Capital PunishmentCapital Punishment

Do you support it or are you Do you support it or are you against it?against it?

Philosophy is…Philosophy is…

……the study of the truth or principles the study of the truth or principles underlying all knowledge underlying all knowledge

What is Capital Punishment?

- execution by government depending on crime committed

- eighteenth century you were executed for small crimes like stealing

- Now you have to be convicted of doing something extremely wrong to deserve death sentence

Where can you find Where can you find Capital Punishment?Capital Punishment?

- No Capital Punishment in CanadaNo Capital Punishment in Canada- Pierre Trudeau banPierre Trudeau bannedned it in 1976 it in 1976- United States still has it and each individual United States still has it and each individual

state decides the punishmentsstate decides the punishments- A A murder conviction cmurder conviction could be less than ten years ould be less than ten years

in prison to even deathin prison to even death

Death RowDeath Row If you are to be executed, you are on death rowIf you are to be executed, you are on death row Lasts usually 5-10 years (don’t want judge to Lasts usually 5-10 years (don’t want judge to

find out you are innocent after they kill you)find out you are innocent after they kill you) Texas has so many people on death row, that Texas has so many people on death row, that

they can not kill them fast enoughthey can not kill them fast enough

In Canada...In Canada...- Age 17 and under cannot Age 17 and under cannot

go to adult prison (even if go to adult prison (even if they murdered someone)they murdered someone)

- You can not be put on the You can not be put on the death row no matter how death row no matter how old you areold you are

In the United States…In the United States…- Age 17 and under cannot Age 17 and under cannot

be on death rowbe on death row- Age 18 and over may get Age 18 and over may get

capital punishmentcapital punishment

First Degree Murder

-jury finds guilty person of intent to kill

In Canada: life imprisonment (25 years)

In U.S.: life imprisonment or death penalty

Second Degree Second Degree MurderMurder

- Jury finds guilty Jury finds guilty person not person not intending to kill (ex: intending to kill (ex: killing somebody killing somebody while robbing them)while robbing them)

- In Canada and U.S.: In Canada and U.S.: ten years to life ten years to life imprisonmentimprisonment

ManslaughterManslaughter- Death caused by unintended actions (ex: pushing Death caused by unintended actions (ex: pushing

an unable swimmer into the deep end of a pool an unable swimmer into the deep end of a pool and they drown without you knowing they and they drown without you knowing they couldn’t swim)couldn’t swim)

- In Canada and US: up to ten years imprisonmentIn Canada and US: up to ten years imprisonment

Pros of Capital PunishmentPros of Capital Punishment- Murderer can never kill againMurderer can never kill again- Deterrent to stop people from killing others because of Deterrent to stop people from killing others because of

harsh punishmentharsh punishment- Costs lessCosts less

Cons of Capital PunishmentCons of Capital Punishment- Person found guilty may turn out to be innocent after Person found guilty may turn out to be innocent after

their executiontheir execution- Death penalty is still murder (can’t kill murder with Death penalty is still murder (can’t kill murder with

murder)murder)- Not a deterrent because there will always be murdersNot a deterrent because there will always be murders- Cruelty and viciousness not destroyed by cruelty and Cruelty and viciousness not destroyed by cruelty and

viciousnessviciousness- 66thth Commandment states, “Thou shalt not kill”, by Commandment states, “Thou shalt not kill”, by

killing, some people are going against their own religionkilling, some people are going against their own religion

Activity

Story #1Story #1There’s a man who enjoys murdering people just for There’s a man who enjoys murdering people just for

the fun of it. He was finally caught by the police the fun of it. He was finally caught by the police and sent to prison. Unfortunately he is Canadian, and sent to prison. Unfortunately he is Canadian, so no capital punishment can come to him. After so no capital punishment can come to him. After about 15 years, a parole officer notices the about 15 years, a parole officer notices the murderer had been a good person and a model murderer had been a good person and a model citizen. A judge then let’s the prisoner free. The citizen. A judge then let’s the prisoner free. The free man then kills another 10 people after being free man then kills another 10 people after being released.released.

Moral: the man wouldn’t have killed any more Moral: the man wouldn’t have killed any more people if there was capital punishment in Canada.people if there was capital punishment in Canada.

Story #2Story #2There was a woman married to a man who treated There was a woman married to a man who treated

her almost like a slave and beats her whenever her almost like a slave and beats her whenever he gets drunk. She couldn’t leave him because he gets drunk. She couldn’t leave him because she was afraid he will come after her. It went on she was afraid he will come after her. It went on for years until she decided she couldn’t take it for years until she decided she couldn’t take it anymore and went a little insane because of this. anymore and went a little insane because of this. The next day she shot and killed her husband.The next day she shot and killed her husband.

Moral: The woman doesn’t deserve capital Moral: The woman doesn’t deserve capital punishment because it really wasn’t her fault she punishment because it really wasn’t her fault she shot him. She claimed that she did it in self-shot him. She claimed that she did it in self-defense. It was mainly her husband’s fault for defense. It was mainly her husband’s fault for driving her insane enough to kill him.driving her insane enough to kill him.

Do you support capital Do you support capital punishment or are you punishment or are you

against it?against it?

BibliographiesBibliographies

Szumski, Bonnie,Szumski, Bonnie, Hall, Lynn and Bursell, Susan, eds. Hall, Lynn and Bursell, Susan, eds. The Death Penalty: Opposing ViewpointsThe Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. United States: . United States:

Greenhaven Press, 1986Greenhaven Press, 1986

Brody, Baruch A. Brody, Baruch A. Beginning PhilosophyBeginning Philosophy. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1977. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1977

The EndThe End