Capital Punishment: Why Do We Kill Killers

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Capital PunishmentWhy Do We Kill Killers?

• By Ed, Clare, Reed, Zea, and Denzel

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Goals

• Demystify the facts surrounding the death
  penalty.
• Enlighten the class on positions taken by various
  members of our society and that of the church.
• Help individuals in our class create an educated
  standpoint for or against capital punishment.
• Spark healthy and educational debate regarding
  the moral issue of capital punishment.

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What is it?

• Capital Punishment is the death penalty, plain
  and simple.
• Capital offenses in the United States include
  Treason, Murder and in some cases Rape and
  Molestation.

Lethal injection bed
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Why is it a moral issue?

• Capital punishment is a moral issue because of
  the notion that killing is wrong.
• This situation raises the question of whether
  killing can be justified.
• Is it humane to kill those that have broken their
  pact with society?Do you forfeit your life when
  you take another?

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Ethical Questions

• How much does deterring murder in society weigh
  compared to the principle of killing?
• Is it just to kill those that have killed?
• How much does the principle of an eye for an
  eye apply in todays society?
• How thin is the moral line between vengeance and
  justice?

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Recently Added Laws that Include the Death Penalty

• Almost all states that have the Death Penalty
  limit their cases to aggravated murder.
• However, there is a growing number of states
  that also allow the execution of convicted child
  molesters. As of early 2006, these included
  Florida, Louisiana and Montana.
• On June 9, 2006, Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma
  signed a bill into law that permits the death
  penalty for anyone convicted of a second or
  subsequent rape, forcible sodomy, lewd
  molestation or rape by instrumentation of a child
  14 years of age and under. The governor of South
  Carolina signed a similar bill on the previous
  day.
• http//www.religioustolerance.org/execut3.htmgr

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Arguments Against Death Penalty

• Finance
• It is not justice it is revenge
• Racially Biased
• No chance for redemption
• Goes against the 8th amendment regarding Cruel
  and Unusual Punishment

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Churchs Position

• Life is Gods sacred gift there are no
  justifiable reasons to take it away
• Killing to show that killing is wrong, is wrong
• Modern society has the means of protecting
  itself, without definitively denying criminals
  the chance to reform- Pope JP II
• It perpetuates a cycle of violence
• It does not uphold the dignity of human life

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Reasons for the Death Penalty

• A deterrent for crime
• Could provide closure and comfort for victims
  families
• A just punishment- eye for an eye
• Life without parole often allows for criminals to
  kill again
• DNA testing helps determine the actual predator
  is executed

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How?

• There are 7 main ways that are used for Capital
  Punishment throughout the world
• Hanging
• Electric chair
• Firing squad
• Poison gas
• Lethal injection
• Guillotine
• Stoning

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Humane?

• Or
• Barbarian?

www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/dplinks.htm
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Facts Who, When, Where, and How Many?

• In the U.S., about 13,000 people have been
  executed since colonial times.
• About 150 people were being executed a year by
  1930
• The U.S. Supreme Court banned the Death Penalty
  in 1972. But in 1976, They reinstated it, but
  gave the state power to choose if they wanted the
  Death Penalty or not.
• The District of Columbia and 12 states do not
  have the death penalty. The states which have
  abolished executions are Alaska, District of
  Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts,
  Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island,
  Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
• There are six states, and the U.S. Military who
  are capable of Capital Punishment but have not
  had an execution 1976. They are Connecticut,
  Kansas, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
  South Dakota and the U.S. military.

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More Facts

• Texas holds the record for the largest number of
  executions since the death penalty was reinstated
  in 1976
• Virginia has executed a larger percentage of its
  population than any other state over 1 million in
  population. 
• About 30 to 60 prisoners are currently killed
  each year, most by lethal injection.
• About two out of three executions (65.6) are
  conducted in five states Texas, Virginia,
  Missouri, Florida and Oklahoma. Texas leads the
  other states in number of killings (256 killings
  34 of the national total).
• About 3,690 people are on Death Row in 37 state
  death rows, and 31 being held by the U.S.
  government and military. About 1.5 are women.
• Recently, the amount of laws where the Death
  Penalty can be applied has increased.

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To ReviewEthical Questions

• Do you think that the death penalty provides a
  viable deterrent to murder?
• Is it morally just to kill those that have
  killed?
• How much does the principle of an eye for an
  eye apply in todays society?
• How thin is the moral line between vengeance and
  justice?

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Bibliography

• Opposing Viewpoints Research Center. Thomson Gale
  
• http//find.galegroup.com/ovrc/basicSearch.do?user
  GroupNamesan74543prodIdOVRCmethoddoSearchsea
  rchTypeBasicSearchForminputFieldName(0)SUinput
  FieldValue(0)22Capital20punishment22
• Social Issues Resource Series (SIRS)
• http//sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-view-subs?idSCA19
  80-0-6386resYrenNgovYlnkN

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Bibliography

• van den Haag, Ernest. "Capital Punishment Should
  Be Retained." Capital Punishment . Ed. Mary E.
  Williams. San Diego Greenhaven Press, 2005.
  Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center . Thomson
  Gale. St Ignatius College Preparatory (BAISL).
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• Eddlem, Thomas R. "Arguments Against the Death
  Penalty Are Flawed." The Ethics of Capital
  Punishment . Ed. Nick Fisanick. San Diego
  Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints
  Resource Center . Thomson Gale. St Ignatius
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• Potter, Gary W. "Capital Punishment Is an
  Ineffective Crime Control Policy." Does Capital
  Punishment Deter Crime? . Ed. Roman Espejo. San
  Diego Greenhaven Press, 2003. Opposing
  Viewpoints Resource Center . Thomson Gale. St
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• http//www.religioustolerance.org/execut3.htmgr