The death penalty violates the most fundamental human right, the right to life. It defies the Eighth Amendment, which forbids cruel and unusual punishment. The death penalty allows citizens to be exposed to torture and other degrading, inhumane treatment. “Can we expect a decent society if the state is allowed to kill its own people?” Coretta Scott King.
Out of the thousands of executions, over 3% from 1890 to 2010 were botched, causing the subject's death to be dilated and painful. Though many believe executions can be performed humanely, there’s still almost 9,000 that are botched, and the conflict still persists today.
For example, the Death Penalty Information Center states that Kenneth Eugene Smith’s execution began around 10:00 p.m. but was called off at 11:21. Kenneth was strapped to the chair at 8:00 and was released four hours later. “After two hours, an IV team entered the chamber and began repeatedly jabbing Mr. Smith’s arms and hands with needles, well past the point at which the executioners should have known that it was not reasonably possible to access a vein. Hrynkiw, paragraph 8, 11. The execution methods are supposedly “painless and fast," yet there are thousands of recorded painful and mismanaged executions. How is such “harmless” treatment considered legal and safe, or even something to be proud of in a country?…show more content… Sparking suspicion found that over 90% of defendants are unable to afford their own attorney and over 99% are indigent. This raises concerns about the fairness and equity of the justice system, as almost all accused of crimes are uneducated in law and communication skills. Opponents use these defects as a chance to overpower and silence one in trial. Therefore, the chances of a fair case are highly unlikely, and almost
