the death penalty
The death penalty has been in man's society dating back to ancient times. There have been a variety of crimes that have been punishable by the death, anything from selling beer to murder. In modern society the death penalty , otherwise known as "capital punishment", is still used to enforce the laws of man in many different cultures. As we move into the twenty-first century questions, both old and new, have been raised about this controversial topic. For example, is the death penalty an effective punishment for violent crimes? Or, should society have the right to kill a criminal in the best interest of mankind? Like any other controversial topic, there are many pros and cons but the real question is, which side is right? The death penalty was enforced in almost every ancient civilization, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Hebrews, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Many of these civilizations provided cruel and harsh deaths for crimes that may be considered of minor offense today. For example under the code of Hammurabi if someone was caught selling beer , they would be killed (Encyclopedia Americana). If one accidentally sat on the King's throne they would be sentenced to death under the Per
in 1847, but not all states followed their example. What this means is that a person that who would be put on trial for 1st degree murder would now go through two trials, and consequently, two juries. In a way I want for the person to die. Not only were the crimes that were punishable by death a bit ridiculous in ancient times, but so were the methods and procedures of carrying out the execution. Opponents say that one can not put a price on a human life, that the human life is priceless no matter who it is. Electrocution is almost never an instant death, in fact it is very common for the prisoner to take as many as five or six breaths after the shock before he or she is pronounced dead. On the other hand, some states never revised their laws and continued to not use the death penalty. Throughout the 1990s the Supreme Court has continued to rule in favor of the death penalty as long as the defendant has been given the proper due-process of law, guaranteed to them under the 5th amendment, and as long as the punishment is not cruel or unusual, guaranteed to them under the 8th amendment. Instead these states resorted to other ways of punishment, mainly life in prison but also such things as therapy and rehabilitation. It is said to be the most peaceful way to kill the prisoner. It may be surprising to some, even with all the debate about capital punishment and it's effectiveness that is currently going on in the U. Usually a person who has been sentenced to death will appeal it several times to a higher court, and the tax payers must usually pay for a public defender to defend the defendant.
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Acceptance Essays
