Death Penalty Background and History
Death penalty was lawful as capital punishment since the ancient time. The first legal execution in Virginia of United States occurred for people who commit murder, rape, treason and so on. Both Quaker leaders and social reformersdefended life imprisonment as a more rational alternative because it will not kill any innocent people as comparederroneous conviction of the death penalty. By 1976, Portugal was the first nation who abolished the death penalty for all crimes. Through the years, more countries abolished the death penalty. On the other hand, some governmentscontinued to use various methods of capital punishment which indicateda nation’s justice.
Today, opponents argue that the death penalty is superfluous punishments. These opponents declare that death penalty does not reduce the crime rates. Opponents argue that the death penalty violates human rights. However, proponents argue that the death penalty is effective for murders. Presently, there are still some countries practicing the death penalty. It is documented that ,“135 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, 62 countries retain and use the death penalty, most often as a punishment for people convicted of murder” (“Death Penalty”). Clearly, more countries consider that capital punishment is useless in their nation. Not only does death penalty violate human rights, but the methods of the death penalty also do really make offenders suffer mentally before death.Opponents consider these methods very cruel for offenders, and they do not deserve it; therefore, U.N must take action to abolish it. In the future, there will be no more capital punishment; the society will be more civilized without death penalty.
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Citation:
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