Capital Punishment

There has been a debate for a long time between advocates for capital punishment, and those who are against it. Many support lethal injection because people claim it is humane and efficient. However, the Supreme Court has not yet determined whether or not capital punishment is constitutional. 

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People who support the death penalty do so because they believe retribution is important. They also believe that it protects society from dangerous people, and it serves as a deterrent to others who are contemplating committing this type of crime. Those who are against capital punishment believe it is inhumane, and that one can never be absolutely sure of the guilt of any particular party. 

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According to US History in Context, “The imposition of the death penalty comes from many factors, resulting from cultural and social circumstances that might have demonstrated irrationality and fear on society’s part. The result might be a miscarriage of justice, the death of an innocent person.” This relates to the Sacco and Vanzetti case because many people believe that they were innocent, but others were still fearful of them and believed that they were guilty. Because much of the evidence was circumstantial, many people believe that sentencing them to death was a miscarriage of justice because there was no concrete proof that they actually committed the murder.