Patricia Lily

March 11th, 2011

Death Penalty

Mr. Neville

The Death Penalty

The death penalty has been a cause of dispute in America for many years. Whether

they believe it is cruel-unusual punishment or justice, both parties let their thoughts be

heard and fight for their cause. In this essay, I will give some positive benefits of the

death penalty and some negative ones. I will also give you a history of the death penalty.

I will then give my opinion based on my own personal beliefs and the facts that are

displayed before you.

The death penalty in America goes as far back as Jamestown in 1608. The colonists

brought the belief with them from Great Britain. In 1612, Virginia Governor Sir Thomas

Dale enacted the Divine, Moral and Martial Laws, which provided the death penalty for

even minor offenses such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Indians.

Laws regarding the death penalty varied from colony to colony. The Massachusetts Bay

Colony held its first execution in 1630, even though the Capital Laws of New England

did not go into effect until years later. The New York Colony instituted the Duke's Laws

of 1665. Under these laws, offenses such as striking ones mother or father, or denying

the "true God," were punishable by death. (Randa, 1997),

(http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/part-i-history-death-penalty#earlymid, March 11th,

2011). Abolition of the death penalty goes as far back as Jefferson's time. Some states

began to abolish the death penalty in the 1800s, and in the first half of the 1900s six states

outlawed the death penalty and three limited the death penalty.

There are several ways to execute the death penalty. Lethal Injection, which is carried

out by using three chemicals to kill the person. Electrocution, which is carried out by

strapping the person to the chair and shocking them with high voltages of electricity. The

Gas Chamber, which is carried out by putting the person in a room and them hosing

poisonous gases into the room. Hanging, which is carried out by putting a nous around

the persons neck and then hanging them, which cuts off their oxygen supply to the brain.

A Firing Squad, which is carried out by putting the person in front of the squad and

letting them shoot at the person. Lethal Injection is the most effective and most used

method.

Millions of taxpayer dollars go into each states death penalty system. Most of the

money is being used to hold them behind bars until they can be executed. A lot of money

is also put into how the person is going to be killed. It is cheaper to give a life sentence

than it is to give the death penalty.

One factor in the death penalty is race. 56% of defendants that are executed are White,

35% are Black, 7% are Hispanic, and 2% are people of other races. 76% of victims in

death penalty cases are White, 15% are Black, 6% are Hispanic, and 3% are of other

races. Over 75% of the murder victims in cases resulting in an execution were white,

even though nationally only 50% of murder victims generally are white,

(http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March 11th, 2011). In 96% of the states

where there have been reviews of race and the death penalty, there was a pattern of either
race-of-victim or race-of-defendant discrimination, or both. (Prof. David Baldus report to

the ABA, 1998), (http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March 11th, 2011). 98%

of the chief district attorneys in death penalty states are white; only 1% are black. (Prof.

Jeffrey Pokorak, Cornell Law Review, 1998),

(http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March 11th, 2011). A comprehensive study

of the death penalty in North Carolina found that the odds of receiving a death sentence

rose by 3.5 times among those defendants whose victims were white. (Prof. Jack Boger

and Dr. Isaac Unah, University of North Carolina, 2001),

(http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March 11th, 2011). A study in California

found that those who killed whites were over 3 times more likely to be sentenced to death

than those who killed blacks and over 4 times more likely than those who killed Latinos.

(Pierce & Radelet, Santa Clara Law Review 2005),

(http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March 11th, 2011).

Other factors in the decision to use the death penalty are juveniles, mental disabilities,

and gender. The court case Roper v. Simmons struck down the death penalty for

juveniles in 2005 (http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March 11th, 2011). In

2002, the court case Atkins v. Virginia declared it was unconstitutional to execute

defendants with 'mental retardation', (http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March

11th, 2011). As of January 1, 2010 there were 61 women on death row. This constitutes

1.9% of the total death row population. 12 women have been executed since 1976.

(http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March 12th, 2011). This fact shows that

most women, minors, and mentally ill are given lighter sentences.

Most people do not believe that the death penalty will stop people from murdering
others. A 2010 poll by Lake Research Partners found that a clear majority of voters

(61%) would choose a punishment other than the death penalty for murder, including life

with no possibility of parole with restitution to the victim’s family (39%), life with no

possibility of parole (13%), or life with the possibility of parole (9%).

(http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March 12th, 2011). A 2009 poll

commissioned by DPIC found police chiefs ranked the death penalty last among ways to

reduce violent crime. The police chiefs also considered the death penalty the least

efficient use of taxpayers’ money. (http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet, March

12th, 2011).

In my opinion, I believe the death penalty to be cruel and unusual punishment. I think

that we can teach them a lesson without killing them, and killing the person that killed

another human being makes us no better than the killer. It will not bring the people who

died back to life by killing the murderer. I also believe that by killing a killer you are

letting them get off to easy, they should have to sit there and think about what they did

wrong and be able to understand what they took from that person by killing them. They

also have to think about all the things they are missing out on by being locked up, and it

will give them time to change.

In conclusion, the death penalty is just another way for the government to waste

money. The death penalty is ineffective and it is just a way to get revenge for someone

else, but it doesn't make anyone feel better, it doesn't bring the other person back. More

and more in America the death penalty is being outlawed, and numbers of people being

executed are decreasing immensely. No one has the right to tell someone it is their time

to die, and being that we call our nation the land of the free, we shouldn't decide that
death is a punishment for anyone.

Works Cited

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/factsheet accessed March 11th & 12th, 2011.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/part-i-history-death-penalty#earlymid accessed March

11th, 2011.