Leonard, B. Case 15 - Furman v. Georgia. Course home page. Dept. of Government.(1972) ." < http://www.graves.k12.ky.us/schools/GCHS/bleonard/HTML/sc/furman.htm>.

Anti Death Pentalty Views from TheFurman v. Georgia case in 1972:

>The death penalty is used primarily against minorities.
>The death penalty is used disprportionately against blacks, the poor, and unpopular groups.
>Blacks are more likely than whites or Latinos to be sentenced to death for rape.
>The wealthy are never executed.
>Infliction of the death penalty is a denial of a person's humanity.
>The death penalty is being arbitrarily imposed. Some of the worst criminals are jailed while others are put to death.
>Infliction of the death penalty is morally wrong.
>Contemporary society is largely opposed to the death penalty.
>The death penalty is not a deterrent to crime.
>Death is not a more effective means of retribution (payback or punishment) than prison.
> An innocent person may be wrongly executed.


In Favor of the Death Penalty

>The death penalty has been used throughout history.
>Contemporary society is not opposed to capital pnishment.
>The rare imposition of the death penalty is good and shows the care with which the death penalty is chosen as a punishment.
>The death penalty existed at the time of the making of the Constitution. The Founding Fathers did not oppose it.
>It is the legislature and not the courts which must decide if the death penalty should be imposed.
>Discriminatory treatment in imposing capital punishment is less likely today than in the past.
> The death penalty is a proper retribution or payback for certain crimes.
>The death penalty is deterrent to at lease some people.



After reviewing this information, my opinion was swayed. When I read in the Anti-Death Penalty View, I realized that there was the possibility that an innocent person may be wrongly accused. I also thought that an alternative punishment could be imprisonment for life. This would still be a severe punishment, and the fear of him/her doing something again would be aliminated. I didn't feel that some of the Pro-Death Penaltys were very strong. I do not understand how "the death penalty has been used through history," is a strong arguement.