Is the death penalty sometimes justified?

America first started using the death penalty when European settlers came to the new world. They brought the practice of capital punishment. The first recorded execution in the new colonies was Captain George Kendall in Jamestown, 1608. He got the penalty for spying and trying to kill John Smith, the president of Jamestown. In 1972, the supreme court of the U.S. decided it was unconstitutional and they struck down capital punishment in Furman v. Georgia, reducing all pending death sentences to life imprisonment at the time. In most states, the death penalty was not reinstated until 1988.

 In 24 states, the death penalty is still active. On average, 26.3 people have been executed annually since 2000. Overall, executions are on the decline. In 2000, 85 inmates were executed across the country; in 2020, only 17. 

In my opinion, the death penalty can be justified. People can be very cruel and there's definitely crimes, like mass murders, that deserve the death penalty. I think because 24 states still have it to prove the death penalty  can be justified.

 

1) Do you think the death penalty can be justified?

2) What crimes do you think would have to be done do get the death penalty?

3) If you could get rid of the death penalty completely, would you? 

 

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/ 

https://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/HistoryoftheDeathPenaltyinAmerica.pdf 

You need to be a member of History 360 to add comments!

Join History 360

Replies are closed for this discussion.

Replies

  • I think the death penalty can be justified, If you kill someone, or molest a young child, I do think you should be put to death. I think if someone molested a child 13 or younger should be put under the death penalty. I would never get rid of the death penalty. I think of it as if it were my siblings. If someone killed my siblings, I would want them dead, so they wouldn't do it again to someone else child. Everyone has a mother, a child, a sister, a brother, or a father. 

  • I think the death pentally is justified. I think you should get the death penatly if you murder a lot of people or even one person, if you shoot up a school and kill kids. I thinkwe should still keep the death penatly becasue if we get rid of it people arent gonna care if they go to prison for a few years or what not

    • I agree, the people that do these terrible things dont care if they get put in prison but dealth is a whole different thing. 

  • I think the death pentalty is justified, depending on whats going on at the time of it. Crimes leading to death penalty could have been a killing or a murder, or even shooting. I think the death penalty should be the persons choice, if you are sentenced to life they should be able to pick for their own.

  • I think that the death penalty can be justified sometimes. I believe that if you brutally murder someone you should get the death penalty. I would not get rid of the death penalty completely if it were my decision. If you shoot up a school or a building with lots of people you should get the death penalty. 

    • I agree, murdering should get you the dealth penalty. I also agree shooting up building especially schools, you should get sent to death. 

  • I have mixed feelings on it because there has been people who were found innocent after they were executed. People do terrible things and if they have life in prison people find out what they did and might end up killing them in there. Yes murder is bad but it depends their resoning. If it was for no reason yes you get the death penalty what is wrong with that person. If some kills someone for like raping their daughter. They shouldn't.

    • I agree, it all depends on the situation. I also agree its risky if the person is actually innocent and ends up getting sent to death before they find out. I think they should be 100% positive before the dealth penalty is even an option. 

This reply was deleted.
eXTReMe Tracker