Death Penalty Persuasive Essay Essays - Capital Punishment, Penology

Death Penalty Persuasive Essay English 10 Week 15 Persuasive Essay Death Penalty There are many different stances on the issue of the death penalty, also known as death row. The death penalty has been used for many years, dating as far back as the eleventh century, B.C. With new laws, the penalty is now exclusively used for murder cases, and sometimes rape cases. But, the death penalty should be abolished for many reasons that many different groups of people should support. As Catholics, we turn to the bible and prayer for answers. Most people will read the scripture you shall not murder exodus 20:13 NIV and instantly say the death penalty is wrong because we are murdering the guilty. According to google definitions, the definition of murder is the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. With that being said, the death penalty is not wrong according to the 7th commandment because the death penalty is set by the law. But, as Catholics we also dont believe, as humans, we should play God and decide who goes on death row and who doesnt. Pro-life means All Life not just the infant in the womb. Not just the elderly, the homeless, the ill, and the infirm. All life. As a religion devoted to the sanctity of life we can't differentiate. The state has an obligation to protect society from those who would practice evil upon it, but it should do so by incarcerating them for a lifetime. Execution actually cost more than life in prison. The death penalty is unnecessary and immoral, and does not respect the sanctity of human life. Stated by Lauren Sylvest, member of the Catholic Church. When asked on Facebook weather people believe in the death penalty should be abolished or not, Roy Guilbeau Jr. stated I don't believe in it. I don't think we, as humans, have the right to decide who lives or dies. For those that would take life I believe in a lifetime of hardcore imprisonment with extremely hard labor. Those who murder or abuse the innocent get off too easy with the death penalty. I also think this would deter future criminals because some of these people are just looking for death and 15 minutes of fame. This statement makes a huge point to why the death penalty should be abolished. Most criminals would rather be dead than spend life in prison. Also, while in prison, some convicts might find Jesus and become saved and change their life. Serial killers often have mental disabilities and they can get help while in prison. Prison might be the only thing saving some people. In 2004, Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in Texas for starting the fire that killed his children. The Texas Forensic Science Commission has determined that the arson testimony that led to his conviction was based on flawed science. As of today, 138 wrongly convicted people who were sentenced to death have been exonerated. DNA is rarely available in homicides, often irrelevant, as in the Willingham case, and cant guarantee we wont execute innocent people. Capital juries are dominated by people who favor the death penalty and are more likely to vote to convict. Not only is the system immoral, it also has flaws. Though there are few people who believe in the death penalty, most believe that it isnt right. The death penalty should be abolished because its not the place for the legal system to decide who dies, and who lives.