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Cristian Diaz
Professor Walker
Writing 10 Seminar12
30 March 2014
Should the Death Penalty be enforced?
Determining whether taking the life of someone is fair or not creates controversy today.
Prisoners are foreseen as a threat to society that should therefore be sentenced to death. In
several prisons, the death penalty has been enforced to kill prisoners depending on their unlawful
acts. Serious crimes may range from murder, rape, or any other extreme circumstance. One may
think that the death penalty is a method of salvation because it removes dangerous criminals
from society. In the article, “Death Penalty Debates,” a father mourns the loss of his wife and
two daughters who were sexually assaulted and murdered by a man named, Steven Hayes. No
one wants their children being exposed to fear and violence. Hence, many parents are in favor of
the death penalty if it means protecting their children. The history behind the capital punishment
has evolved from being a lingering process to painless today. When practicing capital
punishment, one may run the risk of executing an innocent person. In the article, “Death Penalty
Debates,” An innocent man who was almost sentenced to death, was pronounced innocent after
serving two decades in prison. Even though the death penalty can help bring piece of mind, one
can’t escape the fact that killing isn’t the solution. As explained in Mogilka’s article, a possible
solution to crime rates includes the use of Violence Prevention Programs. These programs will
be beneficial, especially in the cases similar to Robert Harris and Albert Fish. All in all, it is
unethical to take away one’s life, and the death penalty should therefore not be enforced.
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In ancient history, the punishments for the death penalty were brutal and much worse
than today. “The first death sentence historically recorded occurred in 16th century BC Egypt
where the wrongdoer, a member of nobility, was accused of magic, and ordered to take his own
life. During this period non-nobility was usually killed with an ax,” (Reggio). Practicing magic
was once viewed as an act of threat, whereas today it is interpreted as an entertaining talent.
“Death was often cruel and included crucifixion, drowning at self burial alive, beaten to death,
and impalement,” (Reggio). These deaths were once protracting and painful, but as time
progressed, deaths became instant and less painful.
A less painful method used in capital punishment today is the lethal injection. The lethal
injection is used to shut down the victim’s body, causing death. One may argue that the lethal
injection is a violation to the eighth amendment because it is a form of unusual punishment.
“Most lethal injection protocols use a sequential drug combination of sodium thiopental,
pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride,” (Pharmacotherapy 1429). The lethal injection is
composed of three drugs, and each one serves a particular role in killing its victim. This instant
process aims at mitigating the victim’s loss of motor movement, and causing death by stopping
the travel of oxygen to the rest of the body. Other forms of painless executions include death by
gas chamber and the electric chair.
Conditions in the past were much more strict than today’s conditions. Petty crimes, such
as: sodomy, apostery, incest, and desertion, were acts that led to death. Today, these crimes
aren’t seen as an act of terrible conduct leading to the death penalty. It’s astonishing to see how
these acts weren’t tolerated before, whereas today they are considered common and normal.
Many people commit these acts, but aren’t punished for doing so. Society’s standards evolved as
time progressed, making certain acts tolerable.
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To some people, the death penalty is a benefit because it helps get rid of the menacing
criminals in the world. No one desires to live in terror that is inflicted by delinquents. Hence, in
order to feel secured against malicious activity, one may argue that it is necessary to execute
those who murder, rape, and commit serious crimes. If dangerous criminals are around one’s
children, the children run the risk of being assaulted or even killed. Victims who have been
raped, or have loved ones who’ve been raped will never be the same, mentally. These traumatic
experiences may eventually lead to depression, anxiety, self-harm, or even suicide. Victims who
have experienced misery from wrongdoers don’t want others experiencing the same torment they
went through. If the criminals aren’t put away, they might repeat the cycle of agony. In 2007, a
serial killer, Steven Hayes, was sentenced to death after taking the lives of a man’s wife and two
daughters. Dr. William Petit (father who’s family was killed) was left for dead after Hayes
brutally beat and tied him in the basement. “Officers found Petit’s wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit,
and their two daughters, Michaela, 11, and Hayley, 17, dead in separate, second-story
bedrooms,” (Death Penalty Debates). It was said that Petit’s wife and youngest daughter were
sexually assaulted. The amount of anguish that Hayes has inflicted on Petit and Americans all
over the world was massive. After discussing this issue in court, it was concluded that the proper
punishment for Hayes would be sentencing him to death. “‘I was glad for the girls,’ said Petit.
‘This is justice,’” (Death Penalty Debates). With Hayes existing no more, no one had to worry
about being tormented by him again. One would agree that the death penalty is beneficial,
especially if they had a loved one being victimized by violence. As for the wrongdoers, they had
the opportunity to refrain from committing crimes, but they didn’t choose to take that
opportunity. If they’ve committed a crime before, who knows if they will make the same mistake
again? Executing them will be one less problem to worry about.
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The drawbacks of enforcing the death penalty can depend on one’s ethics and morality.
For those who disapprove of the death penalty argue that killing is unethical. Taking the life of
someone shouldn’t be done regardless of the crimes they’ve committed. An alternative solution
to this issue could be sentencing criminals to life in prison. This way, prisoners will lose their
freedom to do what they want. To some people, being sentenced to life in prison is a worse
punishment. Another argument typically made against the death penalty is that one may run the
risk of executing an innocent person. Anthony Graves serves as an example of an innocent man
who was punished for an act he didn’t commit. Instead of being sentenced to death, Graves
served nearly twenty years in prison. “Graves was convicted in 1994 of assisting another man,
Robert Earl Carter, two years earlier in the slaying of a Texas woman, her teenaged daughter and
four young grandchildren,” (Death Penalty Debates). Graves was pronounced innocent after his
case had been reinvestigated. In the end, Carter announced: “Anthony Graves had nothing to do
with it, I lied on him in court,” (Death Penalty Debates). Assuming one is guilty shouldn’t be a
habit. One must first investigate a case meticulously to assure that someone is guilty or not. In
some cases, giving second chances can help save one’s life. It would be nearly impossible to kill
every serial killer or rapist in the world. The death penalty should therefore be abolished because
it won’t end violence. The better alternative is sentencing criminals to life in prison.
A possible solution that can be utilized to decrease the amount of violence involves the
increased amount of Violence Prevention Programs. These programs aim at persuading children
and adults to refrain from displaying aggression. “…every two years in this country the number
of infants and small witnessing of violence by a child between his/her parents or community
members, violence inculcates cycles of hopelessness, despair, anger, and mental illness…”
(Mogilka 5). Children who witness the aggression displayed by their parents or communities
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become traumatized. This enables them to partake in negative actions in the future. This becomes
an issue because children are capable of evolving into dangerous criminals that one sees today.
An example of a child who underwent terrible events in his life is Robert Alton Harris.
Robert was born premature because of the amount of alcohol that his mother, Evelyn, had
consumed when pregnant. When Robert was two years old, “his father had strangled him with
the baby blanket and beat him in the face with a bamboo pole,” (Mogilka 8). This was one of the
many beatings Robert received for being developmentally slow. His parents constantly called
him: “idiot, slow, stupid, retard.” After Robert’s father had been sent to prison for sexually
assaulting Robert’s sister, Evelyn found a new boyfriend. Evelyn’s boyfriend also beat Robert
when he was working in the fields because Robert was too slow at picking tomatoes.
After being abandoned by his mother, Robert spent many of his adolescent years in
prison after committing criminal conduct. One can foresee that Robert will approach a path filled
with violence and negativity. At one point, Robert and his brother kidnapped and killed two teenage boys who were eating hamburgers in their car. “After telling the boys he would not hurt
them, Robert shot each one multiple times as they begged for their lives. Afterward, Robert
reportedly picked up the boy’s hamburgers and ate them as he laughed about the killings,”
(Mogilka 8). As a result, Robert was sentenced to death. Robert was also diagnosed with many
mental illnesses such as: “chronic schizophrenia, recurring auditory and visual hallucinations,
self mutilation, organic brain damage,” etc. (Mogilka 9). “In 1992, twelve years after Robert’s
conviction and death sentence, he was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison,”
(Mogilka 10). The prison officials took the life of Robert by exposing him to Zyklon B, a
hazardous gas that was once used to kill Jews during the Holocaust.
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Finally, another example of a boy who underwent bullying and many beatings at a young
age was Albert Fish. Fish, like many children, was bright and kind. As an orphan, Fish
experienced lots of aggression that was inflicted by other orphans. As a result, the torment that
Fish experienced led to the evolution of a sex offender and cannibal. At a young age, Fish
acquired a sexual interest for younger boys. Fish kidnapped, tortured, dismembered, and ate
children for pleasure. “Fish derived sexual pleasures from sadistic and masochistic acts such as
infibulation (self torture of genitals), flagellation (spanking), as well as anthropophagy
(consumption of human flesh), pedophilia, and lust murder,” (Journal of Forensic Sciences). This
evolution was due to the agonizing experience that Fish suffered from his peers.
In 1928, Fish met a young girl, Grace Bud. Fish intended to ask Grace’s parents for
permission to take Grace to his niece’s birthday party, which was a lie. “…Albert Fish abducted
and killed Grace Budd in 1928 for his own sexual pleasure…” (Journal of Forensic Sciences).
Fish originally intended to mutilate Grace’s older brother, Edward Bud, but switched to Grace
after he had met her. Fish took Grace to his place, and intended to lure her in. When undressing
himself and calling Grace from the inside of his room, Fish hid inside his closet. Unfortunately,
Grace fell for Fish’s scam and was brutally killed. After Fish had dismembered and ate Grace, he
composed a letter to her parents describing the process of her death. The heartbreaking words
that Fish incorporated into the letter were agonizing. In this letter, he explained that Grace tried
to escape his grasp by fighting back, but he managed to strangle her to death and cook her limbs
in the oven. It took him nine days to eat Grace’s body. The pain that Grace’s family had when
losing a daughter was immense. After being pronounced guilty, Fish was executed in the electric
chair.
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These traumatic events must be circulated throughout the media in order to spread the
awareness that bullying and aggression towards children will affect their future actions.
Additionally, regulating safety rules for children, as Violence Prevention Programs do, will
enable children to keep in mind that their decisions have consequences. With the guidance of
Violence Prevention Programs, children will be disciplined into making the right decisions. This
would then help decrease violent acts in the future. One must teach their children to respect
others and have good intentions. Expressing care and affection towards one’s children is
essential to their development because it will enable them to respect others the same way their
parents respected them. One must set a positive example for the new generations to come, so that
they can repeat the cycle of respect. Acting together as a community will definitely ameliorate
the issue of bullying and aggression.
Overall, enforcing the death penalty would be ineffective because it is nearly impossible
to execute every wrongdoer in the world. A better alternative for separating criminals from
society is sentencing them to life in prison without parole. Since doctors are the ones performing
the protocols of capital punishment, it’ll be even more unethical if they were to take the lives of
others. Doctors strive to save lives, not the opposite. It would be difficult to cope with a situation
that involves one’s relative or loved one being sentenced to death. Having someone else decide
the fate of a loved one would be unfair and infuriating. People opposed to the death penalty may
also interpret this course of action as an easy way out for the criminal. Being executed will
remove the consequences that the wrongdoer must pay for after committing the crime. Escaping
justice is not an option. Therefore, every consequence has its price. Additionally, it’ll bring
satisfaction to those who were victims of aggression if the aggressor were to spend their last
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years in prison and not around innocent people. The death penalty will only give rise to moral
and emotional controversy if enforced.
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Works Cited
Jost, Kenneth. Death Penalty Debates. CQ Researcher by CQ Press. CQ Press, n.d. Web. 31
Mar. 2014.
Mogilka, Susan M. Ucmerced.worldcat.org. 2 Aug. 2007. 19 April 2014.
Reggio, Michael H. History of the Death Penalty. PBS, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
UC-eLinks Direct Link. UC-eLinks Direct Link. British Medical Journal, 1992. Web. 30
Mar. 2014.
Romanelli, Frank. Issues surrounding lethal injection as a means of capital punishment.
Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy. 6 Jan. 2012. 24
April 2014.
White, John H. Evidence of Primary, Secondary, and Collateral Paraphilias Left at Serial
Murder and Sex Offender Crime Scenes. 6 Aug. 2007. 27 April 2014.