Controversy Analysis about Eliminating Capital Punishment in Texas - Report Example

Controversy Analysis about Eliminating Capital Punishment in Texas Over the years, the world has been debating a controversialtopic that relates to eliminating capital punishment in Texas. Ideally, the forms of capital punishment recognized by the Department of criminal justice include hanging, electric hair, firing squad, and lethal injection. Texas had been executing capital offenders through hanging until 1924 when it started to use electric hair. Texas started using lethal injection in 1977 (Death Row Facts 1). Despite receiving numerous calls and civil pressure to eliminate capital punishment, the Texas government is still executing convicted capital offenders. Indeed, on June 29, 1972 when the U.S. Supreme Court disregarded death penalty as a cruel and unusual punishment, Texas had 45 men on death row and 7 awaiting a death sentence (Death Row Facts 1). The Texas government has been executing the death penalty even after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on death penalty (Death Row Facts 1). Various scholars and organizations hold diverse views regarding eliminating the death penalty in Texas. Notably, Texas has registered the highest number of executions than any other state that legalizes capital punishment in America. The controversy in eliminating capital punishment in Texas emanates from the large number of executions, the effects of the punishment, the need to respect human rights, and the continued crime in Texas (Pilkington 1). The controversy relates to whether Texas will save money by eliminating capital punishment and whether the implementation of the punishment reflects humanity. Moreover, individuals and organizations question the capacity of eliminating capital punishment in reducing crime in Texas. I will analyze this controversy by addressing diverse opinions on eliminating capital punishment in Texas. The author in the guardian data blog recognizes the need to eliminate capital punishment in Texas by asserting that it does not reflect humanity (Rogers 1). Despite having the highest rate of capital crimes in America, executing people is not an effective penalty for the crime. Notably, the executions seem to discriminate against men where only12 of the 1,264 people executed in America are women. According to the collected data, the author states that race is an issue in the controversy about capital punishment in Texas. According to Rogers “But if you look at those numbers as a proportion of US population, its clear that more black people get executed, compared to their share of the population” (1). Therefore, the author presents the discrimination in executing convicts by noting that more black people than whites face execution. The discrimination demeans the purpose of a capital punishment and hence the controversy with more people supporting the elimination of the penalty in Texas. It is even shameful that Texas is competing with China in terms of executions. Where China as a country has executed 900 human beings since 1976, Texas as a state has executed 474 people within the same period (Rogers 1). There is abject need to reduce these rates in Texas considering that China is a very large country. The figures present a worrying case where Texas is leading in executions in U. S. The failure to eliminate capital punishment in Texas will lead to an increased number of orphans and widows in the society. Moreover, solving a crime with another crime does not derive any right and hence the need to eliminate capital punishment. Notably, the author uses inartistic proof by quoting factual evidence to make a point instead of another kind of persuasion. However, a non-profit organization disregards the idea of eliminating capital punishment in Texas by asserting that eliminating the death penalty will lead to an increase in capital crimes. Indeed, there is no guarantee that eliminating capital punishment will reduce capital crimes in Texas. According to the article, human beings appreciate punishment for crimes committed and hence eliminating the punishment will only motivate the society to commit more capital crimes. Criminals and would be criminals fear capital punishment and hence they tend to think twice before committing any crime. According to the article,” Both as a deterrent and as a form of permanent incapacitation, the death penalty help to prevent future crime” (The Death Penalty Prevent future Murders 1). This defines the need for a death penalty in the society. Consequently, eliminating capital punishment in Texas will allow criminals to commit crime without any fear. In addressing the idea of eliminating capital punishment, there is need to consider the society that bears the consequences of a capital crime. The society should enjoy the right to use the strongest punishment to prevent capital crime that derives adverse effects in the society. Death penalty stands out as the most severe and strong punishment for capital crimes. Notably, the article disputes previous arguments that advocate for the elimination of capital punishment with a claim that states or countries that use the death penalty have high murder rates. The article states that there is no evidence to support this finding and consequently notes that such states or countries would be having higher crime rates if they never used capital punishment (The Death Penalty Prevent future Murders 1). Notably, the article disputes other scholarly sources that advocate for the elimination of death penalty by discrediting their evidences and opinions. In fact, the article fails to establish any correlation between eliminating the death penalty and recording reduced capital crime rate. On the contrary, we can establish the effect of capital punishment in deterring criminals from committing capital crimes. Indeed, some scholars recognize capital punishment as the most effective penalty to deter criminals from capital crime since they also fear death. No other punishment stands a chance of deterring criminals and hence the need to maintain capital punishment in Texas. In the quotation, the article uses hasty generalization to claim that death penalty help to prevent future crime without sufficient or conclusive evidence. The article also uses inductive reasoning to support capital punishment in Texas. Moreover, the article seeks to convince audience’s emotions by using relevant examples to support the significance of death penalty in deterring murder. Indeed, the article states that human beings need to feel and protected where only death penalty can secure them from capital criminals (The Death Penalty Prevent future Murders 1). On the contrary, the Economist newspaper magazine advocate for the elimination of capital punishment in Texas by asserting that capital punishment costs more money than convicting a criminal to a life jail term. Both capital punishment and a life jail term costs the Texas government significant amounts of money. According to the article, “A recent study by the Urban Institute, a think-tank, estimates that the death penalty cost Marylands taxpayers $186m between 1978 and 1999”(Saving lives and money 1). This quote seeks to show the costs involved in prosecuting a case resulting in a death sentence. The article also shows that a case resulting in a death sentence costs more than a case seeking another sentence. The cost differences form the basis of calling for the elimination of capital punishment in Texas. Eliminating the capital punishment will enable the Texas government to save a lot of money in legal fees. Using relevant statistics and numbers, the article seeks to convince the audience that applying capital punishment is expensive in Texas and hence the need to eliminate the capital sentence. In arguing against eliminating capital punishment, the article also claims that there is chance of applying capital sentence in innocent people (Pilkington 1). Since life is irreversible, killing an innocent person would derive a huge loss to the society. The article notes that the courts have indeed exonerated more than 130 people sentenced to death (Saving lives and money 1). To avert this loss, the article notes that eliminating capital sentence in Texas is the surest way. Indeed, most states in America have realized that applying capital punishment is very expensive and have hence eliminated it. The article states that only 14 out of 50 states in America apply death penalty subject to the costs involved (Saving lives and money 1). Indeed, death penalty has few benefits that cannot justify the costs involved. Texas and Oklahoma experience higher crime rates than states that offer only life jail terms for capital offences (Saving lives and money 1). In the quotation, the article adopts deductive reasoning and inartistic proof where it gives factual evidence to justify the costs of applying capital punishment. Ideally, the quotation seeks to convince the Texas government to eliminate capital punishment and invest the saved resources in meaningful programs. However, the article “Does Death Penalty Save Lives? A New Debate” by ADAM LIPTAK supports the application of capital punishment by claiming that death penalty saves lives. Indeed, the author quotes previous studies that claim execution of an inmate prevents 3 to 18 murders. According to the author, “ The studies, performed by economists in the past decade, compare the number of executions in different jurisdictions with homicide rates over time — while trying to eliminate the effects of crime rates, conviction rates and other factors — and say that murder rates tend to fall as executions rise” (Liptak 1). This quote seeks to ascertain the fact that death penalty have the capacity to prevent future capital crimes. Notably, the article refers to various scholars that recognize the evidence supporting the potential of capital punishment to deter capital crime. The article also quotes court rulings that recognize death penalty as a significant deterrence to capital crime like murder. Ultimately, the author advises the opponents of capital punishment to recognize the possibility that the failure to inflict capital punishment will fail to protect life (Liptak 1). In the quotation, the author uses inductive reasoning to convince the audience that murder rates fall with increased executions. The article seeks to show the audience that capital punishment saves lives and hence Texas should not eliminate it. The essay states that the world has been debating a controversial topic that relates to eliminating capital punishment in Texas. Texas has registered the highest number of executions than any other state that legalizes capital punishment in America. Various scholars and organizations hold diverse views regarding eliminating the death penalty in Texas. The controversy relates to whether Texas will save money by eliminating capital punishment and whether the implementation of the punishment reflects humanity. Moreover, individuals and organizations question the capacity of eliminating capital punishment in reducing crime in Texas. The author in the guardian data blog claims that capital punishment does not reflect humanity. On the other hand, a non-profit asserts that eliminating the death penalty will lead to an increase in capital crimes. The Economist newspaper magazine asserts that capital punishment costs more money than convicting a criminal to a life jail term. On the contrary, Adam Liptak claims that death penalty saves lives. The authors use various strategies like deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and inartistic proof to convince the audience. I think this topic will continue to attract more debates subject to the impact of capital crime and capital punishment in different states. Eliminating capital punishment is a controversial topic in Texas subject to the large number of executions, the effects of the punishment, the need to respect human rights, and the continued crime in Texas. In UAE, capital punishment is legal for capital crimes like murder rape, treason, and terrorism. UAE applies this punishment through a firing squad in a prison. Works Cited Death Row Facts. Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Web. 1 October 2014. Liptak, Adam. “Does Death Penalty Save Lives? A New Debate.” The New York Times Company. 18 November 2007. Web. 1 October 2014. Pilkington, Ed. “Texas executions: the most controversial cases.” Guardian News and Media Limited. 15 September 2011. Web. 1 October 2014. Rogers, Simon. “Death penalty statistics from the US: which state executes the most people?” Guardian News and Media Limited. 21 September 2011. Web. 1 October 2014. Saving lives and money. The Economist Newspaper Limited, 12 Mar. 2009. Web. 1 October 2014. The Death Penalty Prevent future Murders. MSU comm Tech lab & Death Penalty Information Center. 2000-2004. Web. 1 October 2014. Read More