The Case Against the Death Penalty Essay example -- capital punishment

In the United States, since the 1970s there have been more than 1270 executions according to the death penalty information center (Fact Sheet), What’s alarming about that number, is the number of people who were condemned to be executed based on race, income and social status alone, targeting those that could not afford good legal counsel, and were appointed attorneys that were â€Å"inexperienced and had below appropriate professional standards† (Hessick 1069), which sealed the fate of those literally fighting for their lives, on the day of sentencing. Capital punishment is unconstitutional, and violates human rights; a point of view rarely seen when debating the topic. Everyone talks about deterrence, everyone talks about justice for the victim, but no one seems to remember that even though the person responsible for a crime, whatever the nature of this crime is, is still a human being with constitutional, and human rights just like all of us. This paper will present facts that will help the reader understand the real nature of capital punishment, presenting the case against the death penalty for reasons of unconstitutionality and human rights violations. The first thing I want to cover is deterrence. Does the death penalty really deter crime? Some people say it does, that they work the same way speed signs work: First you notice the speed sign, then you drive without getting over the speed limit, it obviously works. Or does it? I came across many articles proving that speed signs are not a deterrent for speeding. Karen Sorensen writes on her news site â€Å"The Plainfield Police Department reports they issued 93 tickets for speeding and two for speeding in a construction zone despite warning signs being posted all along Rout... ... Behind the Wheel: Why Do We Speed?" Interview. Audio blog post. NPR. PBS, 07 June 2007. Web. 01 Nov. 2014. Peffley, Mark, and Jon Hurwitz. "Persuasion And Resistance: Race And The Death Penalty In America." American Journal Of Political Science 51.4 (2007): 996-1012. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Nov. 2014. Prejean, Helen. "Would Jesus Pull the Switch?" Salt of the Earth: 1997. Claretian Publications, 1997. Web. 01 Nov. 2014. . Sorensen, Karen. "Speed Warning Signs No Deterrent for 95 Drivers." Plainfield Patch. 23 Oct. 2011. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. Spenkelink, John Arthur. "Last Words." Interview. Any Last Words? The New York Times. Web. 01 Nov. 2014. . "The Case Against the Death Penalty." American Civil Liberties Union. The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation., 2011. Web. 01 Nov. 2014.