Web. This conclusion comes from careful state-by-state monitoring of maternal mortality, including deaths occurring at birth and around the time of birth. On July 17, they did. By comparison, just 35% of Republicans and 21% of Democrats who oppose the death penalty say it is morally justified. Executions in the United States peaked during the 1930s at an average rate of 167 per year. SIRS Issues Researcher As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Web. 14 Jan. 2015. Since then, the Trump administration has executed 13 inmates, more than three times as many as the federal government had in the previous six decades. A grand jury determined in 2016 that state officials had committed a long list of oversights and avoidable mistakes in carrying out executions. Why its a good source: This article gives a lot of good statistics and links about public perception of the death sentence and how it has changed over time. It also gives four reasons as to why the death penalty is becoming less favorable: its not actually proven to deter murders, wrongly convicted people have been executed, it has become more expensive to carry out a death sentence than to impose a life sentence, and the shortage of lethal injection drugs has caused some states to turn to some shadier methods of acquiring drugs. Warren McCleskey, a Black resident of Georgia, had been convicted of killing a white police officer during an armed robbery in 1978 and sentenced to death. They sought to obstruct by any means the administration of sentences that Congress permitted, juries supported and the Supreme Court approved. How so? A third faction also exists that is indecisive and therefore . The court ruled that mandatory capital punishment laws were too rigid. The answer was unequivocal: He would stay as long as it took. Moral arguments. Levi Pulkkinen Sept. 30, 2020. The New York Times Company, 19 Dec. 2013. In July, the United States carried out its first federal execution in 17 years. The death penalty provides immeasurable public benefit by discouraging people from committing capital offenses. Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand Americans views about the death penalty. Supporters of the death penalty believe that those who commit murder, because they have taken the life of another, have forfeited . It also gives in-depth information about the lethal injection drug shortage and statistics on the publics views on the death sentence. In Pew Research Center phone surveys conducted between September 2019 and August 2020 (with field periods nearly identical to the online surveys), support for the death penalty was significantly lower: 55% favored the death penalty in September 2019, 53% in January 2020 and 52% in August 2020. The move provoked immediate debate, as public support for capital punishment had reached historic lows in many states and regions of the country. Slow Death of the Death Penalty. Economist. Under US constitutional law, states have the right to apply their own criminal statutes including capital punishment. Is it morally wrong? They are all pleased with the gift shop, or david small s stitches, or konami s silent hill 2), the thoughts of the most important area of outer space, with an individual s mental perspective on a business trip next week. It can also be used as an important negotiating tool for the police and the justice system, as where the possible sentence is death, the prisoner . On July 16, Wesley Purkey was executed for the 1998 murder of a teenage girl, whom he kidnapped, raped, killed, dismembered and discarded in a septic pond. Rate this book. However, a worldwide poll conducted in 2006 indicates that 52% of the world's population supports the death penalty. The article continues: If Justice Breyer sounded rueful, it was because he had just a few years ago held out hope that the court would reconsider the constitutionality of capital punishment. The court's ruling is believed to have made proving racial discrimination more difficult. Mr. Purkey was prosecuted during the George W. Bush administration, and his conviction and sentence were vigorously defended throughout the Obama administration. If you've looked for capital punishment essay topics, you're in luck! For example, is life in prison without the possibility of parole a sufficient sentence? This created a problem for juries that found a defendant guilty but did not believe the offense warranted a sentence of death. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public. Does your state or country allow the death penalty? States could only acquire the drug by importing it from abroad, sometimes improperly. Explore elections plans geared toward the 2020 presidential election but adaptable for many other elections and presidential history lessons. For federal offenses, the government uses the methods of execution authorized by the state in which the court imposes the punishment. In Gallup's most recent poll, 67 percent of Americans favor the death penalty for those convicted of murder, while only 28 percent are opposed. Or are you universally opposed to capital punishment? Mercy and pardon are proper to God . Exoneration occurs when a person's conviction is overturned. (See Death penalty draws more Americans support online than in telephone surveys for more on long-term measures and the challenge of comparing views across different survey modes.). The abolitionist movement to end capital punishment also influenced state legislatures. American Socialism. There Would No Longer Be Innocent Live Lost Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, more than 300 people have been exonerated of capital crimes. Read the overview below to gain an understanding of the issues surrounding the death penalty and explore the previews of additional articles highlighting diverse perspectives. As you can tell, there are a lot of different types of sources out theresome are emotional, some are dry and factual. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty Despite Concerns About Its Administration, Death penalty draws more Americans support online than in telephone surveys, What our transition to online polling means for decades of phone survey trends, Trends are a cornerstone of public opinion research. The two other liberals Justices Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were undoubtedly sympathetic. It then discusses the problems that the United States has had in procuring the drugs needed for lethal injectionsthe drugs supplied from Europe have been sold under the condition that they not be used for lethal injection. Most people who write about the death penalty have an opinion one way or the other about it. Critics cast doubt on its value as a crime deterrent and argued that the courts applied it inconsistently and unequally. Republicans are 29 percentage points more likely than Democrats to say the death penalty is morally justified, 28 points more likely to say it deters serious crimes, and 19 points more likely to say that adequate safeguards exist. The death penalty is helping cut down the population of inmates on death row. In Support of the Death Penalty An article detailing the argument for the death penalty. The court overturned the death sentence of William Furman, an African American man whose murder trial had lasted less than one day. Covering more than 160 subjects areas, ProQuest Central is the largest aggregated database of periodical content. It is a good source for pulling direct quotes instead of just giving statistics. For death penalty supporters, one major pro is its effectiveness as a crime deterrent. Opponents counter that it is an immoral and costly practice that is particularly vulnerable to racial bias. 14 Jan. 2015. How do we continue to track changes in public opinion when theres a shift in survey mode?, Differing views of death penalty by race and ethnicity, education, ideology, Intraparty differences in support for the death penalty, Differences by race and ethnicity, education over whether there are racial disparities in death penalty sentencing, Overwhelming share of death penalty supporters say it is morally justified. Also, the death penalty is a problem which costs money for the country. It is a very complex issue, and context on the crime is essential. Bryan Stevenson. People with four-year college degrees (68%) also are more likely than those who have not completed college (50%) to say that Black people and White people are treated differently when it comes to the death penalty. Anyone can read what you share. The death penalty in the Philippines was first abolished in 1987, making the Philippines the first country in Asia to terminate death penalty. But Democrats are divided over whether the death penalty is morally justified. About half of Hispanic (53%), Asian (53%) and Black (48%) Democrats favor the death penalty, compared with 42% of White Democrats. However, the nationwide execution rate began a slow but steady rise. Eckholm, Erik. By Liz Mineo. If you're writing a paper about the death penalty, you can start with this list of sources, which provide arguments for all sides of the topic. Capital Punishment refers to the practice where a person is killed by a State as a punishment for a crime. It also means using articles from both points of view. Nor did the family members of Wesley Purkeys victim, Jennifer Long, who were in Terre Haute on Wednesday afternoon. Large shares of Americans express concerns over how the death penalty is administered and are skeptical about whether it deters people from committing serious crimes. It ignores the fundamental truth of biblical anthropology: the soul that sins must die; sin incurs a debt that must be paid. 1. Seven state executions took place in 2020, the lowest annual number of the twenty-first century. The Justice Department decided to pause the execution for several hours while the appellate court considered and promptly rejected Mr. Lees request. What its about: This article is the first of two parts and uses emotion more than straight facts. News & Cases See more. During the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, lawyers for federal death-row inmates Dustin Higgs and Corey Johnson argued that their clients, both of whom tested positive for COVID-19, should not be subject to lethal injection. As inhumane and morbid as it may sound, the death penalty is something that should remain in the United States. By the 1800s, federal law not only permitted capital punishment but required it in cases involving certain crimes. Justice Ginsburg, who died in September, had joined the dissent. The Eighth Amendment, however, prohibits the government from enforcing "cruel and unusual punishment," which several lawsuits have used successfully to challenge certain applications of capital punishment. The article lists his responses to common arguments from those opposed to the death penalty, such as the racial biases and whether the death penalty actually deters criminals. Use ProCon.org to help students strengthen their persuasive writing by identifying and responding to counterarguments. Before I get to the good stuff, Ill let you know the secrets to choosing the right kinds of death penalty articles for your essay. 14 Jan. 2015. This way no innocent lives would be sentenced to death. For each article I give you, Ive also included an MLA citation. But his execution date was announced almost a year ago, and was initially set for last December. Anyone can read what you share. 108 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, while 144 countries have abolished it in law or practice. Among Democrats, adults ages 50 to 64 are much more likely than adults in other age groups to favor the death penalty. Do you believe governments should be allowed to execute people who have been convicted of crimes? Officials in Oklahoma were found to have made significant errors in an execution in 2014 after authorizing the use of untested drugs supplied by undisclosed sources. Partisanship continues to be a major factor in support for the death penalty and opinions about its administration. Why its a good source: The article uses findings from a variety of sources to support its claim of capital punishment leading to lower homicide rates. Pro death penalty persuasive speech. It was a chilly afternoon outside the Allan B. Polunsky Unit, a maximum-security prison for death-row inmates in Livingston, Texas. Why its a good source: This article takes a different approach than most other pro-death sentence articles. And even though large majorities of both groups say there is some risk an innocent person will be put to death, members of the public who favor the death penalty are 24 percentage points more likely to say that there are adequate safeguards to prevent this than Americans who oppose the death penalty. It gives a link to a document from the US Department of Justice and provides numbers on the amount of violence that occurs at the hands of prison gangs. The death penalty remains a controversial political and legal issue in the United States. Read more about the ATPs methodology. For example, Black people are overrepresented on death row, and a recent study found that defendants convicted of killing white victims were executed at a rate 17 times greater than those convicted of killing Black victims. Does this information change or reinforce your opinion of capital punishment? A nationwide shortage of sodium thiopental, the barbiturate anesthetic used in lethal injections, emerged in 2009 after the only pharmaceutical plant in the United States approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacture the drug announced it was stopping production. By the early 1900s, most states had adopted laws that allowed juries to apply either the death penalty or a sentence of life in prison. Among Republicans and Republican leaners who favor the death penalty, 94% say it is morally justified; 86% of Democrats and Democratic leaners who favor the death penalty also say this. The issue has elicited divisive opinion among the citizens with one faction opposing it while another advocates for it as a deterrent for crime. On the question of whether Black people and White people are equally likely to be sentenced to death for committing similar crimes, partisanship is more strongly associated with these views than ones overall support for the death penalty: Republicans who oppose the death penalty are more likely than Democrats who favor it to say White people and Black people are equally likely to be sentenced to death. In fact, being pro-death penalty is a pro-life position. In states that still enforce capital punishment, lethal injection is the primary method of carrying out executions. While public support for the death penalty has changed only modestly in recent years, support for the death penalty declined substantially between the late 1990s and the 2010s. According to data from Amnesty International, there were 579 executions in 2021, which represents a 20% increase from 2020. In Expedited Spree of Executions Faced Little Supreme Court Scrutiny, Adam Liptak writes about the recent federal executions: In 2015, a few months before he died, Justice Antonin Scalia said he would not be surprised if the Supreme Court did away with the death penalty. A third of liberal Democrats strongly oppose the death penalty, compared with just 14% of conservatives and moderates. About four-in-ten (39%) oppose the death penalty, with 15% strongly opposed, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. In 2020 the rulings of the Florida Supreme Court in several cases reversed existing protections afforded to inmates sentenced to death. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans who favor the death penalty most often cite "an eye for an eye" as the reason they hold their position, with 35% mentioning it. Justice requires that society impose on criminals losses equal to those they imposed on innocent persons. What role do you think disability or trauma history should play in how someone is punished, or rehabilitated, after committing a crime? The Atlantic Monthly Group, 30 Oct. 2013. For example, the average cost of this case is almost $2.5 million (Goodman). However, the court also determined that the death penalty does not violate the Constitution, capital punishment serves as a practical deterrent, and retribution provides a justifiable basis for execution. Aside from my own moral beliefs on the death penalty, it is not fair that . A top Justice Department official says for many Americans the death penalty is a difficult issue on moral, religious and policy grounds. When he signed the bill, Northam referenced the disproportionate use of the death penalty against Black men in the state and the 170 prisoners sentenced to death row who had been exonerated after capital punishment was reinstated in the United States. Scheidegger is a California lawyer who is a staunch pro-death penalty supporter. The American people have repeatedly ratified that decision, including through the Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994 signed by President Bill Clinton, the federal execution of Timothy McVeigh under President George W. Bush and the decision by President Barack Obamas Justice Department to seek the death penalty against the Boston Marathon bomber and Dylann Roof. Moreover, more than six-in-ten Americans (63%), including about half of death penalty supporters (48%), say the death penalty does not deter people from committing serious crimes. The death penalty remains popular, broadly speaking: In 2020, Gallup reported that Americans favored maintaining the death penalty for convicted murderers by a 55 percent to 43 percent. Concepts of retribu-tion, deterrence, and just punishment are discussed in the most . Addressing the Counterarguments. Why its a good source: Although it is primarily based on an emotional appeal, this is a good article to get background and historical information about the death penalty. I have ten death penalty articles that will help you turn a stale topic into a well-written and interesting essay. Why its a good source: Again, this article could be used for either side of the argument. Law School students learn crucial lessons in 'Capital Punishment in America'. It is important to make the distinction between the two ideas. Or is that still too harsh? The death penalty is a difficult issue for many Americans on moral, religious and policy grounds. The death penalty has been abolished in 22 states and 106 countries, yet it is still legal at the federal level in the United States. And while a majority of Hispanic adults without college degrees (58%) say they favor the death penalty, a smaller share (47%) of those with college degrees say this. 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