Social Studies Essay.

Our assignment was to write a speech about the death penalty, and if it's constitutional or should be allowed.


I think that allowing the death penalty in America is unconstitutional. Killing even a criminal is cruel. No matter what the person had been caught for, death isn’t the answer. The death penalty also goes against the eighth amendment, which says that no “cruel and unusual punishments,” are allowed in America.

In a case of murder, the death penalty could be put in place to prevent that person from ever killing again. Ironic, isn’t it, since then we are setting the example that it is okay to kill someone if they did something wrong- in this case, murder- but someone could always say “Oh, look, the state thinks it’s okay for someone to be killed for doing something bad, and I’ve always hated this one other person because of one reason or another, and so it must be okay…” and that just starts the cycle all over again. So while the death penalty does fulfill its goal by keeping the accused from ever doing something criminal again, it is more important for the government to set a good example for how its citizens should behave- and killing people for their crimes isn’t something that should be circulated as an action approved by the government. A person should have a life sentence in jail, but killing them would make you just as bad as them, and a hypocrite.

Another point against the death penalty is the effect is has on how we think of ourselves. First of all, I don’t like being “seen as a country” that executes it’s citizens- even if we are otherwise modern, industrial, and civilized. Actually, especially if we are modern, industrial and civilized. Why kill, when, apparently, imprisoning them for life would cost less, while keeping us, as a country, from feeling like murderers? I know that a few days ago I talked about how we have become desensitized to murder and killings through video games, books, and movies- but really, who wouldn’t feel brutal after just killing someone? Who wouldn’t feel brutal after just hearing about someone dying at the hands of our government? If this didn’t make a person feel like a murderer, I don’t know what would. I feel like a murderer just knowing that such a thing exists with approval from our government.

So yes, I think that society is better off without the death sentence. It’s cruel, and if you don’t think that it is an unusual punishment then you should get away from those action violence video games and take a look at the countries around us. We are one of the few modern civilizations that still use death as a punishment, and for us it’s even worse- because it goes against our own laws. The death penalty, according to me, isn’t the right way to punish our criminals.