The Death Penalty
One of the largest controversial and frequently debated topics in the United States is whether or not the death penalty should be abolished. Many different questions and statements are brought up that either support or argue against this debated conflict. Most of these beliefs are based on moral, religious, sensible, and emotional grounds. Some of the major issues about this argument are from individuals who wonder if the death penalty is an efficient prevention for terrible crimes. Some questions that have arisen are: What are the financial consequences of the death penalty? Is the death penalty the best protection from a murderer? Are methods of execution reliable and practical? Is justice for the victim achieved through the death penalty? All of these arguments are still being debated today and should come to the final decision that capital punishment should be abolished.
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the killing of a person through the judicial process as a form of punishment. Crimes that result in the death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The death penalty has been a part of the United States from 1976 until the current year, 2008. It is the only country in the western industrialized world that still uses this form of punishment. As of April 1, 2008, the death penalty has been authorized by 37 of the 50 states, the Federal Government, and the United States Military. The state administration of the death penalty is highly complex. Each state practicing capital punishment has different laws regarding its methods and crimes that qualify. Typically, it involves four vital steps: sentencing, direct review, state collateral review, and federal habeas corpus. Throughout the history of the American colonies and the Unites States, various methods have been used for this sentence. However, only five of those methods are currently being practiced. In the past, burning, pressing,...