Death Penalty

1. Death Penalty Unit 2: Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty Mr. Senseney Contemporary Social Issues

2. Journal Entry • Which of the following would you consider worse? Death penalty vs. Lifetime Imprisonment? What makes you choose your selection? (5-7 sentences)

3. Top 10 Arguments Concerning the Death Penalty • Arguments both for/against Death Penalty: • 1) Morality of the DP • 2) Constitutionality • 3) Deterrence • 4) Retribution • 5) Irrevocable Mistakes • 6) Cost of Death vs. Lifetime Imprisonment • 7) Race • 8) Income Level • 9) Attorney Quality • 10) Physicians @ Executions

4. Morality of the Death Penalty • Pro • Human dignity is valued through the death penalty because it honors the defendant as someone who can control his own destiny. • Defendant can choose to either commit/not commit the questionable act. • Con • Racial bias and racial discrimination are present in the death penalty. • Death sentences are given to those who are poor and innocent, not given to those who are rich and guilty.

5. Constitutionality of the Death Penalty • Pro: • Our society undoubtedly has found new and more humane ways to implement the death penalty. • Days of hangings/firing squads have now moved on to lethal injection. • Con: • Treats members of the human race, as nonhumans. At this points humans become mere toys who can be played with and then discarded. • When is murdering someone ever deemed constitutional? • Ronnie Lee Gardner in Utah (2010) • Would not tell the gunman which one had the REAL bullet; why do you think they withheld that information?

6. Deterrence of the Death Penalty • Pros: • Argument that I deem to be the most valid argument. • People fear nothing more in the world than the prospect of death. • Worst-case scenario: if given a choice, which of the two options would you choose? • Cons: • No credible evidence that the death penalty deters crime. • In fact, states with the death penalty have a higher crime rate than those without the death penalty. • Dismiss this; why would that be?

7. Retribution & the Death Penalty • Pros: • The most ordered society comes when everyone receives what is due to them. • You work hard; you receive money. You commit a crime; shouldn’t you pay the price? • Cons: • Retribution is another word for REVENGE; which is unquestionably one of the worst traits a human can possess. • What good ever comes from seeking revenge? • This merely continues the cycle of violence; when will it ever stop?

8. Irrevocable Mistakes • Pro: • No system of justice can go without mistakes occurring. • Human testimony, in itself, is very flawed. • There is a higher standard of research/proof needed for death penalty cases. If anything, these cases receive more time/energy. • Con: • 87 people have been freed from death row due to their innocence; that is one innocence per every 7 executions. • This is an act that one CANNOT replace; one the individual passes, there is no going back.

9. Cost of Death vs. Life in Prison • Statistically, this is the least factual of all of the arguments. • This argument has been presented in so many ways; with so many different numerical values that I am not sure this is a great argument. • What I will say is….: • With the death penalty, you are typically dealing w/ multiple attorneys whereas with the lifetime imprisonment you have ONE. • We educate our inmates; inmates are typically enrolled in a G.E.D. program

10. Race & the Death Penalty • It has been statistically proven that African Americans & Hispanics commit more crimes in proportion to their numbers. In saying this: • Pro: • The fact that African Americans and Hispanics are charged more often simply means that they are committing more crimes. • Usually dealing w/ your more impoverished citizens regardless of race. • Con: • African Americans make up 13 percent of the nation’s population; yet half of those members on death row. • Hate to say this….but you are typically dealing w/ Caucasian judges & Caucasian policemen.

11. Income Level & the DP • Pros: • Some of the best lawyers are deemed to be private lawyers; meaning that they deal w/ cases where someone does not choose their own lawyer/attorney. • Cons: • The poor pay the ultimate price for crimes; look at the statistics. • Poor people cannot receive the same defense that rich individuals can. • As the saying goes, “Capital punishment means them without the capital gets the punishment.”

12. Physicians @ Executions • Pros: • Capital punishment in principle deserves capital punishment in practice. • If a physician finds the practice too brutal or too out of the ordinary, they can opt out of executions. • Cons: • Violates their Hippocratic Oath. • A physician is a member of a profession dedicated to preserving life; this appears to be completely BASS-ACKWARDS.

13. Juvenile’s & Sentencing/ LIFETIME IMPRISONMENT Mr. Senseney

14. Juvenile’s • What are your thoughts on juvenile’s sentencing? • If you are under the age of 18, and you somehow either committed a murder, or assisted in a murder, what should your punishment be? • Lifetime imprisonment? • Why/Why not? • Death penalty? • Why/why not? • Which of these two punishments do you feel is worse?

15. Juvenile’s • Statistics • 9,700 American prisoners are serving life sentences for crimes they committed before age 18. • More than a fifth have zero chance of parole. • More than 350 of these prisoners serving life sentences are under the age of 15? • Is it right to punish these individuals accordingly? Is it just to make different circumstances for different age groups? • Rebecca Falcon • 15 years old; got drunk and decided to ride a cab home with her male friend. • Male friend shoots the cab driver; denies it up and down; placing blame on Rebecca. • She denies and denies; but to no avail; was never proven guilty but was found guilty of assisting a murder.

16. Rebecca Falcon • March 2005 • Supreme Court rules that the death penalty for juveniles violates the Eighth Amendment (Cruel & Unusual Punishment) • Meaning of the Amendment changes with “evolving standards of decency.” • Unformed Personalities • Should these crimes committed by juvenile’s be held against them or the parenting involved? • Under 18 means you are more susceptible to peer pressure, less maturity, and your brains are not fully formed. Should this he held against them?

17. Lifetime Imprisonment (PROS) • Pro #1: Removing criminals from the general population. • Criminals need to be removed from society to help protect law-abiding citizens; pattern of peace. • Pro #2: Deterring Future Criminals • “Scare tactic.” From the earliest of years, children know jail is bad---think Monopoly! • Pro #3: Deterrence for Repeat Offenders • Most people do NOT re-enter the jail system; hence they are deterred. • Pro #4: Gives them a CHANCE for reform! • Death penalty does not provide this same opportunity. • Pro #5: Death penalty may be EASY way out • Some people may wish for this; death penalty is a much shorter time punishment than lifetime imprisonment.

18. Lifetime Imprisonment (Cons) • Con #1: Cost to the Taxpayer • Most U.S. prisons are state-funded • Taxpayers contribute to the care of our nation’s prisoners through their paychecks and working hard; while inmates are typically not working. • Beds, Electricity, Food/Water • Con #2: Loss of Family Connections • Family ties are a must if a reformed criminal hopes to swing back into things; support group is monumental. Without the family support system, who’s going to assist these ex-inmates? • Con #3: Effects on Families • Families fall apart over this; what happens when the new inmate was the family’s number one money-maker?

19. ASSISTED SUICIDE TERMS Mr. Senseney Contemporary Social Issues 3rd Block

20. Assisted Suicide • What are your thoughts on physician-assisted suicides? Do you feel these are moral? • 2-1 support the idea of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. • What would you wish for yourself if you were told you had 6 months to live? • Would you wish to live those (6) months out or would you rather have a physician end your life prematurely?

21. Euthanasia Definitions • Passive Euthanasia: • Allowing nature to run its course; altering some form of support. • Examples: stopping medical procedures/medications • Stoppage of food/water. • Not delivering CPR. • Giving someone an overdose in painkillers, such as morphine. • Active Euthanasia: • Causing the death of the patient through a direct action, in response to a request from that person. • Dr. Kevorkian: injection of controlled substances to speed up the process of death. • Was later charged with 1st degree murder, in response.

22. Bad Deaths • Most people in North America die a “bad death.” • More often than not, patients die in pain. • Think about most of the deaths you can think of….many deaths result after numerous days/weeks in Intensive Care/hospital. • Euthanasia: • Greek origin: “Good death” • The intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the individual who dies. • Can be either voluntary or involuntary.

23. Physician Assisted Suicide • Physician supplies all the necessary information; patient has the means of committing their own suicide. • Supply of carbon monoxide gas. • Supply of a lethal dose of sleeping pills. • Dr. Kevorkian’s name again arises with physician assisted suicides. • Patients could push button to initiate the flow of substances into their body? • Is this moral? Are patients in the right state of mind to make a decision such as this?

24. Involuntary Euthanasia • Involuntary Euthanasia: • Killing of a person who has not explicitly requested any aid in death. • Usually chosen by family member to prevent suffering. Involves those in a persistent vegetative state. • Why commit suicide? • Severe depression: this is the ultimate solution to all of their problems. • Terminal illness: individual does NOT wish to diminish their assets by incurring large assets.

25. Other Reasons for Suicide • Serious illness/disorder • Do not wish to see the pain their family will go through. • Progressive illnesses • Things are bad now; and will only get worse. • AIDS/Multiple Sclerosis • Lost a sense of independence • Loss of personal dignity. • Hate the fact they must be cared for continously. • Inevitable • It’s going to happen eventually; this way at least you know when.

26. Legality of PAS • Physician assisted suicide is currently legal only in Oregon and the nation of Netherlands. • Otherwise, patients are forced to continue their lives against their own wishes. • Thomas Aquinas: • Condemns all suicide because: • It violates one natural desire to live. • It harms other people inherently. • Life is the gift of God and should only be taken by God.