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FINAL PAPERS ON:

 Debate on Death Penalty

And

 Debate on Open Adoption

Dr.Sfekas
Tziliou Haris-Artemis
Comm.-130
25/06/2009
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“Debate on Death Penalty”

Death penalty is the act of killing or executing a person, who was found guilty of a serious crime.

Executions are considered the ultimate punishment for a crime, because there is no repeal from

death. It is used today and was used in ancient times to punish a variety of offenses. Even the bible

advocates death for murder and other crimes like kidnapping and witchcraft. (“The Pros and Cons

of Capital Punishment”)

Capital punishment was legal until 1972, when the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in

Furman v. Georgia stating that it violated the Eight and Fourteen Amendments citing cruel and

unusual punishment. However, in 1976, the Supreme Court reversed itself with Gregg v. Georgia

and reinstated the death penalty but not in all states. The logical alternative for death penalty is life

in prison without parole, yet a lot of nations still perform the death penalty. This is because the

debate whether capital punishment is ethical and justifiable is still widely disputed. (“Capital

Punishment”).

There are several good reasons to be for and against the death penalty, and also, there are several

bad reasons to be for and against the death penalty too. Furthermore, the general population has a

wide range of beliefs concerning death penalty. People have different opinions on the issue of death

penalty given to a convict. While some think that death penalty is necessary for those who have

committed a terrible crime, there are others who consider it as an immoral act that goes against the

values of humanity.

On one hand death penalty has many advantages. A person who has committed a crime like

killing or raping another person should be given death penalty, which is as severe punishment as the

act. It is said that when a criminal is given a death penalty, it dissuades others in the society from
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committing such serious crimes. They would refrain from such crimes due to fear of losing their

lives. This would definitely help in reducing crime rate in society. (“Deathpenalty”)

If a criminal is jailed, he may again commit the same crime after being released from prison.

Giving him death penalty would make sure that the society is safe from being attacked by criminals.

It seems to be an appropriate punishment for serial killers and for those who continue to commit

crimes even after serving imprisonment.

Some believe that instead of announcing life imprisonment for the convicts, where they would

have to live a futile life behind closed bars, it is better to kill them. It is said that imprisoning

someone is more expensive than executing him. Rather than spending on a person who may again

commit terrifying crime, it is better to put him to death. Capital punishment is equated as revenge

for pain and suffering that the criminal inflicted on the victim.

Some people strongly believe that a person who has taken the life of another person does not

have a right to live. Sentencing such a criminal can give relief to the family members of the victim

that their loved one has obtained justice. One of the main principals of punishment and the judicial

system is that the penalty fits the crime. If someone violently murders another individual or

numerous people, then it makes sense for the punishment to be death. Putting people in prison, as

opposed to executing them gives them a chance of parole, meaning they can commit more crimes.

Death penalty means there is no chance of the criminal committing another crime.

It is also important for the safety of fellow prison inmates and guards, as people who commit

horrifying crimes like murder are believed to have a violent personality and may, in future, attack

someone during imprisonment.

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These reasons emphasize the importance of death penalty for the betterment of human society.

However, there is another section of people who believe that it is an immoral and unethical act of

violence. Some argue that the death of a criminal gives closure to their victim's and their families.

(“Deathpenalty”)

On the other hand, every human being is entitled to receive a second chance in life. Putting a

convict behind bars is always a logical option than killing him, as there is a chance that he may

improve. People who have served life sentences are reported to have bettered their earlier ways of

living and have made worthwhile contribution to the society.

There is also a chance that an individual is innocent and is wrongly charged for a crime he has

never committed. There have been cases where individuals were released after being given death

sentence, because they were proved innocent. There are also cases where a person's innocence was

proved after he was put to death. Hence, it is best to avoid executing a person.

It is reported that there is no relation between capital punishment and crime rate. Giving death

penalty does not decrease crime rate in the society. Crimes are prevalent in countries where capital

punishment exists and also where it has been abolished.

The financial cost of putting people to death, once you consider extra appeals, additional

procedures, can often be more than the cost of putting a criminal in prison for life.

The death penalty violates the "cruel and unusual" clause of the Bill of Rights. It is simply

immoral and barbaric to allow people to be killed by the state even if they have committed violent

crimes. It can be viewed that, life in prison with little freedom and poor quality of life is a better

punishment and deterrent to criminals than death row.

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There is always the possibility that innocent men and women are put to death without ever having

committed a crime. There will always be failings in the judicial and conviction system. Some anti-

death penalty campaigners describe examples of people on death row, or people have already been

killed have then been proved innocent. Today, the accuracy of modern forensics and DNA testing

makes it very unlikely for an innocent person to be put on death row. Furthering this point, it is

argued that the number of innocent people that may be killed is equalized by the number of actual

criminals that are set free. (“Deathpenalty”)

Today, most countries are considered by Amnesty International as abolitionists which allowed a

vote on a nonbinding resolution to the UN to promote the abolition of the death penalty But more

than 60% of the worldwide population live in countries where executions take place insofar as the

four most populous countries in the world, the People's Republic of China, India, United States and

Indonesia, apply the death penalty and are unlikely to abolish it at any time soon. In the end, it is

what the majority of society currently believes to be moral that should be reflected by the actions of

their government. (“Capital Punishment”).

There will always be debate over whether death penalty is an effective form of penalty for

criminals. Death penalty is not always just and appropriate. Whether to give death penalty to a

criminal or not, may depend on his previous criminal records and the seriousness of the crime he

has committed. Usually, it has been seen that poor people have to succumb to death penalty as they

cannot afford good lawyers to defend their stance. There are very rare cases of rich people being

pronounced capital punishment.

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Work Cited

x “The Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment”

<http://www.philforhumanity.com/Capital_Punishment.html> 10 June 2009.

x Patrick Hinton. Jan15, 2009 . “The Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty”.
<http://americanaffairs.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_pros_and_cons_of_the_death_penalty> .12

June 2009

x “Deathpenalty”. <http://www.procon.org> 20 June 2009.

x “Capital Punishment”. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Capital Punishment >.

22 June 2009
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“Debate on Open Adoption”

Adoption is a process by which a child born by its parents is growing in other family. The

reasons that a child becomes adapted are many and so are the reasons of the couple who decides to

adapt a child. It is very sad and difficult for a child to grow up as an orphan. Adoption has its own

positive and negative sides. Considering the moral values, adoption is really good because the

person is giving life to a kid. Adoption searches can exhaust a person in many ways including

emotionally and financially. There are various types of adoption, like confidential/closed, semi-

open and fully-disclosed/open, international, special needs and foster-to-adopt, each of them having

many advantages and disadvantages. (“Pros and Cons of Adoption”)

An open adoption is an adoptive family and birth family keeping in contact for the benefit of a

child. Open adoptions, as opposed to traditional adoptions, allow birth parents to stay involved in

their children's lives even after the adoption has been finalized. Twenty years ago, 1 percent of

domestic adoptions were open. Now, 60 percent to 70 percent of domestic adoptions are open,

which is why many agencies, whether advocates or opponents of the trend, offer open adoptions as

an option. In an open adoption, everyone shares their first and last names and both parties meet face

to face at least once. Often, the interaction between the birth and adoptive family continues

throughout the child’s life. Contact in an open adoption can mean different things to different

families as contact can range from letters and emails, to phone calls or regular visitation. It all rests

on the adults to create a plan that fits everyone's needs and expectations. (“Open Adoption - Pros

and Cons”)

The advantages of having an open adoption are many. Many adoptive parents are initially

apprehensive about having an open adoption, but eventually see the benefits for their child. The

adoptive family may also be grateful for the extra support provided by others that love their child.
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It is easier for the birthparents because they may be less likely to change their mind about the

adoption because they know the adopters. The child will never have to search for birthparents,

because the adopter adult can easily establish a relationship with birthparents and the child may be

able to have a positive relationship with them. For the adopters may be a more relaxed process

knowing exactly who the birthparents are and their health status. They can notify about conditions

that could later affect the child. Also an other positive view for the adopters is that they gain a more

"extended family.”(“Why Choose an Open Adoption?”)

Since the adoptee will have some contact with birth family, he will not have the feeling of a

"missing piece" in his life like some adoptees describe. The need to fantasize or romanticize birth

family circumstances is removed from the equation and the adopted child can grow up with truth.

The adoptee within an open adoption will also have access to background on his heritage and

ancestry. He will be able to claim that information as a piece of his identity. The adoptee within an

open adoption may have more family to provide love and support. Many adoptees lack access to

basic medical background information. This information can be vital to helping medical personnel

make informed decisions on behalf of their patients. This invaluable information also pertains to

mental and emotional health. Many adoptees do not know the details of their adoption story, the

story of their beginning in life. An adoptee in an open adoption will have this information and will

not have to suffer through an adoption search.

Also from the side of the child there are fewer feelings of abandonment, because they can ask

their birth parents why they placed them for adoption and get straight answers. They feel free to

bond with their adoptive family, because they are assured that their birth parents support them and

their family. They may even end up with a slew of extra biological grandparents, siblings, cousins

and doting aunties that they never expected.

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Perhaps the biggest benefit of having an open adoption is that it allows adoptees to experience

their family of origin first-hand and by doing so, normalizes their adoption experience. (“Why

Choose an Open Adoption?”)

On the other hand, open adoption may cause many problems in both families and the adopted

child. Open adoptions do not work for every adoption situation and the nature of the relationship

between families may change over time. Extended family and friends sometimes do not understand

what open adoption is or how it works. Adoptive parents may need to work through issues such as

fear of intrusion by birthparents and concerns over birthmother grief before feeling ready for an

open adoption. For situations where it is not possible to stay in touch with the birthparents, adoptive

families may be able to connect with extended family or foster parents. (“Why Choose an Open

Adoption?”)

Because the birth parents and adoptive parents meet, often many times during the pregnancy,

birth parents may feel additional pressure to place their child based on the emotional and financial

support the adoptive family provides. After voluntarily relinquishing their parental rights, some

birth parents struggle with boundary issues. They may have unrealistic expectations about the

adoptive family or about the role they agreed to play in their child’s life.

Adoptive parents, who may not feel completely comfortable with the degree of contact,

sometimes “play along” until after they adopt the child. Once the birth parents’ rights are terminated

in court, the adoptive parents slam the door to continued contact. This is an unconscionable act on

the adoptive parents' part, and when it happens, birth parents feel betrayed and rejected and are

likely to regret their decision.

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The child may never wish to search for birthparents, and the birthparents may want more or less

contact than the adopted adult wants. An unstable birthparent could cause problems. Open adoption

may attract birthparents that don't really want their babies adopted, and see open adoption as

"halfway". The birthparents might feel they should have more input into childrearing than the

adopters would like. Often people lose track of each other and the birthparents may not tell to the

adopters about health changes.

Some birth families may struggle with knowing how they fit into the big picture. Adoptive

families may struggle with knowing how to incorporate two sets of parents. While one set parents

actively, the other set brought about life and brings a sense of stability and roots. Unmet

expectations can be an issue on both sides of an open adoption. A birth parent may expect

perfection from an adoptive parent, while an adoptive parent may expect the birth parent to play a

quieter role in their child's life. The relationship will likely change over time and it will be

necessary to communicate openly when changes occur. (“Why Choose an Open Adoption?”)

Harold Grotevant, whose Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project has followed 720 active

adoption participants for more than 15 years, says, "For people who want to do an open adoption,

we have found no evidence that it is harmful." Grotevent does add a caveat: "It makes your family

more complicated. It is not necessarily the best route for everyone."(Shaan.S. “Pros and Cons of

Adoption”.)

The pros and cons of an open adoption relationship will also depend on individual adoption

situations. Open adoptions are for the benefit of the children at the centre of the relationship. The

pros and cons of open adoption have been endlessly debated by social workers and attorneys. It

appears that those who support open adoptions are completely committed to them and those who

believe in confidential adoptions seem equally convinced that open adoptions are catastrophic.
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Work Cited

x “Pros and Cons of Adoption” <http://adoptionblogs.typepad.com> .11 June 2009

x Shaan.S. “Pros and Cons of Adoption”. <http://hubpages.com/hub/Pros-and-Cons-of-

Adoption>. 6 June 2009

x “Open Adoption - Pros and Cons”. <life.familyeducation.com>.17 June 2009

x Carrie Craft. “Why Choose an Open Adoption?” <http://non-traditional-

adoption.suite101.com> 6 June 2
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