... raging in so many of us, like it is in the supporters of . An indecent justice, one that takes human lives based on ideals of vengeance and violence, is an immoral system that is unacceptable. The most widely used argument in support of is that the consequence of execution influences criminal behavior more effectively than imprisonment does (Amnesty International). Although the argument may sound reasonable, in reality the death penalty fails as a deterrent. First, punishment can only be a useful deterrent if it is rational and immediately used. cannot meet those conditions. The number of first degree murderers who are sentenced to death is small, and of t ...

... on political, racial or religious grounds in execution of or in connection with any crime within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, whether or not in violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated. Leaders, organizers, instigators, and accomplices participating in the formulation or execution of a common plan or conspiracy to commit any of the foregoing crimes are responsible for all acts performed by any persons in execution of such plan.1 The above excerpt comes form the Charter of the Tribunal Article 6 section C, which makes it quite clear that in general the "laws of war" are there to protect innocent civilians before and during war. It ...

... more than frying in the chair, dying of poison injection, or hanging. Why allow any vicious murderer the chance to escape prison and harm another person? People put an animal down once it has imperiled a human's life or safety. If humans are so concerned with their well being they ought to be guaranteed the same sanctuary from killers. Prisons, for the most part, are inescapable. But what if, the man that hunted you down, kidnapped you, and killed your friend, was the one of the few whom successfully escaped from jail? Once life has already been taken; your life should not also have to be lived in fear. Serial killers such as the Hillside Strangler prove that ...

... commonly found wild in Peru and Bolivia and cultivated in many other countries. For centuries South American Indians have chewed the coca leaves for pleasure and to help them withstand strenuous working conditions, hunger, and thirst. The cocaine in the leaves produces local anesthesia of the mouth and stomach. Cocaine is a dangerous, habit-forming drug. It is classified as an alkaloid compound. (Other well-known alkaloids are morphine, strychnine, and nicotine.) Cocaine stimulates the cortex of the brain, producing intense euphoria and the desire to repeat the experience; however, the drug has a highly toxic effect upon the central nervous system. ...

... 1980 - 1987 burglary rates fell 27 percent, robbery 21 percent and murders 13 percent, but with new drugs on the market these numbers are up. One contraversial solution is the proposal of legalizing drugs. Although people feel that legalizing drugs would lessen crime, drugs should remain illegal in the U.S because there would be an increase of drug abuse and a rapid increase of diseases such as AIDS. Many believe that legalizing drugs would lessen crime. They point out that the legalization of drugs would deter future criminal acts. They also emphasize and contrast Prohibition. When the public realized that Prohibition could not be enforced the law was repealed. Fro ...

... from it. The Chinese used it to make the first fish nets 6,500 years ago. The ancient Greeks wore hemp garments. Thomas Jefferson raised hemp on his Virginia farm, and he drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper. Plus, this renewable resource is an environmental Godsend. It requires very little fertilizers or pesticides to raise; it uses very little water; it produces four times as much fiber per-acre as wood does, so it can drastically cut deforestation. Hemp is simply a natural for our country and it can be a terrific cash-crop for America farmers. There is only one problem with this remarkable plant: Our government outlaws it. Hemp should be legali ...

... Alcohol is popular in both classes but also in different forms. The upper and middle class teenagers seem to want to experiment more with designer or new age drugs. The reason that there is so much media hype about the drug abuse amongst the poor is because the rich have the political power to cover it up, the poor don't. Crack is cocaine mixed with baking soda and cooked in to rock form 6. Even though crack and cocaine are the same drug (just in different forms) the courts give out stiffer sentences for crack offenders than powder cocaine offenders 7. According to federal law if a person is caught with five grams of crack they get a mandatory five year sen ...

... the main crime deserving death is obviously murder. ( p.11-15). Does the death penalty truly deter crimes and murder? This question is at the heart of a heated political controversy over the punishment. Opposers to the death penalty say no because of the large amount of people on death row today. They also say that states that have the death penalty have a higher crime rate than those that do not, and therefore it is not effective and somewhat contributes to the problem. I must point out though that states that have the death penalty are usually highly urbanized areas that most likely will have high crime rates because of the large population. Rather, in rur ...

... thousands more patients would be using marijuana. They claim twenty years of research have produced no documents of reliable scientific proof that marijuana has medical value. The Drug Enforcement Agency along with police departments all over the United States believe, with the legislation of drugs, crime will result in an increase in drug-related crimes. Meanwhile, the black market would disappear overnight. Some arrangement would be made to license the production of marijuana cigarettes. The untold multitudes of dealers would be put out of business, and a major source of financial loss to the economy would become one of financial gain. It is difficult to say ...

... convicted or sentenced to death for a crime that they did not commit. Perhaps the most frequent argument for capital punishment is that of deterrence. The prevailing thought is that imposition of the death penalty will act to discourage other criminals from committing violent acts. Numerous studies have been created attempting to prove this belief. In addition, with the growing sympathy of modern society, the number of inmates actually put to death is substantially lower than 50 years ago. This fact that it was more safe back then than it is now probably has to due with the fact that in earlier times, where capital punishment was common, the value of life was les ...