Against Capital Punishment
"At 8:00 p.m. it was nearing the end of John Evans' last day on death row. He had spent most of the day with his minister and family, praying and talking of what was to come. At 8:20 he was walked from his cell down to the long hall to the execution room and strapped in the electric chair. At 8:30 p.m. the first jolt of 1900 volts passed through Mr. Evans' body. It lasted 30 seconds. Sparks and flames erupted from the electrode tied to Mr. Evans' leg. His body slammed against the straps holding him in the chair and his fist clenched permanently. The electrode then burst from the strap holding it in place. A large puff of gray smoke and sparks pored out from under the hood that covered his face. An overpowering stench of burnt flesh and clothing began pervading the witness room. Two doctors then examined Mr. Evans and declared that he was not dead.The electrode was then refastened and Mr. Evans was given another 30-second jolt. The stench was nauseating. Again the doctors examined him and found his heart still beating. At this time the prison commissioner, who was talking on the line with Governor George Wallace of Alabama, was asked to cancel the execution on the grounds that Mr. Evans was being subje
From 1958 to1960 the execution rate stayed roughly the same, but the murder rate increased (Bender& Leone, 1986, p. A 1982 study in New York concluded that the average capital murder trial and first stage of appeals costs U. This is more than the current cost of 60 years of incarceration. As long as society chooses to ignore its moral values, and as long as it brings down the value of a human life, capital punishment will remain in use. Otherwise, the cycle is unbreakable-the displaced people displacing others, the hated hating, the victims victimizing, the friends of the killed killing, and death collecting its debt" (Clay, 1990, p. Some think that the methods used to convict a murderer with the death penalty are far more costly than they should be, and that the death penalty would be effective if a different approach were taken. Many of these people were sentenced to death, and in many of the cases a reprieve arrived just hours later than the scheduled death appointment. They held signs that portrayed lynch mob mentality. This human anger is often the cause of murder itself. This shows the violence and dehumanizing actions that are brought out of society with the use of capital punishment (Bedau, 1999, November 10). Capital punishment is immoral and unethical; it degrades society, and lowers the value of a human life. It is easy to unlock a door and free the wrongly accused.
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Acceptance Essays
