be innocent. Also, critics argue that there are many racial and religious biases in the death penalty. Cases including incarceration( being held in prison) and the execution of a criminal cost near 3 million dollars while cases including incarceration for life costs a little over a million dollars. That is a big price range. The lethal injection(the most common form of punishment in the death penalty) cost went up and now costs $16,500