Last Words and Death Penalty

Many of the last words on the list made an impression on me, it was heart-breaking to read. One of those who stood out, in my opinion, was “They may execute me but they can’t punish me because they can’t execute an innocent man.” This was one of the only last words where the person claim to be innocent. Many others asked for forgiveness, called out a last declaration or love, or just did not know what to say. This person seems bitter. He may have accepted that he is going to die, but he does not think he deserves it.

It could, of course, also be that he is guilty of a crime and knows it, but is still claiming to be innocent. Maybe he had insisted to be innocent since the first moment,  and his friends and family still think he is. Maybe he wants to leave them with the impression that he was a good man who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Pros- death penalty.

-People who are really dangerous are being “removed”.

-Works as a warning, scaring other people from committing crimes.

-If we execute leaders or important profiles in different types of crime networks, we are really weakening them

Cons- death penalty

-Operates against it purpose. We are making it “ok” to kill, which is one of the most common reasons why people get executed. (double standars)

-You should get a second chance to change yourself

-Many people are executed without any real evidence against them. To kill what may be innocent are not setting a good example

My opinion:

I understand why people are for death penalty. Actually I may accept the executing of extremely dangerous people (Saddam Hussein for instance), but I still think it is the wrong ideology. I think it could actually work against its purpose. When you kill people to show that killing is a crime, it becomes somewhat a double-standars and I don’t think this is a good example for the rest of the society. Overall I think the arguments against death penalty is much better and more ethnically right, and I think we should remove this punishment-method completely.

Comprehension Questions, Capital Punishment

1.    What is another word (synonym) used in the text for the death penalty?

Another word for the death penalty is capital punishment.

2.    How many states in the US have a law permitting the death penalty and what percentage of the total number of US states does this represent?

A total number of 35 states have got a law permitting the death penalty. However, this law is only practiced in half of them.

3.    Which method is used as the primary form of execution?

Lethal injection is the most common form of execution in the United States.

4.    What are some of the arguments mentioned that support capital punishment?

Many people state that capital punishment prevents other people from making crimes, them being scared to die. The prisoners also prevented from committing other crimes. One argument is also that it is cheaper to execute offender rather than to keep them imprisoned. The families of the victims often want get even with the offender and they find it better of the offender is not alive.

5.    What are the arguments expressing opposition?

It is proven that having people in prison actually is not really cheaper and that having a death penalty is preventing people from making crimes. Many are also questioning that 42 % of prisoners in death row are black whereas only 14 % of the American population is. They fear that many prisoners are discriminated because of their skin-color and therefore get a punishment that they does not deserve.

6.    Why are many of the prisoners on death row black?

As said, many claim that many of the black prisoners may be victims of discrimination. Also many of them do not have enough money for a good attorney and therefore do not get a proper chance to try to prove their innocence.