help with main points about Capital punishment (death penalty)?

Question

I am righting a 3 to 5 page research paper on capital punishment. I am against Capital punishment my thesis statement is --- Capital punishment is cruel, no one has the right to take someone else's life, therefor the death penalty should be illegal worldwide. --- I need help with coming up with as many main points as possible any ideas?

Answer 1

This is very fertile ground. Here are some points you might consider:



- Mistakes happen. Since 1973 in the U.S., 138 people have been released from death row because they were exonerated by DNA and other new evidence (DNA is not available in most homicide cases). These are ALL people who were found guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt." A life sentence is reversible. An execution is not.



- Cost - because of the legal apparatus designed to minimize wrongful executions (and the enormous expense of death row incarceration), it costs taxpayers MUCH more to execute someone than to imprison them for life.



- It is not a deterrent - violent crime rates are consistently HIGHER in death penalty jurisdictions.



- It is inconsistently and arbitrarily applied.



- Because the U.S. is one of the last remaining nations with capital punishment, many other countries refuse to extradite known criminals who should be standing trial here.



- It fosters a culture of violence by asserting that killing is an acceptable solution to a problem.



- Jesus was against it (see Matthew 5:7 & 5:38-39, James 4:12, Romans 12:17-21, John 8:7, and James 1:20).



- Life without parole (LWOP) is on the books in most states now (all except Alaska), and it means what it says. People who get this sentence are taken off the streets. For good.



- As Voltaire once wrote, "let the punishments of criminals be useful. A hanged man is good for nothing; a man condemned to public works still serves the country, and is a living lesson."



- Whether you’re a hardened criminal or a government representing the people, killing another human being is wrong. Period. “He did it first” is not a valid excuse.



I hope that helps. The site below has support for most of these points. Good luck on your paper!

Answer 2

Sometimes people that are found guilty are later exonerated. If they are dead they can't be set free. Get this 31 people have been exonerated by DNA testing in Texas after serving a combined 380 years for crimes they didn't commit. Imagine if they had gone to the death chamber they would not have been set free.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6aasfwCC24



Capital punishment is not a deterrent to committing crimes:

A study of the deterrence value of the death penalty focused on whether the death penalty deterred the murder of police officers. The researchers surveyed a thirteen year period of police homicides. The study concluded " we find no consistent evidence that capital punishment influenced police killings during the 1976-1989 period. . . . [P]olice do not appear to have been afforded an added measure of protection against homicide by capital punishment."



The death penalty is extremely arbitrary in that blacks are more likely to be sentenced to the death penelty than whites:

When sentencing standards fail to adequately guide sentencers, decision-makers may fall back on conscious or unconscious prejudices about who are the worst kinds of criminals or who are the more sympathetic victims. Modern studies of the death penalty continue to find a correlation between sentencing and race. The studies consistently show that those who kill white victims are much more likely to receive the death penalty than those who kill black victims.



The death penalty is not even applied to the worst of the worst offenders:



Man Who Admitted To 48 Murders Will Serve Life Sentence In Exchange For Cooperation

In a plea agreement reached with Washington state prosecutors, Gary Ridgway, a Seattle-area man who admitted to 48 murders since 1982, will serve a sentence of life in prison without parole. Prosecutors spared Ridgway from execution in exchange for his cooperation in leading police to the remains of still-missing victims. (Associated Press, Nov. 5, 2003).

Answer 3

Pro capital punishment. "What I mean by hypocritical is that our country makes it illegal to murder someone yet the courts in many guilty verdicts will sentence the murderer to death, doing the exact same thing that he or she did." Would be OK if we legalized murder? Sorry, just kidding, it is just the way the question was worded. I know what you mean. Just a little levity despite the serious question. The difference is an individual decided to take a life for personal reasons. When we execute someone, we as a society have decided by jury of peers that society is best served by killing this person. It isn't vengeance. First, the person has shown no respect for life, so he has given up his privileges of belonging to society, even in prison. Second, this person won't be able to murder again. BTW, good question, thank you for asking in respectful manner, we could use more of that from both sides.

Answer 4

I’m against the death penalty but not because of sympathy for criminals. It doesn’t prevent or reduce crime, costs a whole lot more than life in prison, and, worst of all, risks executions of innocent people.



The worst thing about it. Errors:

The system can make tragic mistakes. In 2004, the state of Texas executed Cameron Todd Willingham for starting the fire that killed his children. The Texas Forensic Science Commission determined that the arson testimony that led to his conviction was based on flawed science. As of today, 138 wrongly convicted people on death row have been exonerated. DNA is rarely available in homicides, often irrelevant (as in Willingham’s case) and can’t guarantee we won’t execute innocent people. Capital juries are dominated by people who favor the death penalty and are more likely to vote to convict.



Keeping killers off the streets for good:

Life without parole, on the books in 49 states (all except Alaska), also prevents reoffending. It means what it says, and spending the rest of your life locked up, knowing you’ll never be free, is no picnic. Two big advantages:

-an innocent person serving life can be released from prison

-life without parole costs less than the death penalty



Costs, a surprise to many people:

Study after study has found that the death penalty is much more expensive than life in prison. The high costs of the death penalty are for the complicated legal process, with the largest costs at the pre-trial and trial stages. The point is to avoid executing innocent people. The tremendous expenses in a death penalty case apply whether or not the defendant is convicted, let alone sentenced to death.



Crime reduction (deterrence):

The death penalty doesn't keep us safer. Homicide rates for states that use the death penalty are consistently higher than for those that don’t. The most recent FBI data confirms this. For people who lack a conscience, fear of being caught is the best deterrent.



Who gets it:

Contrary to popular belief, the death penalty isn't reserved for the worst crimes, but for defendants with the worst lawyers. It doesn't apply to people with money. Practically everyone sentenced to death had to rely on an overworked public defender. How many people with money have been executed??



Victims:

People assume that families of murder victims want the death penalty imposed. It just isn't so. Some are against it on moral grounds. But even families who have supported the death penalty in principle have testified to the damage that the death penalty process does to families like theirs and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.



It comes down to whether we should keep a system for the sake of retribution or revenge even though it isn’t effective in reducing violent crime, costs much more than alternatives and, worst of all, can lead to the nightmare of executing someone for a crime he didn’t commit.



Sources:



Death Penalty Information Center, www.deathpenaltyinfo.org, for stats on executions, reports on costs, deterrence studies, links to FBI crime stats and links to testimony (at state legislatures) of victims' family members.



FBI http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm



The Innocence Project, www.innocenceproject.org



http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/COcosttestimony.pdf page 3 and 4 on why the death penalty is so expensive



And, for statements of victims’ families:

www.mvfhr.org and www.mvfr.org



Article about CameronTodd Willingham: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_grann?currentPage=1





http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/murder-rates-nationally-and-state#MRalpha which gives state by state rates from the FBI (alphabetically) noting which states have the death penalty



http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cp.htm

Answer 5

I think your points are ill advised and in error.



Pro Death Penalty Perspective

Dudley Sharp, contact info below

6/2010



We should all desire that an even balance of information is presented for consideration of any public policy issue.



For media, educators and many others, it should be an obligation.



I am hopeful that the following will make a contribution to that effort.



Should you have any questions, please let me know. I am more than happy to assist in fact checking and will gladly respond to any challenges to my material.



My contention is that anti death penalty positions are either false or that the pro death penalty positions are stronger.







"The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/05/the-death-penalty-more-protection-for-innocents.aspx





25 recent studies finding for deterrence, Criminal Justice Legal Foundation

http://www.cjlf.org/deathpenalty/DPDeterrence.htm





"The 130 (now 139) death row 'innocents' scam"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/03/04/fact-checking-issues-on-innocence-and-the-death-penalty.aspx





"Death Penalty Sentencing: No Systemic Bias"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-sentencing-no-systemic.html





"The Innocent Executed: Deception & Death Penalty Opponents"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/10/08/the-innocent-executed-deception--death-penalty-opponents--draft.aspx





"Death Penalty Cost Studies: Saving Costs over LWOP"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2010/03/21/death-penalty-cost-studies-saving-costs-over-lwop.aspx





"Death Penalty Support Remains Very High: USA & The World"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-polls-support-remains.html





"Killing equals Killing: The Amoral Confusion of Death Penalty Opponents"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/02/01/murder-and-execution--very-distinct-moral-differences--new-mexico.aspx





"The Death Penalty: Neither Hatred nor Revenge"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/20/the-death-penalty-neither-hatred-nor-revenge.aspx





"Deterrence and the Death Penalty: A Reply to Radelet and Lacock"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/02/deterrence-and-the-death-penalty-a-reply-to-radelet-and-lacock.aspx





"Death Penalty, Deterrence & Murder Rates: Let's be clear"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/03/death-penalty-deterrence-murder-rates.html





A Death Penalty Red Herring: The Inanity and Hypocrisy of Perfection, Lester Jackson Ph.D.,

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=102909A







"Duke (North Carolina) Death Penalty Cost Study: Let's be honest"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/06/duke-north-carolina-death-penalty-cost.html

(NOTE: A 2009 study, by one of these authors, found that by ending the death penalty NC might save $11 million , or about 1 penny ever third day/person. I have not read it, yet. Based upon the prior study, reviewed here, the death penalty likely saves money.)





"A Broken Study: A Review of 'A Broken System' "

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/10/broken-study-review-of-broken-system.html





"The Death Penalty: Not a Human Rights Violation"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2006/03/20/the-death-penalty-not-a-human-rights-violation.aspx





"Physicians & The State Execution of Murderers: No Ethical/Medical Dilemma"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/10/physicians-state-execution-of-murderers.html





Lethal Injection: Controversies Resolved

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/12/07/lethal-injection-controversies-resolved.aspx





"Cameron Todd Willingham: Another Media Meltdown", A Collection of Articles

http://homicidesurvivors.com/categories/Cameron%20Todd%20Willingham.aspx





"Death Penalty Support: Religious and Secular Scholars"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-support-modern-catholic.html





"Sister Helen Prejean & the death penalty: A Critical Review"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/05/04/sister-helen-prejean--the-death-penalty-a-critical-review.aspx





"Pope John Paul II: Prudential Judgement and the death penalty"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2007/07/23/pope-john-paul-ii-his-death-penalty-errors.aspx





"At the Death House Door" Can Rev. Carroll Pickett be trusted?"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/01/30/fact-checking-is-very-welcome.aspx





NOTE: These are not the full range of topics within the discussion, but represent common topics that are.



More topics upon request.



Sincerely, Dudley Sharp

e-mail [e-mail], 713-622-5491,

Houston, Texas



Mr. Sharp has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, NBC, NPR, PBS , VOA and many other TV and radio networks, on such programs as Nightline, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The O'Reilly Factor, etc., has been quoted in newspapers throughout the world and is a published author.



A former opponent of capital punishment, he has written and granted interviews about, testified on and debated the subject of the death penalty, extensively and internationally.



Pro death penalty sites



essays http://homicidesurvivors.com/categories/Death%20Penalty.aspx

http://prodpinNC.blogspot.com/



http://www.cjlf.org/deathpenalty/DPinformation.htm

http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/links/dplinks.htm

http://www.coastda.com/archives.html

http://www.lexingtonprosecutor.com/death_penalty_debate.htm

http://www.prodeathpenalty.com

http://yesdeathpenalty.googlepages.com/home2 (Sweden)

http://www.wesleylowe.com/cp.html