Essay Against Capital Punishment - 2466 Words

â€Å"At 8:00 p.m. it was nearing the end of John Evans’ last day on death row. He had spent most of the day with his minister and family, praying and talking of what was to come. At 8:20 he was walked from his cell down to the long hall to the execution room and strapped in the electric chair. At 8:30 p.m. the first jolt of 1900 volts passed through Mr. Evans’ body. It lasted 30 seconds. Sparks and flames erupted from the electrode tied to Mr. Evans’ leg. His body slammed against the straps holding him in the chair and his fist clenched permanently. The electrode then burst from the strap holding it in place. A large puff of gray smoke and sparks pored out from under the hood that covered his face. An overpowering stench of burnt flesh and†¦show more content†¦The truth of the matter is, the United States should cease the use of capital punishment in both federal and state prisons. Capital punishment is immoral and unethical; it degrades society, and l owers the value of a human life. It does not deter murder, it is not economically efficient, and its effects are irreversible. There is not one good reason to keep executing wrongdoers in the United States or anywhere else. Capital punishment goes against the morals and standards that our country is based upon. A punishment that inflicts harm on a person can hardly be good or moral if it is purposeless. A punishment may be given to a wrongdoer for one or a combination of the following reasons: (1) to protect the community from the criminal returning to previous activity, (2) to rehabilitate the offender; and (3) to restore the moral order breached by the violation. Capital punishment is not required to accomplish any of these purposes. Other alternatives work better or at least as well (Robinson, 1999, October 7). Killing is not the answer (Benderamp; Leone, 1987 p. 63). Recently some states have been implementing life without parole as an alternative to death. This has proven just a successful as the death penalty for punishment. It prevents criminals from returning to society, and is less expensive than capital punishment (Vila amp; Morris, 1997, p.255). Another study shows that over 80% of those serv ing life sentences will never commit another crime, and wellShow MoreRelatedAgainst Capital Punishment1084 Words   |  4 PagesAgainst Capital Punishment If we look at the law, it says that murder is illegal. So is it right to be able to kill people because of a crime or because someone took another person’s life in the name of justice? Capital Punishment is not only morally wrong, but it is the ultimate inhuman punishment. Bryan Stevenson, an attorney for death row inmates states, â€Å"The reality is that capital punishment in America is a lottery. 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