Capital Punishment

Matthew Hunt English Coursework-Capital Punishment Many people have questioned the arguments both infavour and against the re-introductrion of the death penalty. The supporters for capital punishment say it will be a way of protection and it will be a deterence. Can we believe them? They say the criminal should get what they deserve and it makes economic sense. They say a lot of things, very ambitious ones at that. Luckily, I am not one of them. I very much hope that you are not too. I am shocked to hear that capital punishment still exists in many countries. Altogether there are 90 countries still using the death penalty for traditional crimes. Among those is the USA. The USA in my opinion the most advanced country in the world, still refuses to get with the times. This I find worrying. If the most powerful country in the world still use old-fashioned methods for sorting out problems how will they solve other disputes? We cannot just kill everyone we don't like or disagree with. There needs to be a resolution. On Thursday 18th December 1969 the death penalty was abolished in the UK. This I believe was a great decision on behalf of the UK. Why should we change things now? The current situation in the UK is satisfactory. Murders and other violent crimes will always be commited. Can you name me one place there is not? Many overreact as soon as a murder is committed.

  • Word count: 1056
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment "Dead Man Walking!" This sound rings through each and every death row inmate a thousand times a day; But should it? Capital punishment is one of the most controversial topics among Americans today. Since every person has there own opinion on this topic, either for or against, the question always raised is "Is it morally right." The number of problems with the death penalty are enormous, ranging from innocence to racism, and these problems will never be resolved unless the death penalty is abolished. The problems with capital punishment stem as far back as the ritual itself. The number of occurrence on why the death penalty is racist is uncountable. A 1990 report released by the federal government's General Accounting Office found a "pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in the charging, sentencing and imposition of the death penalty after the Furman decision." Professor David Baldus examined sentencing patterns in Georgia in the 1970's. After reviewing over 2,500 homicide cases in that state, controlling for 230 non-racial factors, he concluded that a person accused of killing a white was 4.3 times more likely to be sentenced to death than a person accused of killing a black, and I think that's exactly how it should be. The Stanford Law Review published a study that found similar patterns of racial dispair, based on the race of the victim, in

  • Word count: 1061
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment Punishment is defined as a deliberate infliction of harm as a moral sanction against offenders. Punishment may be understood, designed, and applied according to any of the three major varieties of normative theory: retribution and reparation focus on satisfaction of duties, deterrence and prevention on securing desirable outcomes, and reform and rehabilitation on improving moral character. There are different types of punishment, one of these include Capital Punishment, which will be examined at in more detail. Capital Punishment or "state sanctioned killing" said by Wilcockson is the taking of a person's life by the state as the legal penalty for criminal offence. Over the years, capital punishment has become an extremely controversial issue. Many important questions have arisen regarding this issue and some of these include, "how should a criminal be punished?" Also, "do criminals really deserve to be punished harshly using the death penalty?" People disagree about whether capital punishment is moral or if it is effective in discouraging crime. Many oppose the death penalty because they consider it cruel. Critics also believe that there is a risk of executing mistakenly convicted people. Supporters of the death penalty believe that in some instances, people who take another human life deserve to forfeit their own lives. Many supporters also argue

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Capital Punishment

Darren Parker Capital Punishment DEATH- The word alone sums up a great deal of horrific pain and torture, despite this some states or countries still use it today as a form of punishment for the criminal "lowlife" that "pollutes" the world. In this piece of writing, I am going to discuss Capital Punishment and the many reasons for why it should be completely abolished. My first reason for being against the death penalty is that many innocent people have been wrongfully accused and executed as a result of the death penalty. In 1973 Judith Ward was convicted for the murder of 12 soldiers in a coach explosion on the M62. She served 18 years in prison for a crime that she did not commit before finally being proved innocent in 1992. This innocent person's life was saved as a result of the abolition of the death penalty in Britain. On the contrary, not every wrongfully accused convict has been as lucky as Judith. Research estimates that 350 innocent people have been wrongfully convicted of murder this century. For 23 of the prisoners, the evidence establishing their innocence was discovered after they had been executed. This clearly highlights the danger of the death penalty taking the life of an innocent which shows that the Capital Punishment should not stand. Furthermore, the death penalty is cruel and inhumane as there is no humane way of killing someone. The

  • Word count: 879
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment Bang! The next thing you know you get a phone call- The worst has just happened. Murderers and Serial killers. How do you punish them for a crime so violent, so cruel and so unjust? How about I rephrase that sentence. Let Murderers endure the rest of their lives trapped in a cellar were their emotions run wild with guilt of what they have done, or the easy way out- Death. Capital punishment is wrong; it's brutal, immoral, inhumane and corrupt. Taking a life for a life is wrong. It won't bring the other person back. People are very hypocritical when they know it's wrong to kill, however they think it is okay for the government and court to take another persons life away for a crime that they have committed. How does the government even decided who is "worthy" or "unworthy" of Capital Punishment. There should be only one being that has the power to take a life away and that is God. The court makes Capital punishment sound like that its okay and alright to kill if you have more power and money over someone else. It takes double if not triple the amount of money to actually go through with capital punishment. The cost for capital punishment, trails as well as the jail term for the state to put the criminals to death is astounding. Why would people want to waste their tax money on that when people are already complaining about how there is little or no

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Hurricane Hits England.

Amais Chouhdary Broad Street Cardiff CF5- 3NT The Editor 19/02/2005 Western Mail Cardiff Dear Sir or Madam: I am a Christian and would like to make clear a few points regarding the issue of Death Penalty, Which is quite often debated. I feel very strongly about this issue because if there was no death penalty than my faith and that of 120 million Christians wouldn't exist. Because, if the Jews had never had the death penalty then Jesus wouldn't be crucified and be resurrected and there would be no salvation through Christ. Firstly, I would like to draw attention to the historical fact that the capital punishment has been used by almost every church and denomination. For example the burning of the heretics across Europe in the Medieval times, which was whole heartedly supported by the churches. Also the punishment of the Joan of Arc of France, because she claimed to be divinely inspired, was not opposed by the Churches. I think that the churches never opposed the Death Penalty because no unequivocal statement in the New Testament forbids it. On the contrary, it is explicitly allowed in the Old Testament (an eye for an eye...life for a life) as was the custom of the Jews at the time of Jesus. The Old Testament portrays human life as sacred because "God created man in his own image."

  • Word count: 471
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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The body works exhibition is the work of Gunther von Hagens - The exhibition consists of actual bodies of humans and animals

"A quite extraordinary experience, slightly unnerving, but I do feel an enormous respect now for our bodies and the way they function. Thank you!" "I am now able to understand my body in a much better way! Congratulations on such a sensational exhibition and a very enlightening tour. I hope that this exhibition will gain more acceptance." These are two opinions about the Body Worlds exhibition, which is currently in London. The body works exhibition is the work of Gunther von Hagens. The exhibition consists of actual bodies of humans and animals, which have been plastinated to preserve them forever. The exhibition is classed as the Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies, it provides a completely unique way to see healthy and diseased bodies. You can see individual organs, and have the opportunity to learn about their functions and what types of diseases affect them. You can also see structures, which affect the entire body such as the central nervous system, or the muscle system, a few specimens are cross sections of bodies so that you can better see their structures. The aim of the Body Worlds exhibition is to allow visitors to better understand their bodies and its functions. The visitors range from the typical laymen, to doctors, pathologists and scientists alike. Gunther von Hagens, the inventor of plastination, began his medical studies at the University of Jena

  • Word count: 1660
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Against Capital Punishment

Against Capital Punishment In the UK capital punishment for murder was formally abolished in 1965 under the murder (Abolition Of Death Penalty) Act 1965, but was not completely abolished until the 10th of December 1999 - International Human Rights Day, when the government ratified Second Optional Protocol to the International Convent on Civil and Political Rights. The death penalty is still in use in some countries such as the USA, Japan, China, Iran and others, most of which are in Asia. I believe that using the death penalty is wrong and that these countries should abolish it for a number of reasons. Miscarriages of justice have resulted in the wrong person being executed in many cases. However, if they had been given just a prison sentence, then they could still have been released anytime during their sentence should new evidence arise. Even though this is still not brilliant for the accused, it is still much better than being dead, is it not? A review of 200 DNA and death row exonerations in the USA in the last twenty years revealed that the original forensic testing or testimony was flawed, thus proving that mistakes can be made. Is it right to kill anyone, even if he or she is a murderer? The law tells us not to kill anyone, so is capital punishment not just as bad? Because we live in a predominantly Christian society, is it not in our beliefs that a wrongdoer or

  • Word count: 911
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Death Penalty.

Death Penalty Capital Punishment is defined as "putting a condemned person to death" (Gillian 56). It is easy to understand that many people would be divided on this issue. When dealing with a person's life, it quickly becomes the issue of many. Some do not understand, how it is possible to take the criminal's life, when that is exactly what he did. Is this not showing him that it was okay to take another's life, if it is justifiable? The answer however, is no. By taking the criminals life, the government is simply fitting the punishment to the crime. Others would argue that these people's rights of the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness are being revoked. However, even if it is granted that capital punishment violates our duty to treat people with dignity, humanity, and love, that alone may not be a sufficient reason for abolishing the practice. Dignity, humanity and love are foundational moral goods and as such are prima facia in nature. That is, they are each morally binding on face value until a stronger duty emerges with which it conflicts, thereby creating a moral dilemma. For, even though the people are duty bound to acknowledge a criminal's dignity, the duty of retribution is also present and it in fact outweighs the other duties. In essence the death penalty is a complicated moral issue that can be debated forever, however it must be seen that this

  • Word count: 990
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Dead man walking.

Dead man walking The film dead man walking was released in 1996 by MRM and directed by Tim Robbins (Husband of the starring female actor Susan Sarandon; It is a tale of a murderer and a rapist Mathew Poncelet, Poncelet is soon to be put to death, alone and afraid he writes to a nun Sister Prejean, despite the warnings for various people, she organises a visit to the prison to visit him, from the moment they meet she has mixed feelings as is the film it is saying that Poncelets death is a waste of life, however he brutally murdered two people. Most films of this genre are one handed, either for or against the death penalty, this is an exception for it does not aim to enforce one side of the argument, it was produced to educate and entertain, rather than to make decisions for the audience. The most emotive part of the film is definitely the execution scene, Poncelet's appeal has failed and when Sister Prejean tells him the news, the hope fails from his eyes, he knows that he is quite literally a "Dead man walking." "Its easy to kill a monster, its hard to kill a man, we must make sure they see you as a man" This quote sums up the film, Mathew Poncelet is an evil man, however, he is not a monster because a man has two faces, a good and an evil where a monster has but one face - which is evil. During the execution scene, the idea of Man, Monster is shown amazingly well,

  • Word count: 1170
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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