July 24, 2008

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The Candidates’ Positions

Hillary Clinton
U.S. Senator from New York.

Barack Obama

U.S. Senator from Illinois.

John Edwards
Former U.S. Senator from North Carolina.

Mike Gravel
Former U.S. Senator (AK)

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Fast Facts

As of 2005, the United States remains the only Western country that practices capital punishment.
Between 1993 and October 1, 2003, Texas carried out 256 executions, 38% of the U.S. total of 688.
Between 1967 and 1977 there were no executions in the United States.
In a 2005 poll by the Gallup Organization, 74% of Americans were in favor of the death penalty.

Death Penalty

The Death Penalty, legally known as capital punishment, is the lawful imposition of death as punishment for crimes. Forms of execution include death by lethal injection, electrocution, lethal gas, hanging, and firing squad. The United States stands apart from Western Europe's clear opposition to the death penalty and is one of 94 countries and territories in the world that use the death penalty today.

Death Penalty Overview

One of the most prominent and influential U.S. Supreme Court cases involving capital punishment was the 1972 case Furman v. Georgia. Concluding that the death sentence in thirty-five states had been applied unfairly, the Court placed a moratorium on executions until new standards could ensure evenhandedness in the administration of…>> (read more)

Death Penalty Points of View

4 Capital Punishment Is Just
5 Capital Punishment Grants Reasonable Retribution
6 Capital Punishment Is Not Immoral
7 Capital Punishment Is Necessary
8 Capital Punishment Cannot Be Justified
9 Capital Punishment Is Immoral
10 Capital Punishment Harms Society
11 Capital Punishment Is Applied Unfairly
12 Error Pervades the U.S. Capital Punishment System
13 Racism Influences the Administration of the Death Penalty
14 Capital Punishment Should Be Reformed to Protect the Innocent
15 Mentally Disadvantaged Should Not Be Sentenced to Death
16 Abolitionists Distort Data to Make Capital Punishment Seem Unfair
17 Reports About Errors in the U.S. Capital Punishment System Are Biased
18 Racism Does Not Influence the Administration of the Death Penalty
19 Postconviction DNA Testing Should Be Encouraged
20 Postconviction DNA Testing Should Not Be Encouraged
21 Capital Punishment Should Be Retained
22 Life Imprisonment Is Preferable to the Death Penalty
23 Death Penalty Is Preferable to Life Imprisonment
24 Executions Should Be Televised
25 Capital Punishment Is a Deterrent
26 Executions Deter Felony Murders
27 Capital Punishment Protects Innocent Lives
28 Death Penalty Is the Ultimate Deterrent
29 Capital Punishment Is Not a Deterrent
30 Capital Punishment Exacerbates Violence
31 Capital Punishment Should Be Abolished
32 Capital Punishment Should Be Temporarily Suspended

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