Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

Throughout history, we as Americans have decided that the most suitable punishment for crime is death. This is highlighted during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, where individuals were convicted and found guilty of sorcery, in which case their lives would be taken either burning at the stake, hanging, or beheading. One man was even pressed to death by stones, according to “A True Legal Horror Story: The Laws Leading to the Salem Witch Trials”. On December 7th, 1982, Charles Brooks became the first person executed by what we call “lethal injection”. This substance is made up of midazolam (sedates), vecuronium bromide (to paralyze the muscles), and potassium chloride (to stop the heart). This has been the most prevalent method of execution and considered …show more content…
Not only did this man experience a treacherous and lengthy execution, but he was also yet another black person who was subjected to a botched execution, which is not even the slightest bit humane or ethical. This was physical and psychological torment. “Racial oppression relies on our willingness to dehumanize other people,” Hodge said in a statement. “And that same devaluing of human life is what makes painful, torturous executions something our nation has come to accept.” Not only is the death penalty wrongly performed and cruel, but it also violates the law that we are expected to obey as citizens of the United States. The eighth amendment was ratified on December 15th, 1791, along with the rest of the United States Bill of Rights. The Eighth Amendment “limits the sanctions that may be imposed by the criminal justice system on those accused or convicted of criminal behaviour” (Levy). The eighth amendment is becoming less and less significant to the government as time goes on, and we allow the death penalty to remain a part of …show more content…
In summary, the death penalty is argued to violate legal principles related to human rights, non-discrimination, the eighth amendment, and the changing standards of decency. The global trend towards the abolishment of this reflects the recognition of its incompatibility with both legal and ethical norms. Although most of the world is pushing for the abolition of the death penalty, a small part of that population sees more benefits than drawbacks. The other side claims that murderers must be put to death to ensure that convicted killers do not kill again. However, the criminals on death row are already being held in prison, in which they are incapable of being a danger to any other people. The death penalty also fails to resolve the root causes of crime. “The death penalty doesn’t address any of the possible roots of violent crime, including socioeconomic disruptions and mental health. Considering the cost of death penalty cases and their effect on the mental health of all those involved, one could argue that the death penalty contributes to conditions that lead to crime”

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