Death Penalty :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Hugo A. Bedau, the writer of â€Å"The Death Penalty in America†, capital punishment is the lawful infliction of the death penalty. The death penalty has been used since ancient times for a wide variety of offenses. The Bible says that death should be done to anyone who commits murder, kidnaps, or witchcraft. Treason, murder larceny, burglary, rapes, and arson was major felonies in England 1500’s. By 1800, the death penalty was being used quite frequently. I believe the death penalty is not a way to stop crimes. It sometimes kills innocent people and gives the criminal what they wanted. Sentencing someone to die should be taken more into thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A personal experience dealt with a lady named Marlene Newcomer, who worked with my mom twenty years ago. Two men were on a â€Å"New Year’s Eve Murdering Spree.† The two guys were hitch hiking until Marlene saw them and picked them up. They shot her and left her body in the back of her Blazer. Two other people were killed also. The two men are on death row still today. Another capitol punishment case that everyone has heard of was Timothy McVeigh getting the death penalty. He was involved in the Oklahoma bombing. Timothy wanted to be put to death instead of living the rest of his life in jail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The website deathpenalty.org shows many reasons that I agree with saying how the death penalty is not a good punishment. Deterring people from killing others has failed with execution. People keep committing crimes. Other studies have shown that four hundred innocent people were on death row and ninety-nine innocent people in the past twenty years were sentenced. Almost every religion goes against the death penalty. If it says on money â€Å"In God We Trust† then shouldn’t we stop this capitol punishment?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people believe that the death penalty is a good punishment. They say and believe in â€Å"an eye for an eye.† People say if the criminal took the life of another, their life should be taken away. I think that the law is contradicting itself when they want to kill someone for killing another person. People should be left in jail to suffer and think about what they have done.