Capital punishment, is the execution of criminals by the state, for committing crimes, regarded so heinous, that this is the only acceptable punishment.

Aggravating Circumstances refer to those aspects of a crime that increase its

severity. An example of an aggravating circumstance would be torture in

conjunction with a murder. ("Capital Punishment" 32).

Every society has faced the problem of what to do with its most

troublesome criminals. Many people in the past have argued whether or not

Capital Punishment is justified and necessary.

Most societies now believe that a criminal should receive punishment

proportional to the crime committed. Most societies believe that such a severe

punishment was necessary to install fear in others.

While more social structures developed, the crimes developed into public

and private offenses. Public offenses such as witchcraft and blasphemy, were

punished by the state; while private offenses still were answered by acts of

personal retribution.

The enforcement of Capital Punishment in the early twentieth century

declined drastically because of all of the controversy. Today, many more states

are taking the death penalty into consideration.

Methods of Capital Punishment used today are somewhat different than what

was used in the past. The lethal injection method, which is by far the most

common, and the "electric chair" are the most recently used. The gas chamber

is still used but in very rare cases.

In 1924, the gas chamber was introduced in Utah with a hope to still

find a more humane way to execute the convicted. The gas chamber method proved

itself to be a very inhumane way of execution. There were many errors while

using the gas chamber. Using too little or too much of the gas was a huge

factor that was constantly argued.

The continuing desire for a less painful, error-free means of execution

led to the development of the lethal injection method in the 1970's. Initially

it was approved in Oklahoma and Texas in 1977. This method involved injecting

a combination of a sedative, which is used to make the execution less painful,

and a fatal chemical agent into the condemned prisoners bloodstream. Lethal

injection was first used to carry out the death penalty in 1982.

In 1980, The American Medical Association [AMA] went on record to oppose

the participation of any physician in an execution by lethal injection. A

doctors involvment was seen as a contradiction of the professional

responsibility under the Hippocratic Oath to save lives. As it now stands, no

state that uses lethal injection, requires a physician to be present. The

deadly solution is normally administered by medically trained technicians.

There is much evidence showing that Capital Punishment is a deterrent of

crime. The most persuasive research compared the homicide rates of states that

did and did not prescribe the death penalty. For instance, Michigan, which

abolished Capital Punishment in 1847, was found to have had a rate higher to

adjacent states, Ohio and Indiana, that were executing. Similarly, Minnesota

and Rhode Island, states with no death penalty, had many more killings then

their respective neighbors Iowa and Massachusetts, which had Capital Punishment.

In 1939 South Dakota adopted and used the death penalty, and its homicide rate

fell twenty percent over the next decade; North Dakota went without Capital

Punishment for the same ten years, and homicide rates went up.

Similar before and after studies in Canada, England, and other countries

likewise found that the suggestion of Capital Punishment had deterred murderers

better than the prospect of long prison terms. In Britain during the 1950's, a

typical "lifer" actually served only seven years, compared with a much tougher

average, the United States life term today of twenty years.

Between 1930 and 1980 there have been 3,860 executions in the United

States. Of this number 3,380 had been executed for murder. Rape, armed robbery,

burglary, and aggravated assault no longer are capital crimes.

Only thirty-two women have ever been executed. Since 1930 half of all

persons executed were non white. Over 1,200 death row inmates were awaiting

execution by 1984.

In 1980, thirty-nine states had enacted death penalty laws. From 1965 to

983 favoritism of the death penalty has risen thirty-two percent. Now,

seventy percent of Americans favor Capital Punishment.

Washington D.C. had the highest murder rate in the country with 35.1

murders per 100,000 population. Nevada is second with twenty, Texas with 16.9,

Florida at 14.5. South Dakota has the lowest murder rate with .7 murders per

00,000 population.

Since the Supreme Court rulings in the 1970's up to 1984, only sixteen

death row inmates have been executed.

In America we have many criminals. Different societies have different

views on how these criminals should be punished. The more harsh we are on the

criminals and the more death penalties we hand out, there will be a drastic drop

in capital crime. Capital Punishment is necessary in any imperfect society.

Have you been wondering where all our tax dollars are going to these days?

A large amount of it is going towards maintaining murderers, rapists and thieves,

and for what reason, to live the good life? The average prisoner costs the

federal government one hundred and fifty dollars a day which amounts to fifty-

three thousand four hundred dollars a year. Now, ask yourself this question, Is

it worth all this money to keep these savage criminals in jail? Do you really

want these brutal criminals after release from prison roaming freely in our

streets near our homes? The ultimate answer to these questions is only too

evident, we must control the situation, we need to enforce an alternative... we

need Capital Punishment.

For all of the murderers, thieves, drug lords, rapists and any other severe

law perpetrator, there must be some form of control and it must be capital

punishment. Any person who kills people with no regrets or rapes innocent

victims continuously, does not deserve to live in a luxurious North American

penitentiary or anywhere for that matter, they deserve nothing but the death

penalty. When the words 'death penalty' or 'capital punishment' are heard, they

obviously are disturbing and uncomfortable, but so are their crimes. There is

no hope for criminals with this kind of behavior and mentality. I believe that

capital punishment is the key necessity.

If capital punishment was enforced for severe crimes, it would eliminate a

fair amount of tax money going towards the judiciary system. If a prison were

to maintain a deadly criminal sentenced for life starting at the age of thirty

and living to seventy, it would cost tax payers an unbelievable amount of two

million one hundred and thirty-six thousand dollars. It is hard to believe but

it is true, and imagine, if that is the cost of just one criminal, imagine the

astronomical amount of five hundred criminals each costing that amount of

money... something must be done. Capital punishment would eliminate those

figures and leave you and me a whole lot happier.

When a murderer kills a person and goes to court, he expects to get around

thirty to fifty years in jail, and if he behaves well in prison, he could very

well get out in half the time. It is also a fact that after the criminal has

been released from prison, he will most likely perform the same acts that

rendered him there in the first place. Society can't handle these brutal

behaviors so therefore capital punishment will. When a criminal is sentenced to

the death penalty and is executed by means of capital punishment, all the other

potential murderers and rapists will get a warning. They will think twice about

doing the crime after they learn of what awaits them in the end.

The fact of the matter is, it has been far too long that we have been too

kind to the fiends who murder our loved ones, rape our spouses and daughters and

perform other savage brutalities. By no way or justice should they be allowed

to roam the streets freely after having a relaxed visit at the local

penitentiary. They end up costing the tax payer an unimaginable amount of money

so that they can live in a sheltered jail while having hearty meals and access

to pay-TV and other commodities. All of this is simply unnecessary for the

solution is capital punishment and as long as it is put off, the longer all of

these and other things will go on.

Capital Punishment deters murder, and is just Retribution Capital punishment, is

the execution of criminals by the state, for committing crimes, regarded so

heinous, that this is the only acceptable punishment. Capital punishment does

not only lower the murder rate, but it's value as retribution alone is a good

reason for handing out death sentences. Support for the death penalty in the U.S.

has risen to an average of 80% according to an article written by Richard

Worsnop, entitled "Death penalty debate centres on Retribution", this figure is

slightly lower in Canada where support for the death penalty is at 72% of the

population over 18 years of age, as stated in article by Kirk Makir, in the

March 26, 1987 edition of the Globe and Mail, titled "B.C. MPs split on Death

Penalty".

The death penalty deters murder by putting the fear of death into would be

killers. A person is less likely to do something, if he or she thinks that harm

will come to him. Another way the death penalty deters murder, is the fact that

if the killer is dead, he will not be able to kill again.

Most supporters of the death penalty feel that offenders should be punished for

their crimes, and that it does not matter whether it will deter the crime rate.

Supporters of the death penalty are in favour of making examples out of

offenders, and that the threat of death will be enough to deter the crime rate,

but the crime rate is irrelevant.

According to Isaac Ehrlich's study, published on April 16, 1976, eight murders

are deterred for each execution that is carried out in the U.S.A. He goes on to

say, "If one execution of a guilty capital murderer deters the murder of one

innocent life, the execution is justified." To most supporters of the death

penalty, like Ehrlich, if even 1 life is saved, for countless executions of the

guilty, it is a good reason for the death penalty. The theory that society

engages in murder when executing the guilty, is considered invalid by most

supporters, including Ehrlich. He feels that execution of convicted offenders

expresses the great value society places on innocent life.

Isaac Ehrlich goes on to state that racism is also a point used by death penalty

advocates. We will use the U.S. as examples, since we can not look at the

inmates on death row in Canada, because their are laws in Canada that state that

crime statistics can not be based on race, also the fact that there are no

inmates on death row in Canada. In the U.S. 16 out of 1000 whites arrested for

murder are sentenced to death, while 12 of 1000 blacks arrested for murder were

sentenced to death. 1.1% of black inmates on death row were executed, while 1.7%

of white inmates will die.

Another cry for racism, as according to Ehrlich, that is raised by advocates of

the death penalty is based on the colour of the victim, for example "if the

victim is white, it is more likely that the offender will get the death penalty

than if the victim had been black". This is true, if you look at the actual

number of people who are murder. More people kill whites and get the death

penalty, then people who kill blacks and get the death penalty. The reason for

this is that more whites are killed, and the murders captured. Now if we look at

the number of blacks killed it is a lot less, but you have to look at these

numbers proportionately. Percent wise it is almost the same number for any race,

so this is not the issue.

In a 1986 study done by Professor Stephen K. Layson of the University of North

Carolina, the conclusions made by Ehrilich were updated, and showed to be a

little on the low side as far as the deterrence factor of capital punishment.

Professor Layson found that 18 murders were deterred by each execution is the

U.S. He also found that executions increases in probability of arrest,

conviction, and other executions of heinous offenders.

According to a statement issued by George C. Smith, Director of Litigation,

Washington Legal Foundation, titled "In Support of the Death Penalty", support

for the death penalty has grown in the U.S., as the crime rate increased. In

966, 42% of Americans were in favour of capital punishment while 47% were

opposed to it. Since the crime rate United states has increased, support for the

capital punishment has followed suit. In 1986, support for capital punishment

was 80% for and only 17% against with 3% undecided, but most of the undecided

votes said they were leaning toward a pro capital punishment stance, if they had

to vote on it immediately.

Let us now focus on Canada. The last two people to be executed, in Canada were

Arthur Lucas and Ron Turpin. They were executed on December 11, 1962. The

executions in Canada were carried out by hanging. 1

The death penalty was abolished in Canada in the latter part of 1976, after a

debate that lasted 98 hours. The death penalty was only beaten by 6 votes. If we

look back to 1976, the year the death penalty was abolished in Canada, threats

of death, were being made to Members of Parliament and their immediate families

from pro death penalty advocates. Most members of parliament, voted on their own

personal feelings, as opposed to the views of their voters.2

The same was the case in British Colombia, where accepting of the death penalty,

if it was reinstated 1987 , by the federal government was discussed. The M.P.s

were split, 17 out of 29 were for the death penalty. This showed, that even the

majority of the M.P.s were in favour of the death penalty in B.C. Support for

the death penalty in British Columbia at the time was almost 70%, but the M.P.s

felt that it was up to them to vote how they felt was right, and not to vote on

which vote would give them the best chance for a second term.3

In 1987, the Progressive Conservative government wanted to hold a free vote on

the reinstatement of Capital punishment, but Justice minister Ray Hnatyshyn, who

was opposed to it, pressured the M.P.s, into voted against the bill. Ray

Hnatyshyn, was the deciding factor, if not for him, it was widely believed that

the reinstatement of capital punishment would have gone through, and the death

penalty would be a reality today.4

Capital punishment is such a volatile issue, and both sides are so deeply rooted

in their views that they are willing to do almost anything to sway all of the

people they can to their side.

We personally feel, and our views are backed up by proof, in the form of studies

by the likes of Isaac Ehrlich's 1975 and Prof. Stephen K. Layson's, that was

published in 1986, and polls that have been taken both in Canada and the United

States over the past few years. All of these studies and surveys show that

capital punishment is a valid deterrent to crime, and obviously the public, and

society as a whole are in favour of it. The death penalty makes would be capital

offenders think about weather committing a crime is really worth their lives.

Even if capital punishment did not deter crime, the simple fact that it will

allow society to "get even" with murders. Capital punishment also insures peace

of mind because it insures that murders will never kill again.

From: Take Notice, (Copp Clarke Pitman Ltd., 1979) page 163

2 From: Article written by David Vienneau published in the March 24, 1987

edition of the "Toronto Star", titled, Debate Agonizing for MPs.

3 From: Article written by Kirk Makir, published in March 26, 1987 edition of

the "Globe and Mail", titled, BC MPs Split on Death Penalty Debate.

4 From: Article written by Hugh Winsor, published in April 29, 1987 edition of

the "Globe and Mail", titled, Debate on Death Penalty placed on hold.