... the only western industrialized country that continues to use the death penalty. Is capital punishment moral? Capital punishment is often defended on the grounds by the government, that society has a moral obligation to protect the safety and the welfare of its citizens. Murderers threaten this safety and welfare. Only by putting murderers to death can society ensure that convicted killers do not kill again. Second, those favoring capital punishment contend that society should support those practices that will bring about the greatest balance of good over evil, and capital punishment is one such practice. Capital punishment benefits society because it may deter ...
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... are more valid reasons to not have the death penalty. Today's system of capital punishment is filled with inequalities and injustices. The commonly offered arguments for the death penalty are filled with holes. Defenders of the death penalty have said it is a deterrent, removes killers, is the ultimate punishment, is biblical, satisfies the public's need for retribution. It has also been said that it relieves the anguish of the victim's family. Realistically, imposing the death penalty is expensive and time consuming. Retroactively, it has yet to be proven as a deterrent. Morally, it is a continuation of the cycle of violence and degrades all who are invol ...
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... spent on each individual part of the case, from presenting the evidence to cross-examination of the witness, this is because of the amount of information involved. The general atmosphere and behaviour in the Provincial Courtrooms were general loose and calm. The people, lawyers, judge, clerk and recorder seem to know each other very well. They joked openly, even while the court was in session, the defence lawyer asked if he could persuade the judge into a lighter sentence after the judge had already made a decision in a very easy and friendly tone of voice, something seemly unprofessional that caused chuckles throughout the courtroom. Where in the Ontario Sup ...
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... Pasadena, Texas, a 14-year-old eight grader at Deepwater Junior High School whipped a snub-nosed .38 out of his jacket and held the assistant principal hostage for two hours. Police said the boy was distraught over his parents' recent separation. (Stanza 19) These were not isolated incidents. All across America, the number of kids using- and being harmed by-guns is rising at an alarming rate. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 27,000 youths between 12 and 15 were handgun victims in 1985, up from an average of 16,500 for each of the previous years (Stanza 19). The increase in gun use often stems from urban crack trade. Many crack gangs have m ...
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... has been so enormous that some in our society , misguided by frustration , are listening to the arguments to legalize or decriminalize drugs. The solution to the drug problem is not to repeal the drug laws. The solution requires commitment to a balanced effort on drug education , prevention , treatment, and law enforcement. Softening our drug laws would be a major mistake. Research and data clearly shows the problem is not drug prohibition , but drug use. When drugs are cheap and easily accessible , more people will use them. It is a frightening scenario that envisions more of our citizens, both juveniles and adults, using mind - altering substance ...
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... to be debated over. The Justice Minister Anne McLellan quoted the following passage about her plans with the Young Offenders Act: "We must send a signal today to all Canadians that there is going to be a new youth justice regime in place." The Juvenile Delinquent's Act was the predecessor of the Young Offenders Act. It was adopted in 1908 by the federal government. Its purpose was to change the old system of trying children as adults and holding them over for as long as the crown wanted to. They then decided to treat the children as "misguided" ones, instead of criminals. Although good intentions were meant in the act, there were extremely few guidelines ...
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... activity. "Citizens Safety Projects" are set up to help you do this. It is a joint effort between private citizens and local police. Such programs have been started all over the country. Maybe one already exists in your community. These organizations don't require frequent meetings (once a month or so). They don't ask anyone to take personal risks to prevent crime. They leave the responsibility for catching criminals where it belongs - with the police. This is NOT a "vigilante" group: These groups gather citizens together to learn crime prevention from local authorities. You cooperate with your neighbors to report suspicious activities in th ...
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... but with the consequences of one's actions on other people, the question becomes: Is drug use an action that, although performed by an individual, threatens the vital interests of others? Using the example of a casual, responsible drug user who is a contributing (or non-detracting) member of society, it is clear that more harm is done to others if the user must resort to illegal methods to obtain his drugs. The very act of buying drugs is intrinsically illegal and carries the threat of establishing a criminal record for the buyer. This can have a devastating effect on his family, his lifestyle, and his career. The effects on society as a whole include mor ...
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... on moral principles has certain requirements. The right to belong to a community is not unconditional. The privilege of living and pursuing the good life in society is not absolute. It may be negated by behavior that undermines the nature of a moral community. The essential basis on which community is built requires each citizen to honor the rightful claims of others. The utter and deliberate denial of life and opportunity to others forfeits ones own claim to continued membership in the community, whose standards have been so flagrantly violated. The preservation of moral community demands that the shattering of the foundation of its existence must be taken with utm ...
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... internal corruption. In this report I will concentrate only on external corruption because it has been the larger center of attention recently. I have decided to include the fairly recent accounts of corruption from a few major cities, mainly New York, because that is where I have lived for the past 22 years. I compiled my information from numerous articles written in the New York Times over the last 5 years. My definitional infornmation and background data came from various books cited that have been written on the issue of police corruption. Those books helped me create a basis of just what the different types of corruption and deviances are, as well as how and ...
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