Who Do We Think We Are Essay Example For Students

Who Do We Think We Are? Essay 1Who Do We Think We Are?Capital Punishment is the penalty of death for a crime. The most common criminals who are executed are convicted murderers. What message is that sending? The use of capital punishment sends the message that murder is okay, as long as it is applied to the right person. The application of capital punishment in our society is hypocritical. It has no place in the judicial system. The way we handle the punishment of capital crimes is pathetic! There are other ways to punish criminals outside of taking their lives, but we, for some reason, feel the need to play the exterminator. The people who commit capital crimes are not animals to be exterminated. They are human. They deserve the same breath that everyone else takes. If a person commits a heinous crime then that person is obviously not normal. That person is obviously in need of mental help and, we should help these criminals instead of hurting them (religioustolerance.org). Criminals have families and friends wh o care about them. Why should the innocent bystanders be punished because of anothers actions? Killing anyone, for any reason, only brings on more pain and suffering than is necessary. We should recognize the problems in 2our society and heal those problems instead of placing a temporary fix on a permanent problem. Capital punishment is excessive and unnecessary. Killing a criminal only solves one problem and causes many more. The one problem it solves is the criminal is no longer walking the streets. Encarceration would serve the same purpose. If the criminal is encarcerated then he/she no longer poses a direct threat to society, so killing him/her would be overkill (pardon the pun). It causes other problems because the criminal was executed merely out of retribution. Sort of an eye for an eye. Actions like this only keep hatred and condemnation flowing in society (progress.org). We will write a custom essay on Who Do We Think We Are? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now A punishment can only be called a deterrent if it is performed consistantly and promptly. There are three reasons why capital punishment cannot be performed with any consistancy or promptness. 1) The number of convicted murderers sentenced to death are small, and of that number, an even smaller number are actually executed2)Manditory death sentences are unconstitutional (Woodson v. North Carolina, 1976). 3)A considerable time between the imposition of the death sentence and the actual execution is unavoidable. If a person is going to premeditate a capital crime, he/she is not going to be concerned with the punishment he/she will recieve. Instead, they are actually concentrating on how they will commit the crime. Even after that they are not thinking of the 3consequences, they now are thinking of how they will evade detection and capture by the police. The severest of punishments will not deter these criminals. If a capital crime is commited in the heat of the moment, when most capital crimes actually are, the criminal is not thinking correctly, he/she can not actually contemplate what will happen as a result of commiting the crime. Every human being on this planet has a breaking point, and everyone is capable of murder. When someone reaches that point there is no punishment capable of deterring them. Some capital crimes are commited as a result of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The criminals who commit these capital crimes are obviously not in a right frame of mind and should not be executed. This is not to say they shouldnt be held accountable for their actions, this is merely saying they do not deserve to lose their own life. They may not even be conscious of the action they are committing, so how could they possibly consider the consequences?There are also other, underlying, situations when capital crimes are commited. Here are a few:Mentally ill individuals who have little or no regard for the consequence of their actions. .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 , .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 .postImageUrl , .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 , .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3:hover , .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3:visited , .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3:active { border:0!important; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3:active , .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3 .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue8f4898e688624cae61de891d769a8b3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Has Political Islam Failed in Algeria? EssayBrain-damaged individuals who experience periods of uncontrollable rage and sometimes killPolitical terrorists who are acting for either a religion or a leader of a group that 4honors its martyrs. Professional hit-men who are ONLY focused on evading captureOther than professional hit-men, few of the people mentioned are actually in a rational state of mind when they commit their crimes. Death as a deterrent is an unrealistic idea for these individuals because either they cannot conceive what they are doing is wrong, or they are not thinking of the consequences of thier actions (www.religioustolerance.org). Capital punishment in California, as in every other state, is more expensive than a life imprisonment sentence without the opportunity of parole. These costs are not the result of frivolous appeals but rather the result of Constitutionally mandated safeguards that can be summarized as follows: Juries must be given clear guidelines on sentencing, which result in explicit provisions for what constitutes aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Defendants must have a dual trialone to establish guilt or innocence and if guiltya second trial to determine whether or not they would get the death penalty. Defendants sentenced to death are granted oversight protection in an automaticappeal to the state supreme court. These constitutional safeguards translate into: a more extensive jury selection procedure 5a four fold increase in the number of motions fileda longer, dual trial process more investigators and expert testimony more lawyers specializing in deathpenalty litigation and automatic, mandatory appeals Since there are few defendants who will plead guilty to a capital charge, virtually every death penalty trial becomes a jury trial with all of the above necessary requirements and expenses. David Ericksons study of Los Angeles County breaks down the cost of a capital trial and compares it with the costs of a murder trial where the death penalty is not sought. The following schedule is a summary of Ericksons cost study of a death penalty trial inLos Angeles County only. (deathpenalty.org)If the cost of incarceration on death row and the cost for the mandated appeal to the State Supreme Court were added to the above capital trial expenses, the cost would increase to an estimated 2.5 to 3 million dollars per execution. If the cost of incarceration of an inmate sentenced to life imprisonment without parole were added to the above non-6capital trial expenses, which is less expensive than confinement of an individual on death row, the cost of life in prison without parole would increase to an estimated 1 to 1.5 million dollars. Prisoners are executed in the United States by any one of five methods; in a few jurisdictions the prisoner is allowed to choose which one he or she prefers. These are the methods of capital punishment in use in mid-1997. The traditional mode of execution, hanging, is an option still available in Delaware, New Hampshire and Washington. Death on the gallows is easily bungled: If the drop is too short, there will be a slow and agonizing death by strangulation. If the drop is too long, the head will be torn off. Two states, Idaho and Utah, still authorize the firing squad. The prisoner is strapped into a chair and hooded. A target is pinned to the chest. Five marksmen, one with blanks, take aim and fire. Throughout the twentieth century, electrocution, has been the most widely used form of execution in this country, and is still utilized in eleven states. The condemned prisoner is led or dragged into the death chamber, strapped into the chair, and electrodes are fastened to head and legs. When the switch is thrown the body strains,jolting as the voltage is raised and lowered. Often smoke rises from the head. There is the awful odor of burning flesh. No one knows how long electrocuted individuals retain consciousness. .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 , .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 .postImageUrl , .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 , .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539:hover , .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539:visited , .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539:active { border:0!important; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539:active , .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539 .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue3f99297aeaf7c66099f65752cead539:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: John Steinbeck (811 words) Essay7In 1983, the electrocution of John Evans in Alabama was described by an eyewitness as follows: At 8:30 p.m. the first jolt of 1900 volts of electricity passed through Mr. Evans body. It lasted thirty seconds. Sparks and flames erupted from the electrode tied to Mr. Evans left leg. His body slammed against the straps holding him in the electric chair and his fist clenched permanently. The electrode apparently burst from the strap holding it in place. A large puff of grayish smoke and sparks poured out from under the hood that covered Mr. Evans face. An overpowering stench of burnt flesh and clothing began pervading the witness room. Two doct ors examined Mr. Evans and declared that he was not dead. The electrode on the left leg was re-fastened. Mr. Evans was administered a second thirty second jolt of electricity. The stench of burning flesh was nauseating. More smoke emanated from his leg and head. Again, the doctors examined Mr. Evans. They reported that his heart was still beating, and that he was still alive. At that time, I asked the prison commissioner, who was communicating on an open telephone line to Governor George Wallace, to grant clemency on the grounds that Mr. Evans was being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. The request was denied. At 8:40 p.m., a third charge of electricity, thirty seconds in duration, was passed through Mr. Evans body. At 8:44, the doctors pronounced him dead. The execution of John Evans took fourteen minutes. Afterwards, officials were embarrassed by what one 8observer called the barbaric ritual. The prison spokesman remarked, This was supposed to be a very clean manner of administering death. (www.aclu.org)Since it has been argued in the previous pages, capital punisment is morally wrong, then to deliberately kill someone, who has already been detained and no longer poses a direct threat to society, is murder. 9Works Citedhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/execute.htmhttp://www.progress.org/archive/fold56.htmhttp://www.aclu.org/library/case_against_death.html#retributionWoodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280http://www.deathpenalty.org/newsninfo/cost.htmlSocial Issues

Sir Gwain and the Greeness essays

Sir Gwain and the Greeness essays There once lived a king, the great king of Uruk in Mesopotamia. This great leader was Gilgamesh. His preserved epic is of great significance to modern day culture. Through Gilgamesh, the fate of mankind is revealed, and the inevitable factor of change is expressed. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is a great love, followed by a lingering grief that cause a significant change in the character of Gilgamesh. Before the coming of Enkidu, Gilgamesh was a man of pure power. A being of which there was no equal match, Gilgamesh boasted upon his overwhelming glory and power. This arrogance was accompanied with an extensive abuse of power, which led the city of Uruk into a state of injustice and rage. "His arrogance has no bounds by day or night" (Sanders 62). Still, Gilgamesh felt no despair; he lived to display to others his majestic power. The first sign of a sincere change in Gilgamesh arises as a result of the birth of Enkidu. From the beginning, a powerful link developed between Gilgamesh a nd Enkidu. The bond was as powerful as that between man and woman. The wise Ninsun said to Gilgamesh, "You will love him as a woman and he will never forsake you" (66). Gilgamesh had finally met his match, a friend that would serve as his life-long companion. Upon the seal of this great friendship, Gilgamesh began to change his selfish ways. He shared with Enkidu the luxuries of kingship. Shamash, speaking to Enkidu, said, "He (Gilgamesh) has made the princes of the earth kiss your feet, and now all the people of Uruk lament and wail over you"(91). Setting aside his great pride and power, Gilgamesh had opened a place in his heart, and in his sumptuous life, for his beloved brother. The second significant change in Gilgamesh was caused by the loss of his brotherly companion, Enkidu. Gilgamesh couldn't bear the loss of a love so powerful. Despite his astonishing power and leadership, something in his life was missing. He wept for sev ...

HEALTH PROMOTION AND THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH Article

HEALTH PROMOTION AND THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH - Article Example Realistically, health promotion requires one to focus on issues that affect their health lives and how they can effectively change them to influence a healthy life (Hartford, 2012). For example, if a person is unemployed, change in their location of residence will not take much effect in addressing their immediate problem. Healthy child development is a long term process that starts long before birth, and it determines the health and well-being of the child throughout his or her life. Healthy living of a child through all development stages is fundamental to the child’s thriving and the child is positioned to reach his or her potential adulthood (Hartford, 2012). Evidently, in the writing, Social determinants of health: The Canadian facts by Mikkonen and Raphael, maltreatment during infancy and early childhood have shown negative child development, affecting the brain and cognitive development. It all affects academic achievement, and these factors have proven to be destructiv e through jeopardizing the future performance of the child. Repercussions of negative impacts such as child abuse and neglect are manifested into adulthood and adolescence physically, intellectually and psychologically (Mikkonen & Raphael, 2010). The capacity and deliverance of a child depends substantially on the environment or surrounding where he or she is raised (Hartford, 2012). Extensive research bodies confirm brain development, school readiness, subsequent learning and future adults’ health are substantially influenced by early experience. Health determinants are those factors that shape the health of a child and are characterized by the social and economic factors ranging from the activities they do, including play to how they are treated through their child hood. Such factor influence the child’s potential of the future and should be addressed with accordingly (Kozier, 2009). Health promotion, on the other hand, deals with the ways how a child will grow in a conducive environment for a better future by taking exert control over determinants of health and here by improving their health (World Health Organization, 2011). Nurses play a fundamental role in health promotion; their role branches out to caring for fit people, as well as the ill (Mikkonen & Raphael, 2010). Acting as ambassadors of health promotion through preserving of wellness to reduce the number of times a child has to seek health-care services as established by a seminal article of Donaldson and Crowley, nurses’ role in providing information for better living has proven to be one of the key agendas in health promotion; education, as well as availability to the clients, has proven effective. Long-term relation with mothers by working even in their homes has encouraged mothers to take advantage of their strength and achieve their goals (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2010). Nurses act as advisers to mothers from child birth to parenthood (Hartford, 2012). Their suppor t, through deliverance of healthy babies to becoming confident parents and encouragement to pursue a better future for themselves and their children, has proven most effective. Such roles manifest themselves like: Helping mothers practice preventive health procedures and good parental skills. These include diet improvement and reduction of stimuli and other drugs for instance