I believe the death penalty should be abolished. I believe it should be
abolished because it does not help curb crime. Another reason is It is not
morally fair or just. We can’t be absolute in making sure people are guilty of
the crime. It is more expensive than Imprisonment. The judgments are not
completely impartial. I believe it is cruel and unusual punishment which is
against the law. The death penalty does not help prevent crime. The murder rates
in states with the death penalty are no lower than states without. The USA is
the only Western democracy with the death penalty and we have the highest murder
rate. Canada’s murder rate fell the same year they abolished the death
penalty. I do not think that penalties affect the crimes that people commit that
much I believe penalties help curb the peoples with criminal tendencies. We
cannot make sure that everyone on death row is guilty. Since 1970 over 70 people
have been released from death row because of evidence of there innocence.
Between 1900 and 1985 350 people were wrongfully executed. A black person who
killed a white person is 40 times more likely than a white person who killed a
black person to be sentenced to the death penalty. The US is one of only five
nations who have executed children or anyone who was under18 at the time of the
crime. The other countries are: Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. This
violates The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child. A small number of countries continue to
execute children. During 1994 2,331 prisoners were executed in 37 countries.
4,032 prisoners were sentenced to death in 75 countries. These were the only
ones known to Amnesty International the true figures are probably higher. China,
Iran, and Nigeria make up 87% of the worlds executions in 1994. In 1994 China
executed 1,791 prisoners. 139 were executed in Iran. Over 100 in Nigeria. There
are several hundred unconfirmed executions in Iraq. 55 counties have abolished
the death penalty for all crimes. 15 countries have abolished the death penalty
for all crimes but exceptional crimes such as war crimes. 27 countries consider
abolitionists de facto but have not executed anyone in ten years or more. 97
countries retain the death penalty. Less than one percent of paroled murderers
commit another murder. People who commit noncapital crimes and have served their
full sentence are more likely to be repeat offenders. If this punishment is
humane how come the put a hood on the prisoners? They do it to spare the
witnesses and executioners the prisoners facial contortions caused by the pain.
In 1992 a prisoner had an extremely violent reaction to a lethal injection and
he gagged and had muscle spasms for 11 minutes until he died. In 1994 it took
five minutes for David Lawson to die in a gas chamber while the whole time
screaming “I’m Human!” Most of the people who were convicted of the death
penalty and killed but were found to be not guilty after the executions were
convicted because of race, religion, and economic status. In 1993 Christopher
Burger was executed at the age of 33 he had the intellectual capacity of a 12 yr
old child. He was 17 when he was convicted of murdering a man. He was abused by
parents, organic brain impairment, nervous severe trauma to the central nervous
system, and schizophrenic. This was not brought up during the trial. You have to
be at least be 15 to be executed. anything less is considered cruel and unusual
punishment. I think the death penalty is wrong and should not be used. I say
this because the USA is the only western democracy to use the death penalty but
we have the highest murder rate. The death penalty is also not used on an
impartial basis most of the people who are convicted are poor and of color. They
also use painful and cruel punishments. The death penalty goes against the
United Nations views. I believe that everyone has the right to live. Nature will
take care of you if you are not the fittest. Execution costs more than 40 years
imprisonment at high security. So all these arguments for the death penalty are
not correct. It does not cost less and it is not the only way prevent repeat.