Hardy 1

Rollens Hardy
Instructor: Stancy Bond
ENG 10-111
28 April 2015

Capital Punishment

Pretty Little Liars is a show about four girls who are stalked by a mystery person

named “A”, who makes their lives hell. Over the span of 5 seasons, there have been four people

murdered by “A”, yet no one knows who “A” really is. Now, if this show was actually

happening, “A” would technically be up to be sentenced to capital punishment. Capital

punishment is better known as the death penalty. The death penalty is the max sentence a person

can get for top level federal punishment. It is the final straw for hardened criminals. However,

there is an insane amount of controversy surrounding this sentence. Many people say it’s

unethical and against basic human rights, while others say if someone’s a threat, kill them off.

The death penalty is a way for the government to maintain a balance in the lives of United States

citizens by removing the people who are too dangerous for their own good in a safe, and humane

way.

There are many different ways to die. However, in the United States, the main form of

execution is lethal injection, with some states offering another way out if lethal injection is

deemed unconstitutional. The two forms of execution that are relevant to us are gas chambers

and lethal injection, being that those are the two forms legal in Missouri. The secondary form of

execution in Missouri is lethal gas, or the gas chamber. This is also practiced in Arizona and

Wyoming as well. The prisoner is strapped to a chair and is sealed in an airtight chamber. Once

the doctors make sure the room is sealed, they release toxic gas into the chamber thus rendering
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the prisoner of oxygen. This is also quite horrific because the prisoners eyes could possibly bulge

out of their heads, their skin could turn purple, and the victim begins to drool (Methods of

Execution). However, since this is the secondary form of execution, it’s not what is generally

used unless lethal injection is deemed unconstitutional. This is more horrific than lethal injection,

and not as humane, but it is still relatively quick and relatively painless most of the time. The

final, and most common, form of execution is lethal injection. The prisoner is strapped to a

gurney and hooked up to hear monitors. A needle is inserted into the vein and the prisoner is put

to sleep. Then, a deadly mixture of chemicals is injected into the veins thus killing the victim

somewhat painlessly. This method is practiced in every state except for Nebraska. This is the

most humane form of execution because it causes little to no pain to the inmate, except for the

insertion of the needle. It also is the only form of execution where the inmate is put to sleep

before the act is carried out.

In my research, I have found that most people do not believe that execution is humane, or at

least, the forms that are legal today. However, I do not think it is humane to just keep dangerous

human beings locked up with the general public, or even on death row. If they are kept with the

general public, they could be a threat to others. If someone was in there for a small misdemeanor,

and was cell mates with a hardened serial killer, that’s grounds for something bad to happen, and

that’s not fair. If the serial killer was just left on death row, they may find a way to kill

themselves, or possibly attempt to kill themselves anyway, which may be more painful than

execution would be. This is something else people should think about before they form an

opinion. According to the article “Suicide on Death Row”, suicide is more common on death row

(University of Hawaii). This just goes to show, that sometimes the humane thing is taking
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someone’s life for them, rather than leaving it in their own hands, but only if they really deserve

it.

In the United States, there are many things that are taken into account when looking at

someone’s sentencing. The sentencing guidelines written by the United States Sentencing

Commission state that, “the sentencing guidelines take into account both the seriousness of the

offense and the offender’s criminal history” (An Overview of the Federal Sentencing

Guidelines). This makes for effective sentencing, while still taking into account the safety and

well-being of the outlying community. There are different levels of punishment, as well. These

levels are based on different factors. For example, trespassing starts out at level 4, but if there

was a firearm discharged, there is to be a 5 level increase, thus making the crime a level 9,

meaning more serious charges and more time. If an offender was only an accessory to the crime,

their punishment level can be taken down by four levels, thus, allowing them to have less time.

The more serious the crime, the higher the base level, and the more areas that can be taken into

account to add levels onto the base. This allows for the sentencing to be unique for every case.

However, this makes things more difficult, because a judge has to look at the crime from every

angle in order to get an accurate feel for the case in question. This shows how hard it is to really

establish what is needed to consider when looking to possibly sentence someone to death. This is

why I believe the death penalty is an okay thing as look as the jury takes a look at the case from

every angle and they make sure they have got the right person.

The death penalty is a very hot topic in American politics. It is brought up during most

debates and is, for some people, the deciding factor on who they choose to elect for any given

position of authority. However, the topic is not brought up on most forms of entertainment,

including Pretty Little Liars. If you look at the show from a complete outsider, as most viewers
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are, perspective, you can see that based on the crimes committed by “A” alone, “A” would be

sentenced to death row. My personal stance on the death penalty is that if the offender has done

something so heinous that they are a threat to themselves and their community, it is okay for

them to be sentenced to death. I formed my opinion based on the fact that there are very humane,

if not civilized, ways of carrying out the act and that if the sake of American lives are in

question, always choose the majority.

The death penalty is so controversial because many argue it goes against people’s religions

and killing another person is wrong. However, I feel that if you have to kill one person to keep

20 alive, it’s worth the risk. Say a serial killer has killed 178 people, and is obviously planning

on killing again. If he was sentenced to be executed, that would be for the greater good of the

American people, making it slightly better than if a robber who stole $10 for a gas station to be

sentenced. In the case of Pretty Little Liars, if sentencing “A”, once caught, to death means the

safety and well-being of an entire town, the death of that one person is probably for the best.

Some may also say that keeping someone in prison for life costs a lot less than just killing them

off (Death Penalty Focus). I understand this argument, especially in this economy, no one has the

money for anything. However, even if an inmate is kept on death row for years before anything

is done to them, this could mean 20 lives you’ve possibly spared. In my opinion, even just

keeping someone on death row means a more safe community for everyone, even if it means

paying a little bit extra.

Pretty Little Liars continues to be one of the most popular shows that ABC Family has ever

had, however, it is not without its stipulations. There is no way that someone could go out, harass

five girls, an entire town, and kill four people and not be caught. But, obviously, this is not real

life. In real life, the death penalty is a real thing, and so are good, honest federal officials who
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just want to make the community safer for the greater good. The death penalty, while

controversial, is a safe and humane way to take one person out of the equation and save an entire

community. While there are some downsides and some nonbelievers, the overall outcome of the

sentencing makes the death penalty an option for the most heinous criminals and makes a

contribution to making the world a more okay place to live.

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Citations

"Death Penalty." Death Penalty. Cornell University Law School. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
<https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/death_penalty>.
"Death Penalty Focus: The High Cost of the Death Penalty." Death Penalty Focus: The High
Cost of the Death Penalty. Death Penalty Focus. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
<http://deathpenalty.org/article.php?id=42>.
"Federal Sentencing Guidelines." Federal Sentencing Guidelines. United States Sentencing
Commission. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/about/overview/Overview_Federal_Sentencing_
Guidelines.pdf>.
Lester, Dr. David, and Christine Tartaro. "Suicide on Death Row." University Of Hawaii.
Forensic Science Department, 1 Sept. 2002. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/Suicide_on_Death_Row.pdf>.
Mull, Jeremy. "Methods of Execution." Methods of Execution. The Clark County Prosecuting
Attorney. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/methods.htm>.