ARE YOU AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY?

In a Nutshell

Yes

No

Financial costs to taxpayers of capital punishment is several times that of keeping someone in prison for life. It is barbaric and violates the "cruel and unusual" clause in the Bill of Rights. The endless appeals and required additional procedures clog our court system. We as a society have to move away from the "eye for an eye" revenge mentality if civilization is to advance. It sends the wrong message: why kill people who kill people to show killing is wrong. Life in prison is a worse punishment and a more effective deterrent. Other countries (especially in Europe) would have a more favourable image of America. Some jury members are reluctant to convict if it means putting someone to death. The prisoner's family must suffer from seeing their loved one put to death by the state, as well as going through the emotionally-draining appeals process. The possibility exists that innocent men and women may be put to death. Mentally ill patients may be put to death. It creates sympathy for the monstrous perpetrators of the crimes. It often draws top talent lawyers who will work for little or no cost due to the publicity of the case and their personal beliefs against the morality of the death penalty, increasing the chances a technicality or a manipulated jury will release a guilt person. It is useless in that it doesn't bring the victim back to life.

The death penalty gives closure to the victim's families who have suffered so much. It creates another form of crime deterrent. Justice is better served. Our justice system shows more sympathy for criminals than it does victims. It provides a deterrent for prisoners already serving a life sentence. DNA testing and other methods of modern crime scene science can now effectively eliminate almost all uncertainty as to a person's guilt or innocence. Prisoner parole or escapes can give criminals another chance to kill. It contributes to the problem of overpopulation in the prison system. It gives prosecutors another bargaining chip in the plea bargain process, which is essential in cutting costs in an overcrowded court system

Death penalty FINAL VERSION

Death penalty is actually a topic that nowadays generates a lot of controversy in our society, most of the people around the world have a formal opinion for or against the legalization of the death penalty and  morality. Now I will give some arguments for and against this popular topic.

In some countries it is legal to kill someone if they have commited a terrible crime and it is legal because if someone murders someone else he has given up human rights, including the right to stay alive themselves, also they think that if someone murders someone he deserves to die too, futhermore with killing the worst criminals the society is more safe because they know this person won't do it again, a lot of people are in favour  of this because they think a criminal doesn't deserve the right to life.

On the other hand, the basic argument for people who are not in favour of death penalty is that this penalty goes against the most basic human right, the right to life, also sometimes the death penalty is good for the criminals because they don't suffer dying by a letal injection for example and they don't pay their crime, they just die. Finally another basic argument to be against this penalty is that the law sometimes is wrong and the question is: what if someone  who is actually innocent is killed?

In conclusion, the death penalty generate a lot of opinions in our society and they are all so convicing but, in my opinion, death penalty shouldn't be legal in any country because I believe that criminals must pay for the crimes on/ in prison with penal servitude for life not with the death penalty because the right to life is not vulnerable in any situation.

Iván Bermúez 2n batx C

And what about death penalty?

     Death penalty, also called capital punishment, is a legal process in which a person is executed by a sentence applied by the law as a punishment for a crime. This fact has brought a lot of controversy all over the world. There are two possible postures in front of this situation: to be against or to be in favor.

   On the one hand, many worldwide organizations have the main purpose to abolish death penalty. It’s said that killing someone, no matter which crime has he or she committed, is a violation of the most important human right: “The right to live”. People who are in this position think that it’s just a way of revenge and that can’t be condoned.  What’s more is  there has been many wrongful executions in which sentenced people end up being innocent, but it was already too late. So shall we abolish death penalty?

     On the other hand, death penalty is a good tool for police officers to maintain order in society. This posture is normally accepted for major crimes, such as serial killers, torture murderers, terrorism, mass killing, etc. This could be a way of ensuring that those extreme criminals will never offend again. Moreover, many even believe that the punishment must be painful according to the crime. Or shall we keep on killing the bad guys?

         Depending on the posture you take based on the several reasons there are, and the personal experience you may have had, you can be in favor or not of this situation.   In my opinion, we have not enough power to judge whether or not to take a person’s life because he or she committed a crime. I think this person should be treated professionally to try to rehabilitate and reinsert him or her in society. There should also be done huge efforts by the governments to strengthen the bases of the society, like improving education, dealing with drugs and increasing security. As a result, we could construct a better organized civilization in order to prevent the appearance of such crimes that lead us to apply these kinds of penalties. 

Death penalty (final version)

Nowadays there are nearly 100 states where death penalty is legal. According to Amnesty international approximately 18.000 people are condemned to death in XXI century and they’re condemned for very different causes like assassination, treason, sexual assault, adultery and other things. Death penalty is a topic which causes a lot of controversy, because people tend to define one’s position. On the one hand some people explain that when someone lose a friend, a relative or an acquaintance the only thing which can comfort him is to know that the murder is going to pay for it with his life. Other people defend that to kill the murder means he won’t be able to kill anymore because some prisoners, when they serve their sentence repeat the offense. What’s more, it’s known that to kill the killer is the fairest action which we can do.

On the other hand the defenders of human rights fight in order to abolish the death penalty, saying that death penalty goes against our most basic human right, the right to live, which must be respected in any situation. Another argument is the fact that the judge could get a wrong sentence, sentencing to death a person who isn’t guilty. They answer to these people who are for, would be to ask them: Is it fair to kill innocent people? What’s more fair: to kill someone who killed and make the mistake of killing an innocent, or try to forgive him which wouldn't turn us into killers?
What’s clear is that if we permit to kill somebody, we’re not very different to that person who is going to die. Everybody hates assassins but I want to believe that all of us can change, reform and start from zero. Is it fair to let a killer free? Well, if we’re sure that he isn’t going to kill anybody, it would be better than not lettim him live. Must the death penalty be forbidden? For me the answer is clear, the life of a person is more valuable than anything that we could imagine.

Aitana Bernabeu

2n batx. A

Death penalty discussion

We all know that delinquency is a really worrying problem in our society, and nobody would accept it. However, there's no such agreement in considering how it should  be punished. One option is the death penalty, which has been applied in some countries and now it's a very discussed issue.

Supporters of death penalty present as their main argument the following one: criminals who have murdered someone deserve to die, because they have taken an innocent person's life. If this happened, these criminals wouldn't be able to kill innocent people anymore and peace would return to the victim's family. In addition, as human beings fear death, it's easy to think that murders will be reduced. They also believe that criminals shouldn't be given a chance to rehabilitate in prison.

Opponents of capital punishment claim, above all, the right of life. Death penalty shows that killing is wrong by killing people, and it makes no sense. Furthermore, this form of punishment will never bring the victims back to life. Death is irreversible, as well as charging an innocent person with murder (consequently, this person would die).

On balance, I think, like supporters of death penalty, that a murderer deserves to die, but it's true that innocent people's lives could be in danger, and it's not fair at all. That's why I firmly believe that penal servitude for life is the best form of punishment.

Rafa Jiménez, 2A

THE DEATH PENALTY

The death penalty has been used by some countries such as Cuba, United States… It is a practice that kills people who have committed a terrible crime. So, it has opened a discussion.


On the one hand, there are people who are for the death penalty. Despite killing a person, they give some arguments in favor. Firstly, it gives comfort to the victim’s families who have suffered so much. Secondly, criminals are more frightened and justice is better served. Thirdly, people who are for the death penalty, think that eye for an eye is fair.

However, there are people who are against the death penalty. They give some arguments as it is a bad practice that doesn’t serve. Also, it sends the wrong message (why kill people who kill people to show killing is wrong). Furthermore, it doesn’t bring the victim back to life.

On balance, there are more arguments against the death penalty. However, some countries are using it at this moment. In my opinion, it’s a bad practice because you kill a person who had done the same previously and this criminal could change in the future.

Raúl Cardona Pons 2n BTX C 2011

THE DEATH PENALTY

There has always been controversy about the death penalty. There are a lot of people against it, but there are people that agree with the death penalty .

On the one hand, there are some arguments in favour of the death penalty such as, eye for eye, for example, people think that if a person kills somebody, this killer must be killed. Another argument in favour of the death penalty is that the death penalty can be cheaper than if the state keeps these killers in prison.

On the other hand, there are people who think that killers also have got dignity and they can’t be killed. Moreover, people against the death penalty agree that killers deserve a second opportunity, but first they have to spend some years in prison, so that they can be reeducated.

 I am against death penalty, because I think that killers are humans like us and they can be reeducated.

ERIC PONS PONS 2nBTX C 2011