The Chair, The Needle, The Gas Chamber Essay, Research Paper

The Chair, The Needle, The Gas Chamber.

The decease punishment or capital penalty, is a controversial issue that a batch of people have debated. It has been portion of the condemnable justness system since the earliest of times. During the 1700 B.C. , the Babylonians decreed decease for offenses, even minor 1s. The early Egyptians were besides accustomed to the enforcement of the decease punishment. Egyptians were sentenced to decease for a offense, such as unwraping the location of sacred burial evidences. In today s universe, capital penalty is still a portion of the condemnable justness system. Every clip person is sentenced to decease a inquiry of whether capital penalty is right arises. Should it be included in our justness systems?

In covering with the issue of whether capital penalty is right or non, we should see all of the statements involved. We must see the economic statement, the disincentive statement, the retaliatory statement, and the useful statement for capital penalty. After understanding these statements, we will see that, although a bulk of people thinks seting felons to decease is incorrect and must be banned, the pattern of capital penalty is however a justifiable option.

Historical Information

Capital penalty is the oldest and most normally used penalty since the earliest times. It is a penalty that is still used in our modern justness systems. Capital penalty is retained in 92 states and districts in 1990, including the United States ( 37states ) , China, and

Islamic Countries.1 In the Collins College Dictionary, Capital penalty is defined as the penalty of decease for perpetrating a serious offense. In Roman jurisprudence the term had a wider significance and meant, besides the summum supplicium ( decease ) , those penalty that affected the caput ( position ) of the citizens, viz. ostracism ( aquae et igni interdictio ) under the democracy or deportatio ( exile ) under the imperium, and disapprobation in musical composition perpetum ( of a life sentence to hard labour ) .2 The earliest signifiers of capital penalty were by the closure by compartment ( in France, from 1792 ) , the garotte or choking ( in Spain ) , the headman s ax ( in Germany ) , or by fracturing the cervix by hanging ( in England ) .3 Now, some signifiers of capital penalty used are burning, deadly injection and the gas chamber. From the early Roman Torahs to today s justness systems there are a batch of things that changed in the method of penalty and to which type of offenses the decease punishment will be used for. In the early times, the decease punishment is sentenced to really minor offenses, like stealing, but today it is merely sentenced to felons who commits offenses like slaying and terrorist act. The disposal of the decease punishment besides made an development from the bloody closure by compartments to the silent but lifelessly deadly injections.

Biblical Penetrations

Capital penalty can be traced back to the scriptural times. In the Bible there are rather a few poetries that support capital penalty. In Genesis 9:6, ( from the New American Bible, ) it states the undermentioned transition: If anyone sheds the blood of adult male, by adult male shall his blood be shed ; for in the image of God has adult male been made. This transition non merely supports the decease punishment but besides approves of it and encourages it. Another scriptural transition, taken from Matthew 26:52 besides supports the decease punishment. It states: Jesus said to him: Put back your blade where it belongs. Those who use the blade are sooner or later destroyed by it. This transition proves that Christ himself regarded capital penalty as a merely punishment for slaying when he said this transition to one of his adherents after he tried to kill a soldier who had come to collar Jesus.4 Besides, in Exodus 21:12-14 it reads the followers:

Whoever strikes a adult male a mortal blow must be put to decease. He nevertheless, who did non run a adult male down, but caused his decease by an act of God, may fly to a topographic point which I will put apart for this intent. But when a adult male kills another after maliciously intriguing to make so, you must take him even from my communion table and put him to decease.

This is spiritual grounds that one need non be God to demand a fitting penalty for the offense of murder.5

These are merely some of the groundss that supports the statement in favour of capital penalty. If a individual that opposes the decease punishment would reason the point that in the 5th commandment in Exodus 20:13, which states: Thou shall non kill But the fact is, if we translate

this from the original Hebrew version it merely states: Thou shall non MURDER. And there is a large difference between slaying and penalizing person by decease. In slaying person takes away the life of a human being for no valid ground. But in penalizing person by decease, we do this because they committed a offense that is against the eyes of work forces and the eyes of God.

Disincentive Argument

Now, allow s look at the deterrent effects of capital penalty towards the felons. A batch of people say that the decease punishment does non discourage slayings from happening. For illustration, it is said that the states or provinces with the decease punishment besides have the greatest slaying rate. That might be true, but we ne’er put into history the differences between all these provinces and states. There are no two topographic points that are likewise. These differences would include the population, the size, and the offense rate of that country. It can t be said that such topographic points with capital penalty produces a higher offense rate. But such topographic points have capital penalty because of its really high offense rate.6 To discourage is defined in the Collins College Dictionary, to be, to deter or to forestall person from making something by transfusing fright or uncertainty in them. By this definition, we can state that capital penalty truly has a deterrent consequence to everyone who cares about his or her life. The writer thinks that everyone in this universe who cares for their lives and values life would be scared to be taken off of their ain life by perpetrating serious offenses. The decease punishment has the power to give felons a feeling to believe twice earlier perpetrating a offense because of the effect that is in manus. In 1985, economic expert Stephen K. Layson conducted a survey at the University of North Carolina, which showed that every executing of a slaying deters an norm of 18 slayings. The survey besides showed that raising the figure of decease sentences by one per centum would forestall 105 murders.7 A quotation mark from Edward Kosh, former city manager of New York City, that support s the deterrent consequence of capital penalty said:

Had the decease punishment been existent possibility in the heads of liquidators, they might good hold stayed their manus. They might hold shown moral consciousness before their victims died See the tragic decease of Rosa Velez, who happened to be place when a adult male named Luis Vera burglarized her flat in Brooklyn. Yeah, I shot her, Vera admitted. . and I knew I wouldn t go to the chair. 8

In this instance, if the decease punishment is abolished in our justness systems, felons will decidedly hold

the same perceptual experience as Luis Vera. They don t attention if they killed person, every bit long as they are

traveling to acquire killed themselves. This manner of thought can besides take to more offenses. Let s state a

Bum is truly holding a difficult clip populating on leftovers from the refuse, and life in the streets.

He can merely easy kill person and travel to imprison, for he knows he would merely acquire a life sentence to

Eden where there are free nutrient and housing.

Although a batch of people think that the decease punishment does non discourage slayings, there are a batch of groundss that exist which however favor the decease punishment as a hindrance for slaying. In concurrence with these groundss a survey conducted by Isaac Echlich besides supported the disincentive theory. He concluded that each executing might forestall eight future deceases by murder.9 With the jurisprudence of capital penalty imposed, the felons are now held responsible for all their actions, they now know the effects that faces them.

Economic Argument

The issue of the decease punishment besides touches upon the economic system of the state. It is said that to put to death person would be more than to put them in life imprisonment. But during life imprisonment, an norm of 40-50 old ages in gaol, the taxpayers has to pay revenue enhancements to give these felons a topographic point to kip, free nutrient, and a simple life in prison. But if we execute them they would merely be sentenced to nine old ages in prison so executed. If we give certain values for a twelvemonth in prison and the sum of money needed to put to death a condemnable, we can come up with a decision that would clearly demo capital penalty would be more economical to the authorities and to the taxpayers. Let s state that it would be $ 20,000 to imprison a condemnable per twelvemonth, and it would be $ 60,000 to put to death them. If we do simple mathematics, to imprison a felon for an norm of 35 old ages would be about $ 700,000 but if we execute them after nine old ages or ten old ages it would merely total-up to $ 260,000 to $ 240,000. Even when a condemnable s life sentence merely lasted for 20 old ages, it would still be more than to put to death them. Sentencing felons to decease would besides assist diminish the population inside prisons. Meaning less money spent on bed infinites, nutrient, and building of installations needed.

There is no manner that life imprisonment would be less than executing. If the liquidators are merely sentenced to life imprisonment, they are decidedly non acquiring the penalty that they deserve. But in fact their life is being paid for by the households and friends of the victims, that they murdered. The authorities could merely utilize the money spent on these felons for other things like edifice schools, edifice infirmaries, and bettering the position of the state, instead than in lodging and back uping felons, who are a threat to our society.

Retaliatory Argument

So far, we have been informed by the historical information, scriptural penetrations, disincentive statement, and economic statements, which favor the jurisprudence of capital penalty. Now, allow s look at the retaliatory statements that favor the decease punishment. As we consult the Collins College Dictionary, it says that requital is the penalty or retribution for evil workss. The rules of requital suggest that

a liquidator should be executed because he or she deserves or has earned the sentence of death.10 It is merely right for liquidators to be executed for their actions. They deserve it! If the felons know that they are traveling to be executed for their actions and still slayings guiltless lives, this obviously shows that they don t attention about their lives any longer. They don t value life and wear T attention whether they die or non. So, why should we care about them? If they were given another opportunity to hold a new life, we can t vouch them to populate a life without offense. Capital Punishment is besides legitimate under a theory of merely comeuppances. This justification suggests that liquidators should be executed for retaliatory grounds ; Murderers should endure, and life imprisonment is deficient enduring as requital for taking a life. 11 In Latin footings there is something called Lex Talionis, which means, an oculus for an oculus and a life for a life, is justness. The felons have caused a batch of heartache and problems for the household and friends of the victims, and the lone manner for justness to be served in this instance is for the felon to decease. Let us state that person stole your money, so something was stolen from the individual who stole your money, wouldn t you feel better that this happened to that individual? He deserves it! Some people believe that you can t fight force by implementing force. But there is a difference between force and jurisprudence enforcement, or penalty. Violence is the usage of physical force intended to do hurt or devastation. While penalty is the punishment for a offense or discourtesy. We don t enforce capital penalty for the interest of making violent Acts of the Apostless towards felons ; we do this to give them the right and merely penalty for such condemnable act that they committed.

A quotation mark from Edward Kosh, former city manager of New York City provinces: it is by demanding the highest punishment for the pickings of human life that we affirm the highest value of human life. 12 From this quotation mark, we can state that a offense, after all, is merely every bit terrible as the penalty that follows it. Murderers won Ts take slaying earnestly if the punishment International Relations and Security Network T every bit as serious, like decease. Another quotation mark taken from the award-winning Chicago journalist Mike Royko provinces:

When I think of the 1000s of dwellers of Death Rows in the 100s of prisons in this state.My reaction is: What s taking us so long? Let s acquire that electric current flowing. Drop those pellets [ of toxicant gas ] now! Whenever I argue this with friends who have opposite positions, they say that I don Ts have adequate respect for the most fantastic of miracles- human life. Just the antonym: It s because I have so much respect for human life that I favor capital penalty. Murder is the most awful offense there is. Anything less than the decease punishment is an abuse to the victim and society. It says that we don t value the victim s life adequate to penalize the slayer to the full. 13

This quotation mark by Royko is true and has greatly supported the side that is in favour of the retaliatory statement of capital penalty. We should all have the same attitude as Royko, to non merely stand around and wait for more slayings to happen, but alternatively allow s demo them that slaying is a really unbearable offense to society and is taken earnestly.

Utilitarian Argument

The concluding statement, which favors the pattern of capital penalty, is the useful statement. In the Hutchinson Encyclopedic Dictionary, utilitarianism is said to be: A philosophical theory of moralss outlined by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham and developed by John Stuart Mill. Harmonizing to utilitarianism, an action is morally right if it has effects that lead to happiness and wrong if it brings about the contrary. This society should take for the greatest felicity for the greatest figure, or the greatest good for the greatest figure of people. What is the greatest good for the greatest figure of people? Is it allowing felons roam around our vicinities after their sentence is over or during their word? The reply to this inquiry would be answered by most to be NO! Families would non experience same and unafraid knowing that a consecutive slayer that is in word is go forthing two blocks off from their house. We should believe about the safety and public assistance of the people in the community. Wouldn t you feel safe if a consecutive slayer were put to decease for the offenses that he had committed? Every clip a liquidator is put to decease, that would be mark of alleviation to the community, cognizing the fact that he will ne’er hold a opportunity to take away another life of an guiltless victim.

Let us look at the whole ground why authoritiess and jurisprudence hatchet mans exist. They exist to function a intent. Among the many intents that they have, one of this is to support their nice citizens from the barbarous felons. When it fails to make so, they become of no usage to the citizens. What s the point in holding a authorities that does nil about the liquidators, who is a menace to society? Nothing! If they merely put these felons to gaol, can the jurisprudence enforcers assure us and vouch us that they will non be able to get away and travel out and kill once more? If the jurisprudence executes the liquidators they will be one hundred per centum sure to disable them of making such evil offenses. In a research that was conducted, of the 2,575 captives sentenced to decease in 1992, 1 out of 11 had a anterior strong belief of homicide, before being sentenced to death.14 This statistic shows that, we can salvage and procure the lives of the populace by implementing capital penalty. If we had done this the first clip the felons were arrested we could hold prevented a batch of extra people being killed. Is that what they think jurisprudence enforcement is all about? In an unsigned article, published by the American Life League, provinces:

In world & # 8212 ; slayings & # 8212 ; are non executed as payment for their offenses, because their deceases could non get down to refund the horror and enduring they have caused. [ They ] are executed because of the force they have done to the virtuousness of justness. Society must extinguish its worst elements, or by digesting them it will itself fall into desperation. 15

Like the statement above, the writer greatly believes that we don t punish felons to acquire retaliation, but we do this because we have Torahs that we need to follow and for every jurisprudence that is broken there should be a penalty that is equal to the offense that has been committed. If capital penalty is non enforced we are non merely put on the lining the lives of the populace but besides the lives of the prison guards and the other captives. Even in gaol there is besides a opportunity for a condemnable to kill another individual since already in gaol. The lone manner to halt a consecutive slayer from jeopardizing the lives of a batch of guiltless people is by conveying him to his decease.

Reasoning Remarks

By sing the historical information, disincentive statement, economic statement, retaliatory statement, and the useful statement for capital penalty, we can see that, although a bulk of people think seting felons to decease is incorrect and must be banned, the pattern of capital penalty is however a justifiable option. In fact, capital penalty is non merely an option but a must and a necessity for everyone in a community, province, or state. For those who believe that it is incorrect to set person to decease because he took away person else s life, believe once more. Does life look to be so unimportant that the lone penalty we can give the felons are life sentences?

To truly understand and develop a sense of the importance of capital penalty in our justness systems, we looked at four chief statements that are in favour of the decease punishment. But before that, we were given some historical information about capital penalty. The decease punishment was the earliest signifier of justness that was followed by many. From the times of Jesus to the Roman times and at present, we still use the decease punishment to our justness systems. The bible itself contains a batch of transitions and poetries that supports and even encourages the enforcement of capital penalty. After holding some cognition about the history of capital penalty, we went to the first chief statement that is for capital penalty, the disincentive statement. We learned that the statement of disincentive should non be used against the decease punishment. Because even though surveies has shown that topographic points with capital penalty produces a higher offense rate, we haven Ts considered some factors that might impact this decision. We should see the size of the country, the population and the offense rate in that country. Crime rates do non increase because of capital penalty, but capital penalty is imposed because of high offense rates. The following statement that was discussed was the economic statement. We learned that is would be a batch of money to enforce life imprisonment instead than capital penalty. Besides, why should we be giving those felons that are a threat to our society a topographic point to populate, free nutrient, and a nice life, when they have caused a batch of wretchedness to the households and friends of their victims? The 3rd statement we touched upon was the retaliatory statement. Those felons deserve to decease for perpetrating serious offenses like slaying. As a Latin expression goes, An oculus for an oculus and a life for a life, is justness! The concluding statement, which supports capital penalty, is the useful statement. The theory of utilitarianism is that the society should take for the greatest felicity for the greatest figure of people. And holding the decease punishment in our justness systems is the best for the greatest figure of people. This would do households and people in the communities feel safe and secure at dark cognizing that there is one less condemnable to worry approximately.

Now that we have been educated by some statements sing the decease punishment and by its historical information, we can reason that capital penalty is a jurisprudence that should be openly accepted in our society today. Without it, our lives are at interest from lingering felons that are in word. Our safety is in the custodies of the lawgivers. Life in gaol won t deter the captives from runing down their following pray. We should make something about these violent deaths. If we don t act now, when are we traveling to do our first measure? Let s non sit around and wait for more guiltless victims and their households to endure. Let s get down penalizing those liquidators. Without capital penalty life won Ts have a value any longer. And without it, JUSTICE won t be SERVED! ! !