Anti Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers fc

Disasters in Death Introduction I. Roosevelt Collins, a black man in Alabama, was convicted of rape, sentenced to death, and executed in 1937. Roosevelt testified that the â€Å"victim† who was white had consented to sex, which caused a near-riot in the courtroom. The all-white jury deliberated for only FOUR minutes. Later interviews with several jurors revealed that although they believed the act was consensual, they also thought that he deserved death simply for â€Å"messin’ around† with a white woman. Even the judge, off the record, admitted his belief that Roosevelt was telling the truth, QUOTE: â€Å"An innocent man went to his death.† Horace Dunkins was executed on July 17, 1989. His attorney never told the jury he was mentally retarded, with an IQ estimated at 65. When newspapers reported this several years later, one juror told the press she would not have voted for the death penalty had she known of his retardation. The accomplice to this crime w as given a life sentence. II. Everyone has their own opinion of the Death Penalty. The problem is, most United States citizens do not have the facts. As long as the death penalty is a form of punishment, we all should be aware of this information†¦the correct information, and not just what crime the â€Å"Dead Man Walking† committed. III. Myself, Chandra, Steve, and Geoff have done extensive research on the subject of corporal punishment and will discuss those findings with you today. IV. The Death Penalty is a costly, immoral, and imperfect form of punishment. Before Americans chant â€Å"Death† for a moral wrong, we should make sure that we are right. V. Today we will discuss some of the problems with the death penalty, solutions and alternatives to it, and even give you a glimpse into how our future America will be if we continue this immoral deterrent. Chandra will share with us three of the major problems with the death penalty. Steve will discuss some soluti ons and alternatives to corporal punishment. Finally, Geoff will give us some insight how the death penalty has failed as a deterrent and will continue to poison our lives in the future and what we can do to change things. Transition: Chandra will begin by explaining three major concerns with the death penalty. Body of Speech I. First Main Point (Need-Problem): The Death Penalty has three major problems: the cost, immoral issues, and erroneous executions. a. Supporting ... ...h this†¦According to a webpage from ACLU Marquis de Lafayette, speaking to the French Chamber of Deputies in 1830, years after having witnessed the executions of the French Revolution said this†¦ "I shall ask for the abolition of the punishment of death until I have the infallibility of human judgment demonstrated to me." I couldn’t have said it better than that. Bibliography References: Alternatives to the Death Penalty. [Online}. www.cuadp.org/altern.htm. (1998). Amnesty International USA. [Online]. Amnesty International Inc. www.amnesty-usa.org/abolish/index.html. (1999, November 23). Appeals Unlimited. [Online]. Appeals Unlimited/AUSoft. www.appeals.com/ deathpenalty.html. Campaign to End the Death Penalty. [Online]. www.nodeathpenalty.org/fivereasons.html. (1999, October 1). Economics of Capital Punishment, The. [Online]. www.mindspring.com/~ phporter/econ.html. (1999). Death Penalty Focus. (1999, April 24). Cost of the Death Penalty and Myths and Facts. [Online]. www.deathpenalty.org. (version on November 18, 1999). Illinois Wrongful Capital Murder Convictions. [Online]. www.sun.soci.niu.edu/~critcrim/wrong/illmurder.html. (1999, February). Word Count: 1622