Why the U.S. Should End the Death Penalty

Andrea Hincks-2W

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-the-us-should-ditch-the-death-penalty/2014/07/26/fd42167a-143f-11e4-9285-4243a40ddc97_story.html

Central Claim: The central claim of this article is that the death penalty should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. Also, to some, the criminal justice system has not applied the ultimate punishment fairly. They believe this because of the racial disparities and people who have mental disorders being unfairly sentenced to death. All in all, it is saying that the death penalty in America is wrong.

Significant Piece of Evidence: The execution of Clayton Lockett. In Oklahoma, Lockett was sentenced to death by lethal injection. The first injection failed to work, and he ended up being in excruciating pain, causing him to start clenching his teeth and trying to speak. Supervisors of this execution then tried to call it off, but it was too late and Lockett ended up suffering from a heart attack and dying.

Opinion: I believe that in most cases that the death penalty is wrong. Other than when someone commits a federal crime, such as first or second degree murder, I do not believe capital punishment should be used. Due the the mistakes that have been made in many cases recently, I see why more and more people believe that the death penalty is going against the US Constitution when saying that it is cruel and unusual punishment. People being killed due to anything but murder is wrong, and even when they have killed someone, it is not right for them to suffer and die due to any other reason than the injection that is administered. Because the justice system has become so carless with the actual injection and who is convicted and sentenced to death, I more so believe it is wrong but in some cases understand why it is being used.