Capital Punishment

http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-aroundthe-globe/ Capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the toughest form of punishment enforced today in the United States. It is a controversial issue that continues to be debated by the American public. One of the biggest issues being debated is whether or not the death penalty is immoral, excessively cruel or inhumane. I support capital punishment and do not believe that it is cruel or inhumane but that it delivers a small sense of closure to the public. The death penalty is an issue that divides our country. Currently, 65% of Americans support the death penalty for those convicted of murder. This number drops to 50% when a mandatory life in prison sentence is also offered. With an infinite number of variables in cases and in sentencing options, it is easy to see why there are so many different opinions. The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) is the only fully staffed, national organization committed to removing capital punishment from the nation. Some of the main points that the NCADP brings up are that the death penalty is racially biased, the death penalty cost more to implement than life without parole, the death penalty does not deter capital crime, and that innocent people may be executed. There are also a number of groups that support the death penalty. These groups use the same statistics as the anti-death penalty groups to shine a different light on the same key issues surrounding the death penalty. Racial Bias The NCADP states that “In North Carolina, the odds of receiving a death sentence are 3.5 times higher among defendants whose victims were white,” and “The odds of receiving a death sentence in Philadelphia are 38% higher in cases in which the defendant is black.” However, pro death penalty groups share these facts, “…found that white murderers received the death penalty slightly more often (32%) than non-white murderers (27%). And while the study found murderers of white victims received the death penalty more often (32%) than murderers of non-white victims (23%), when controlled for variables such as severity and number of crimes committed, there is no disparity between those sentenced to death for killing white or black victims.” The deciding factor on this issue is the official inmate population numbers from the United States Department of Justice. Since 1976, whites have outnumbered African Americans on death row. Given the available facts, I do not feel that there is sufficient evidence of a racial bias when considering the death penalty. Cost The NCADP states that the average cost of a trial ending in life without parole is

about $500,000 while death penalty case average between $1 million and $3 million. While pro death penalty groups do not dispute the cost of a death penalty case, they do disagree with the method used to compare cases across the different punishments. The site www.prodeathpenalty.com goes into specific detail on comparing costs of cells and trial durations. They estimate that life without parole cases cost about the same as death penalty cases. One interesting fact that I discovered is that a maximum security cell, with inmate, cost about $75,000/year. When you multiply this cost by 50 years (average incarceration of inmate sentenced to life without parole) the cost comes out to almost $400,000 leaving only $100,000 for trial costs according to the NCADP estimates. This number seems unrealistically low and unsupported by evidence. Given that the pro death penalty estimates are more based on reliable sources, I believe that the cost difference between death penalty cases and life without parole case is negligible. Deterrent While it is difficult to accurately gauge the deterrent effect of the death penalty, both side present statistics backing their sides of the argument. Pro death penalty groups use national trends, compiled by the Bureau of Criminal Justice, to show an increase in murders while the death penalty was banned by the federal government from 1972-1976. Then in 1976 when executions were once again allowed, murder rates began to go down. The best evidence that the NCADP can come up with is a 40% drop in murders since the death penalty was abolished in Canada. Again, I feel that the evidence presented by the pro death penalty group is more reliable than that of the NCADP. Innocence According to the NCADP, 118 people have been exonerated from death row. Many of these people were sentenced before DNA testing was used in criminal investigations. To this date, only 12 of the 118 (10%) have been exonerated through DNA evidence. The other 106 were wrongly sentenced by a jury of their peers. It is for these reasons of human error that pro death penalty groups feel that innocence is not a valid excuse. Furthermore, with the introduction of DNA testing, the same evidence that exonerated 12 people of murder, a murderer can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. In the case of innocence, the jury is a source of human error that plays and equal role in both death penalty cases as well as life without parole cases. In addition to the main points made above, pro death penalty groups note that laws often change and sometimes murderer sentenced to life without parole find themselves back out on the streets. A key example from the pro death penalty site, “In 1962, James Moore raped and strangled 14-year-old Pamela Moss. Her parents decided to spare Moore the death penalty on the condition that he be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Later on, thanks to a change in sentencing laws in 1982, James Moore is eligible for parole every two years!” While there are multitudes of different information and statistics regarding the death penalty and life without parole, I feel that there is more evidence supporting the benefits of the death penalty.

While the press and media do not show a definite stance on capital punishment, I believe that they do lean towards supporting the death penalty. All the stories I found from sources such as ABC and CBS left out opinions and focused on the facts that could be easily backed up. One story I found contained only a few sentences about the changes being made to Illinois’ death penalty procedure. After the information about the reform taking place, CBS cites facts about states that have capital punishment laws on the books and then more specific details about executions in Illinois. With the public almost evenly spilt in opinion regarding the death penalty, it is an important issue for the popular media to remain neutral on. Through all this research, there are many important points to keep in mind. Capital punishment is a highly debated topic that essentially splits the American public. There are a number of groups that both support and wish to abolish the death penalty. There is also an almost infinite number of statistics and facts available to both sides of this debate. The important thing to remember is that it is up to the viewer how each of these different statistics is interpreted. My opinion remains the same even after writing this paper. I feel that even though the abolitionists made some very specific points, I believe that the points brought up by the pro death penalty groups contained more merit as they were more general and looked at capital punishment across the nation. Everyone has their own, deeply rooted opinion of the death penalty, and it is for this reason that this great debate will not end anytime soon.

2- One of the most complicated issues in this world, and issue that seems straightforward yet, its not. What shall you do when someone murders someone else? Should the criminal justice system execute him, or imprison him for the rest of their life? What if he is mentally sick? What if he is a minor? Everyone has a different point of view on the death penalty, based on his or her upbringing, race, and religion. I believe all these factors contribute to the various points of view towards the death penalty. I believe that murderers deserve to die, when they commit a serious crime, unless they are mentally ill. I grew up learning that the death penalty was given to awful people who have committed hideous crimes. Through religion I learned that capital punishment is a last resort to a serious crime. In Islam, Capital punishment applies in the case of a person who meets any of the following conditions: The apostate, the apostate is one who disbelieves after being a Muslim. A married adulterer, whose punishment is to be stoned to death, a murderer who kills someone deliberately, he is to be killed in retaliation (qisaas) unless the victim's next of kin let him off or agree to accept the diyah (blood money), the Bandits, who wage a war against Allah and His Messengers, and spies. Based on my beliefs, I was fine with the death penalty. It only makes sense because it is fair. Its karma, you deserve what you get, and what goes around, comes around. Murderers deserve to die if they take someone else life away. They have no

right to take anyone’s life away, because they did not give them that life in the first place. I believe minor should be trailed as adults, and therefore, if they get the death penalty, then that is fair. They committed a serious crime, and therefore their consequences should be equal to that. Since the time we learn what is right and what is wrong, we also know that to kill someone is wrong too. Every little kid in this world knows killing is wrong, and furthermore the basics god given rules like, not to steal or lie etc. On the other hand, if a person is mentally ill, then they don’t deserve to die. Their illness should be treated and cured to the best of the doctors’ ability. If a person doesn’t know any better then you cannot punish them for a crime they have committed. Those people should be handled with love, care, and should be given outmost attention. The death penalty has been around since the beginning of society and culture. Yes, sometimes it is unfair and innocent people get executed, but its there to bring order to the system. If murderer gets sent to prison for 20 years, and come out, they could repeat their past crime again. Therefore, I’m pro death penalty.

3- Pros and Cons to Capital Punishment For many years the death penalty has been the sentence for murders, rapists, and other serial criminals. But, in recent months it has been an issue in whether the death penalty should or should not be legal. There are many people that think that capital punishment should be used and there are others that feel that it should not be used. Also there are some in the middle that think that it doesn't really matter because they feel that whatever happens will be right because it was brought up and decided in a court of law. Capital punishment is the only way to be sure the killing will at least end with that criminal. Prisons are not hard enough on there inmates. For example, citizens feel that capital punishment is only fair to those that have committed the crime such as murder. This shows that you have to find and prove that the criminal is truly guilty. This could take days, months, even years and in that time they are treated nice and not like prisoners. For example the inmates are allowed to attend school and watch TV in case that they are released. But then, are the guards even thinking? These are men that committed series crimes, capital crimes. They killed people, and if there not going to be killed they sure better not be released to do it again. It seems like they don’t remember that the inmate had no mercy when they were raping, or killing that innocent person, yet we feel sorry for them. There are lots of issues that arise with the death penalty, such as moral issues and innocent lives being taken, when may be they shouldn’t. For example there is a lot

that needs to be done before the initial action is taken place. This shows that their needs to be clear and correct evident on the suspect in custody. There fore the new technology that has been presented to society, such as DNA testing, many mistakes shouldn’t be made in these life-threatening decisions. New Technology should be used as a sure way that the judgement to death is correct. There are people that believe that the death penalty is morally wrong because they feel that only god should have the final authority in death. This shows that the death penalty is just a form of cruel and unusual punishment. There fore they believe that the criminal should not be punished with death, even though, the criminal had no mercy on hisher victim. For example in July of 1999, Allan Lee Davis was electrocuted in the Florida electric chair. During the time of his electrocution he suffered a nosebleed and pictures were posted all over the Internet. This shows and helped ones against capital punishment prove it was a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Now the Supreme Court has agreed to review all electric chairs to see whether or not it is a form of physical violence, disfigurement, and or torment. Right now there is still quit a few forms of civilized forms to kill. First is lethal injection, electric chair, gas, hanging, and shooting. Most citizens feel lethal injection should be the only form of capital punishment. Overall capital punishment seems like the only way to assure criminals that the justice system is for real. This will allow the criminals to see the consequences of taking the lives of others. This method will not only assure they will not kill again but also reassure the phrase, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

IELTS Essay, topic: Computers instead of teachers As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom. There is no doubt that education and the learning process has changed since the introduction of computers: The search for information has become easier and amusing, and connectivity has expedited the data availability. Though experts systems have made computers more intelligent, they have not yet become a substitute of the human interaction in the learning process. In my opinion; what can be expected, is a change of the teachers? role but not their disappearance from the classroom. Nobody can argue that the acquisition of knowledge is more fun and easier with computers. The mere activity of touching and exploring this device constitutes an enjoyable task for a kid. This, accompanied with the relaxing attitude and software interactivity, usually conduce to a better grasping of new knowledge. At a higher educational level; the availability of digital books, simulator and other academic materials, provide the student with an ever accessible source of information, that otherwise would not be at hand. But, besides the increasing complexity and behavior of intelligent software, which is usually embedded in the academic digital material, the need of human interaction in the learning process will always be present, at least in the foreseeable future. There is the necessity for a human being to be able to determine what the specifics needs of each individual are. The expertise of a teacher in how to explain and adapt complex concepts to different individuals can hardly be mimicked by a computer, no matter how sophisticated its software is. As computers are becoming a common tool for teaching, teachers should be more aware of their role as guides in the acquisition of knowledge rather than transmitters of facts. They have to be open minded to the changes that are taking places, keep updated and serve as a problem solvers in the learning process, thus allowing students to discover the fact for themselves. To summarize, in my personal view, teachers play and will() play an important role in the classroom, especially at the primary level. No matter how complex computers become, there will be no replacement for the human interaction, but in the way haw this interaction takes place.

IELTS Essay, topic: Internet connecting people Some people say that the Internet is making the world smaller by bringing people together. To what extent do you agree that the internet is making it easier for people to communicate with one another? In today?s world _ due to the advancement of technology new inventions are coming into existence. It is a certainty that ?necessity is a mother of invention?. _ Internet is just like a wonder box, which contains every type of information. Besides it has also proved as a very important tool to connect people with each other. In today?s modernized era nobody has sufficient time to write letters to their loved ones. Moreover it also takes longer to send or receive any information. But through an internet it is an easiest way to send massages to our loved ones. Either it can be in the form of an e- mail or by text messages from internet to cell phones. We can send and receive messages straight way.

In other hand today?s youth generation mostly prefer to do chatting on () internet. Through this chatting we can write messages and straight way can get their reply. Moreover voice chatting is going to be very popular day-by-day. As it is a reality that advantages and disadvantages are like both sides of a coin, which usually runs parallel. So like other things internet also have some downsides, like people are facing some health problems for example, poor eye-sight, back ache, migrane. Today?s teenagers usually prefer to spend their time on internet rather than to participating in other physical activities, so that?s why they are going to be weaker in their physical health. To conclude, I would like to say that internet is one of the most modernized and most successful tools, not only for communication, even to get most relevant information regarding every field in a very short period of time.

IELTS Essay, topic: Space exploration With all the troubles in the world today, money spent on space exploration is a complete waste. The money could be better spent on other things. Nations after nations, everyday, every year, celebrate their achievements in space exploration . However, it is now time to question how meaningful these blasts are. This essay aims to explain why it is questionable. First, until all urgent and important matters in this globe have been solved, money bumped on space exploration is of no meaning. It is not a common sense at all to invest million dollars researching and producing foods for astronauts (for space exploration purpose), while everyday thousands of people are starving. Furthermore, the discovery of outer space only serves a minor group of people if the majority are even not well-educated. Those in rural areas or third-world nations do no even know how to prevent common threatening diseases like AIDS and lung cancer. Then, some may argue that the purpose of space exploration are to discover new lands, new energy resources or to deter potential threat to globe. Nevertheless, is it effective to do so while other alternatives are available? Lands on earth are no yet effectively used. New energy resources (e.g. solar and nuclear energy) have not yet been widely-used. Threats of plagues have not yet been deterred. All these ?not- yets? need money. That is why costly space discovery programs are a waste of money. In the nutshell, people should only invest in space exploration providing that () early-mentioned urgent and important matters have been solved. Also, purposes of space exploration campaign should be studied carefully and other alternatives should be considered before money is wasted.