Death Penalty Cruel And Unusual Punishment

The death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. The Eighth Amendment prohibits the government from inflicting this upon others. Many court cases have involved the Eighth Amendment which has saved people from death. Although, this number is only a fraction of the number of executions since 1976. Even “innocent” people are executed, only to find out later that they really were innocent. The death penalty is just another form of revenge. Families are in a time of grievance and want revenge for what has happened. What they do not realize is that putting someone to death for a crime does not fix anything. Criminals get the easy way out of all the shame and guilt they feel. The death penalty should be abolished, due to pitiful Supreme Court cases and alternatives to the irrevocable death penalty. …show more content…
All 32 states use the lethal injection method. A needle is put into the inmate, usually in the arm, in a vein. The first step is a saline solution. A curtain is then raised so a witness can watch. Sodium thiopental is injected which puts the inmate to sleep. Pavulon (pancuronium bromide) is injected and paralyzes the muscles and stops the breathing. Lastly is potassium chloride, which stops the heart. Death results while the inmate is unconscious (“Descriptions”). Many reasons exist why the death penalty should be abolished. The death penalty is flawed. The three-drug lethal injection is difficult to obtain because pharmacies are refusing to sell them. States that that have the death penalty use a process using one, two, or even three drugs (“Capital”). Although, sometimes these drugs do not work quickly and efficiently. There are questions about the humaneness of these lethal injections. Dennis McGuire, while gasping for air over and over, took a total of 26 minutes to die. Michael Lee Wilson’s last words were that he felt his whole body burning