The Death Penalty

The Death Penalty
The death penalty is the most severe sentence that could be given to a defendant who found guilty of commiting a capital crime for example, felon convicted of being a serial killer, or serial rapist. The United States currently uses three types of executions; lethal injection, the electric chair, and the gas chamber. Each type of execution causes the prisoner a large amount of suffering both emotionally and physically because of knowing the exact time, day and the way his or her life will come to an end may cause the prisoner a great deal of mental torture. While many people consider the death penalty as an inhumane punishment, others view it as justice. Personally, I believe that the death penalty is a fair punishment if the person whom is being executed is truly guilty of the crime and he or she is viewed as a danger to society.
Death by lethal injection is considered to be one of the less severe forms of execution and is used in 37 of the 38 states which allow capital punishment. The process of the lethal injection begins with strapping the inmate on to a bed, then injecting the chemicals in to the vein causing the heart to no longer function. Commonly used chemicals are Sodium Thiopental, Potassium Chloride, and Pancuronium Bromide. The most painful and severe of the three is Potassium Chloride. When Potassium Chloride is injected to the bloodstream it instantly causes the inmate to go in to a cardiac arrest causing the heart shut down. Pancuronium Bromide is used as a muscle relaxant. When Pancuronium Bromide is injected, it paralyzes the prisoner’s diaphragm which disables the ability to take in air and forces the body to suffocate. The preferred method of injection is Sodium Pentothal, when injected it simply causes all the muscles to relax. Once it has reached its full effect the prisoner will feel no pain and fall asleep and never awake.
In the late 1880’s, the eclectic chair was introduced because hanging was considered too...