Deadly Reckonings - Research Paper Example

Capital punishment Punishment in any form is meant to act as a reminder for the person not to commit the same offence twice or in future. There were many instances where punishments awarded were successful in instilling fear in the minds of the people. But when the crime committed crossed the acceptable code of conduct according to the ruling society, punishments had to take a menacing and life snatching form. This was known as Capital Punishment. Capital punishment is a highly debatable issue in present time. Though it was much more prevalent till the 19th century in different parts of the world, with growing knowledge and a civilized society, this form of punishment has become an issue of debate. At present capital punishment is abolished in maximum countries but there are some countries like USA, India and China where it is still practiced though in the rarest of the rare cases. The idea behind capital punishment crops from the medieval concept which means to repay back in blood for the blood taken. Their thinking behind favoring capital punishment is that it reduced state expenses by putting the person to death immediately, sending a strong message to the society against the crime and thus allows a retribution of the crime. The argument can thus be stated that Capital punishment needs to be practiced in the society to control crime, regulate antisocial activities and check on the expenditure. As capital punishment or death penalty is a debatable issue, there are many scholarly reviews that focused on both the aspects of this situation. The paper would focus on those scholarly resources where death penalty has been favored over its abolishment. In the article “Should we reintroduce the death penalty?” capital punishment has been shown to be favored by the people of Australia. In the article it was seen that people of Australia reacted in favor of capital punishment over a particularly brutal murder of a nurse named Anita Cobby in 1986 (Should we reintroduce the death penalty?, 1990, p.6). The article was divided into two groups of persons. The group against it said that it was the most barbaric and medieval form of torture inflicted on the person. It could increase violence. The group favoring it said that death penalty helped to reduce the threat to the social order as in the absence of such an extreme measure, solidarity of the society could be hampered. They also argued that imprisonment cannot guarantee that upon release the person would not commit the same crime again. They also stated that keeping a criminal in prison would simple add up to the cost of the state economy (Should we reintroduce the death penalty?, 1990, p.6). So it would be judicious to put the person to death. The second journal article “Sad, Bad, Mad” presents the view of the author John Derbyshire on capital punishment. In the article the author presents the conditions faced by Steven Hayes who was convicted of sixteen charges and awarded death sentence in USA in 2010. Public opinion in the region strongly favors execution—a respectable poll recorded 76 percent for, 18 percent against (D e r b y s h i r e, 2010, p.51). In this article, the author has tried to portray some incidents where the guilty pleaded for death sentence for himself out of remorse and guilt. The author was of the opinion that there were many facets of death sentence while some accepted it as a form of liberation as was said by Oliver Butler “can’t you hang me now? I want to be with her.” (D E R B Y S H I R E, 2010, p.51) others had no clue about it. They took it as it came to them for their actions as was in the case of Edward Isaac Woodfield “Asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, he replied: “god knows best, Sir.” (D E R B Y S H I R E, 2010, p.51).Through this articles the author tried to project that capital punishment was still practiced in the society whatever be the situation. In the third article “VENGEANCE IS WHOSE?”, it has been argued that there is no point to show leniency to the person who has been awarded the death sentence. The article suggested that if the main concept behind death penalty is to put the dead person to justice, then no form of genteel behavior should be shown to the condemned person. “If our motive in executions is revenge or even instant punishment, lets let the bastards suffer as much as possible. “Let them fry," as some proponents of capital punishment say. Why bother to put them to sleep?” (R.E.B. 1996, p.2) It is also stated in the article that Americans favor capital punishment even if by a small margin. It must also be mentioned that there were some instances where seven innocent men were awarded the sentence but were set free after spending considerable time in prison (R.E.B. 1996, p.2). The fourth journal article “Deadly reckonings” by H. Mackenzie and J. Howse states the fact that there are institutions in America which favor capital punishment and takes measures to perfect the process of execution. The article highlights on the condition of a Texas inmate named Joseph Stanley Faulder, a Canadian who was charged of murdering 75 year old wealthy widow (Mackenzie & Howse, 1992, p.9). He was awarded death sentence but was put on a stay of 90days as the Ottawa government had charged the US government of violating the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Services in not allowing Faulder to consult the home government before his trial. The Ottawa government also accused the US court of not examining the family history records of the accused where it was stated that he suffered a terrible brain damage at a very young age. The article also throws light on the fact that capital punishment had acquired a political status in America. In other words the politicians who favored death penalties were presumed to be the tough guys fight against crimes. Again it showed that around there is a section of people in the country who did not condemn capital sentences to be any form of an immoral conduct. The article also highlights the fact the unlike its motto to curb crimes in the society by executing the wrong doer thus sending strong message to the society, death penalties did very little to change the scene of crimes (Mackenzie & Howse, 1992, p.9). The fifth article “Bolstering an Illusory Majority: The Effects of the Media’s Portrayal of Death Penalty Support “ by David Niven showed how media played a crucial role in making death by capital sentence a “wave of public enthusiasm” (Niven, 2002). The article showed that the role of media was so intense in America about the matter that the general people stopped questioning on it. It had also become an important issue in American politics. The sixth article “First Death Under Drug Law Is Favored by Alabama Jury” reveals how the jury in Alabama had condemned a person named David Ronald Chandler for running a marijuana drug ring and protecting it by soliciting a murder with the disappearance of two people. The court was unanimous in its decision when it decided to execute him thus making Chandler the first person to be executed in Alabama in 1991. The above literature review helps to establish the fact that there are some countries like USA where capital punishment is favored over any other form of punishment. Though the ratio is declining it would take considerable time for it to completely disappear from the society. As has been stated there are many advantages of death penalties but there are loopholes to. Death sentence is awarded to wipe out the crime from the society but it hardly does so. But still the pros over its cons are more. As one cannot guarantee a complete change in the behavior of a criminal released from death row, executing him becomes the only best option. It also saves the economic cost of the state as there are costs of keeping the prisoner safe and sound till his final judgment. In America people seem to favor death sentences more in grossly events. They believe it to be a form of doing justice for the murdered person. Thus we can say that this proves the argument Capital punishment needs to be practiced in the society to control crime, regulate antisocial activities and check on the expenditure. Conclusion Death sentence is a form of gross event in today times but it can become the only form of imparting justice in some rarest of the events. Though it may appear immoral and uncivilized in the high tech society of today it helps in sending a strong message to the society. In some cases it also helps in relieving the inmate of the agony to wait for years deciding his fate. There are instances where people had begged to be executed as a form of moral liberation for their sins. As it is also the highest form of all punishments the jury needs to be extremely careful in awarding its sentences. No innocent must be killed for the sake of protecting the law. Justice must be done fairly considering both the defendant and the prosecution. Death sentences are awarded to cleanse the society of social evils. The jury needs to maintain that it does not send a wrong signal to the society by building a silent anger amongst the people. Annotated bibliography 1. Should we reintroduce the death penalty?. (1990), IPA Review, 43(3), 6 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=6&hid=110&sid=4d74f33a-9fe2-48a7-a7d4-630e29f5fffe%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=9708190440 The article mentions that capital punishment needs to be awarded in some rarest instances. There were many people who voted against the concept saying it was immoral and might kill an innocent person. The persons who voted in favor of it said that capital punishment can be a justice to the people who have been killed in the most brutal manner. The article also stated that economically capital punishment favored the country too as it reduced the state cost. 2. R.E.B. Vengeance is whose?. (1996). U.S. Catholic, 61(10), 2 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=122&sid=d5676694-ac9e-4a6f-967e-d167c5fd5234%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=9609281238 The article states that Americans favor capital punishment even if by a small number. The particle is of the opinion that if death is to be awarded to a person who had done some heinous crime no form of mercy must be shown to him. He must also suffer the same agony that the killed person went through. But the paper also showed how seven men were freed after being falsely convicted for crimes. 3. Derbyshire, J. (2010). Sad, Bad, Mad. National Review, 62 (21), 51-51 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=110&sid=d5676694-ac9e-4a6f-967e-d167c5fd5234%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=55701568 This article speaks about the different aspects of capital punishment. In the article the author tried to capture the different moods when a capital punishment is awarded. Sometimes the person begged to be awarded the capital sentence for seeking liberation. Sometimes they were oblivious of what was happening to them. But no matter the circumstances death sentence was eventually awarded to the person. 4. Mackenzie, H. & Howse, J., (1992). Deadly reckonings, Macleans, (105)20 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=d5676694-ac9e-4a6f-967e-d167c5fd5234%40sessionmgr104&vid=6&hid=110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=9205252484 The article shows the fact that majority of the Americans favor capital punishment. The article means to state that the process of capital sentence has many loop holes. This was shown by the case of a Texas inmate whose death penalty was put on hold as some issues had come up regarding his rights to consult with the home country government. It also stated that this form of punishment was acquiring a political dimension too in the country. 5. Niven, D. (2002). Bolstering an Illusory Majority: The Effects of the Media’s Portrayal of Death Penalty Support. Social Science Quarterly (Blackwell Publishing Limited), 83(3) http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=4d74f33a-9fe2-48a7-a7d4-630e29f5fffe%40sessionmgr114&vid=10&hid=19&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=7253684 This article highlights the role played by media in America in covering death sentences. The people were mostly guided by this information. Because of their role in it capital punishment had become a more generalized matter in the country. Also it had acquired a more political interface. 6. First Death Under Drug Law Is Favored by Alabama Jury. Source. (1991). New York Times, 20 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=12&hid=122&sid=4d74f33a-9fe2-48a7-a7d4-630e29f5fffe%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=30608400 The article shows the unanimous decision of a jury in Alabama against a person who was charged of running a marijuana ring. The accused was also charged and disappearance of two people. He was the first person to be executed in Alabama. This shows that capital punishment was favored in most of the cases in America. References Derbyshire, J. (2010). Sad, Bad, Mad. National Review, 62 (21), 51-51 First Death Under Drug Law Is Favored by Alabama Jury. Source. (1991). New York Times, 20 Mackenzie, H. & Howse, J., (1992). Deadly reckonings, Macleans, (105)20 Niven, D. (2002). Bolstering an Illusory Majority: The Effects of the Media’s Portrayal of Death Penalty Support. Social Science Quarterly (Blackwell Publishing Limited), 83(3) R.E.B. Vengeance is whose?. (1996). U.S. Catholic, 61(10), 2 Should we reintroduce the death penalty?. (1990), IPA Review, 43(3), 6 Read More