1.Chapter 5 focuses on the death penalty system which 33 states, including the federal government and the military have implemented. The federal government’s role is the execution of offenders found guilty of capital crimes while the military uses the death penalty for crimes committed during wartime. Implementing the death penalty has raised such debate, especially concerning human rights. The video discusses this as a severe form of punishment in the justice system where its litigation affected other aspects (Vanderbilt University, 2009).
As we are now in the topic of the death penalty, Chapter 6 further discusses the concept of cruel and unusual punishment where many methods of inflicting punishment came to be. Such extreme punishments have been used since ancient times such as the guillotine, crucifixion, burning at the stake, and more, creating an unsettling era compared to now. These punishments would be in violation of the Eighth Amendment as it protects offenders against them. In the future, jurisdictions may implement executions involving human euthanasia (Bohm, 2016).
Would you like to witness an execution? Why or why not?
I am strongly mixed with my stance on capital punishment as it has raised some issues regarding legal and ethical issues as well as wrongful convictions even though I believe those who committed such heinous crimes rightfully deserve that penalty. Therefore, I would not like to witness an execution simply because of how unsettling and traumatic in and of itself. While DeathQuest says that citizens are prohibited from witnessing a death penalty unless they have a relationship to the case, even if I was somewhat involved, I would not witness an execution regardless. Watching an individual experience their last minutes of life and then “the end” creates such an unsettling, sad sight, in my opinion. Nevertheless, I believe in accountability and justice while at the same time, capital punishment has its nuanced flaws and concerns. In my opinion, capital punishment is not always the solution to provide closure to such cases, and witnessing an execution does not make it any better.
2.Chapters 5 and 6 of Robert Bohm’s DeathQuest(2016) dive deeper into how the death penalty works outside of just state laws. In Chapter 5, Bohm talks about capital punishment at the federal and military levels, explaining how it’s handled differently compared to state cases. He also looks at how other countries deal with the death penalty, pointing out that the U.S. is one of the few democratic nations that still practices it. Chapter 6 focuses on the idea of “cruel and unusual punishment” and questions whether current execution methods, like lethal injection or the electric chair, fit within constitutional limits. Bohm also discusses what life is like on death row and how inmates are treated while waiting for execution. Together, these chapters really make readers think about whether the death penalty aligns with modern ideas of justice and human rights.
Reference:
Bohm, R. M. (2016). DeathQuest: An introduction to the theory and practice of capital punishment in the United States (5th ed.). Routledge.
2. Honestly, the idea of witnessing an execution makes me uncomfortable, but that’s part of the reason I’d want to see it. I feel like if our justice system is going to use the death penalty, people should understand exactly what that looks like instead of just forming opinions from a distance. Seeing an execution in person would make the issue real, it’s not just statistics or laws; it’s an actual human life being taken by the state. I think witnessing that moment would force me to really think about what justice means and whether killing someone truly brings closure or peace. It would probably be a hard experience emotionally, but maybe that’s the point it should be. I’d want to see if the process feels fair and humane or if it raises more moral questions than it answers. In the end, I think seeing it for myself would help me form a more honest opinion about whether capital punishment should still exist.
