My Listenable Speech: Death Penalty

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  • Published : January 12, 2013
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Linda Petros-Gouin

Course Name: Interpersonal Communication
Instructor’s Name: Jean Marie Slover
Cultural Differences

“Killing People, Who Kill People, To Teach That Killing People is Wrong”. This is a common quote used in circles of those who oppose the death penalty. I strongly believe that the death penalty violates not only our inalienable rights as members of the human family but our Eighth Amendment ("Excessive bail shall not be required, no excessive fines imposed or cruel or unusual punishments inflicted”) as dwellers within the United States. There are thirty eight states within the United States of America that currently employee the death penalty. A death sentence may be carried out by one of these five lawful means; electrocution, hanging, lethal injection, gas chamber, and firing squad. Yes, firing squad is a current lawful means. The definition of the death penalty by the Supreme Court is: the lawful infliction of death as a punishment. An eye for an eye mentality, in my opinion, only makes the world go blind. I believe whole-heartedly in the principles of nonviolence as explained by Dr. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi. I do not believe that the death penalty should be practiced or that the death penalty is a deterrent to crime.  I believe that is it unconstitutional. I t shocks me that the United States is the last of all Western Democracies to continue in such a barbaric practice. The principles of nonviolence as stated by Dr. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi are: Principle One: Non-violence is a way of life for courageous people. It is not about being passive, a push over or weak.  Non-violence is aggressive spiritually mentally and emotionally.   Principle Two: Non-violence seeks to win friendship and understanding, the result being redemption and / or reconciliation. Principle Three: Non-violence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. “Evildoers” are also...
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