Capital Punishment1

"Why the Death Penalty is Dead Wrong"

Most people argue that the death penalty is not a form
of cruel and unusual punishment. However, this is extremely
inaccurate. Electric chair victims can take up to 14 minutes
to die, maintaining full consciousness as their flesh begins
to scorch and burn off. During lethal injection, "even a
slight error in dosage or administration can leave a
prisoner conscious but paralyzed with pain, serving as a
witness for his own demise." The following is an eye witness
account of an Arizona gas chamber execution given by Supreme
Court Justice John Paul Stevens: "When the fumes enveloped
Don's head he took a quick breath. A few seconds later, he
looked again in my direction. His face was red and contorted
as if he were attempting to fight through tremendous pain.
His mouth was pursed shut and his jaw was clenched tight.
Don then took several more quick gulps of the fumes. His
body started convulsing violently and his skin turned a deep
red...the viens in his temple and neck began to bulge until
I thought they might explode. After about a minute, Don's
face leaned partially forward, but he was still very
conscious. He was shuddering uncontrollably and his body was
racked with spasms. His head continued to snap back. His
fists were clenched tightly. After several more minutes, the
most violent of the convulsions subsided. At this time, the
muscles along Don's left arm and back began twitching in a
wavelike motion under his skin. Spittle drooled from his
mouth. Don Harling took exactly ten minutes and 31 seconds
to die. Approximately three months later, he was found
innocent."
And it wasn't the first time. Amnesty International
sites that "from 1900 to 1985 over 350 people sentenced to
death were later found to be innocent of the crimes charged.
Some excaped execution by only minutes, but 23 were actually
executed. Within the last 20 years, 54 Americans under
sentence of death have been released because of evidence of
their innocence." Unlike a life imprisonment, death offers
no second chance. If new evidence surfaces after the person
has been executed, it's too late to do anything about it.
The death penalty doesn't save tax payers any money,
either. Many people have the misconception that criminals
should not be allowed to "rot in jail" wasting tax payers
money. However, a study conducted by the Death Penalty
Information Center (DPIC) concludes that tax payers pay an
average of $3.2 million dollars per each death penalty
case -- enough to sentence someone to 120 years in a maximum
security facility.
The death penalty is also not a detterent to crime. >>>
Texas, one of the leading states in the number of people
executed, also has an extraordinarily high homicide rate.
Much higher then that of states such as Michigan, which has
no death penalty. In fact, a study conducted for the United
Nations found that the number of homicides actually INCREASE
around the time that a highly publicized execution occurs.
In Canada, the homicide rate has dropped by 27% since
capital punsihment was abolished in 1976, dropping most
drastically within the first three years.
Unarguably, criminals need to be punished for the
lasting harm that they have caused society. However, the
severity of the punishment has it's limits. Governments that
respect humanit

"Why the Death Penalty is Dead Wrong"

Most people argue that the death penalty is not a form
of cruel and unusual punishment. However, this is extremely
inaccurate. Electric chair victims can take up to 14 minutes
to die, maintaining full consciousness as their flesh begins
to scorch and burn off. During lethal injection, "even a
slight error in dosage or administration can leave a
prisoner conscious but paralyzed with pain, serving as a
witness for his own demise." The following is an eye witness
account of an Arizona gas chamber execution given by Supreme
Court Justice John Paul Stevens: "When the fumes enveloped
Don's head he took a quick breath. A few seconds later, he
looked again in my direction. His face was red and contorted
as if he were attempting to fight through tremendous pain.
His mouth was pursed shut and his jaw was clenched tight.
Don then took several more quick gulps of the fumes. His
body started convulsing violently and his skin turned a deep
red...the viens in his temple and neck began to bulge