8th Amendment Essay

Capital punishment commonly referred to as the death sentence or penalty is a topic of widespread controversy. The question of whether capital punishment is “cruel and unusual” provokes questions about societal values and the philosophy behind punishments. As decreed in the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution it declares the use of “cruel and unusual” punishments is to be prohibited. With many execution methods such as lethal injection, electrocution, beheading, hanging, firing squads, and stoning, it sparks the question. Do these fall under the Eighth amendment? As with many other controversial opinions both groups for, and against capital punishment have valid opinions. So let's dive into the philosophy of both sides and an

Many argue that capital punishment is indeed “cruel and unusual.” The strongest argument is the physical and mental suffering falling under the Eighth Amendment which is commonly referred to in terms of the death sentence. As stated above there are many execution methods used. Many of these methods are no longer practiced, at least in the United States, but some of them such as lethal injection, electrocution, and a firing squad is still practiced, with lethal injection being the most common. Lethal injection depending on your point of view is the most “humane” way of execution, and electrocution most likely being the most inhumane.
Hudgins II

During electrocution, it is estimated each person lasts about two minutes in which case large quantities of electrical currents are sent throughout your body, sometimes enough to cause the person to set fire. In these two minutes, it isn’t numbed or

Currently, the death sentence is only applied to those who commit murder, however, in the past, it has also been used for rape and armed robbery. Arguing in favor it can seem justifiable to take the life of a person who unjustifiably took the life of someone else. And with murder being the only way to be sentenced to the death penalty it seems fitting. Along with that, it provides deterrence from committing murder for possibly many people. The deterrence that execution provides is a debated topic nested into another controversial topic. There have been many studies indicating both a positive and negative effect on the homicide count regarding executions. A study by Hashem Dezhbaksh, Paul H. Rubin, and Joanna M. Shepherd published in the Journal of Law and Economics in 2003 concluded that each execution deterred a rough estimate of 18 murders. While another study by Katherine Baicker and Sendhil Mullainathan published in the Journal of Political Economy in 2004 found no evidence supporting that conclusion. This debate in detail would require a whole other paper. Another argument is retribution. For the victim's families, it may not feel good enough to just be living a life in prison or in some cases even being let back into society. And the death sentence