Death Penalty
Concerning our justice system we might ask the question, who are we to judge? Who are we to judge what is fair, what is unfair, what is ethical and unethical? Who are we ultimately to decide who should live and who should die? Is it wrong for us to have taken on the role of God, to deal out punishment as we se fit? Really though, who are we not to judge? If what one person does directly affects my safety and my human rights, do I not have the God-given right to judge him solely on the actions he has committed against me? We should leave it to the court, in its oath to uncover the truth and carry of justice to decide the fates of these individuals who have violated the law and given up their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Leave it to the courts to decide whether or not their deeds warrant their imprisonment or their death. The eighth amendment states that “excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted”. Many people’s arguments against the death penalty seem to revolve around its violation with this amendment. In my opinion this argument is invalid because although death was once considered a “cruel and unusual punishment through its earlier methods, no such inhumane treatment is used today. We have abolished the electric chair and the archaic practices of hanging and death by a firing squad to make way for more civilized means of ending a life. Most states use a regimen of 3 drugs. The first of these, sodium pentothal, renders the inmate completely unconscious. This drug is the same one used by anesthesiologists in surgical procedures, such as the removal of your wisdom teeth or the implantation of new breasts. It is given in greater amounts to the prisoner to ensure no discomfort is felt when the second and third drugs effectively quell the heartbeat of the inmate. The second argument involving opposition to the legality of the death penalty involves the Fifth Amendment,