Capital Punishment Essays (538 words) - Human Rights, Penology

Capital Punishment Essays (538 words) - Human Rights, Penology Capital Punishment I once saw a bumper sticker that read, Why do we kill people, who kill people, to show that killing is wrong? Suddenly I thought about what I had read. I am against the death penalty as a solution to crime. Capital punishment is a sign of a deep sickness in our civilization. Execution is an act of violence, but you cannot use violence to end violence. The death penalty is not an effective way to punish a criminal. It is used by the powerful to pretend that violent crime is under control, and being disposed of, but in reality the death penalty disposes of the poor, the uneducated, and the minorities in the world. Even states that use the death penalty seem to have a higher number of homicides than states that do not use it. Capital punishment has never been shown to eliminate crime more effectively than other punishments. If the death penalty isnt lowering the murder rate then why waste the taxpayers money? It cost more to put a prisoner to death with any method than it does to keep them incarcerated. Our justice system shouldnt just execute the criminal, they should also make his life miserable. Prisons should supply the bare necessities and nothing else. One solution is to eliminate televisions, libraries, gyms and basketball courts. Even though our prisons need to toughen up, I do give them credit for taking away a criminals freedom. Many family members want to see the offenders dead. The families emotions are understandable, but death is not a solution. The victims family has to suffer for a lifetime, so why shouldnt the murderer suffer too? Another problem is the chance or executing an innocent person. The executed prisoner cannot be given another chance. In the last hundred years there have been more that seventy-five documented cases of wrongful convictions in criminal homicide cases. One example is Walter McMillian who was released from Alabamas death row after having spent six years there because of perjured testimony and withheld evidence that indicated his innocence. He was convicted of the shooting death of a storekeeper. On the day of the murder he was at a fish fry with his friends and relatives, many of whom testified to this at his trial. No physical evidence linked him to the crime, but three people who testified at his trial connected him to the murder. Only sheer luck saved Walter McMillian. After listening to a tape recording of a key witnesses testimony against McMillian, a volunteer lawyer flipped the tape to see if there was anything on the other side. Only then did he hear the same witness complaining that he was being pressured to frame McMillian. With that fourutious break, the whole case against McMillian began to fall apart. All three prosecution witnesses recanted their testimony. On March 3, 1993, the County District Attorney joined the defense in a motion to dismiss the charges. Walter McMillian was finally freed. There are many other cases of mistaken conviction and execution that occur and remain undocumented. An innocent person can be freed, but neither release or compensation is possible for a corpse. If a man is truly a murder, the thought of execution will not stop him from committing murder. So if capital punishment is not lowering the murder rate, is more expensive, and being alive is more of a punishment than being dead, then why not abolish the death penalty?

USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) in World War II

USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) in World War II An Essex-class aircraft carrier, USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) entered service in 1943. Joining the US Pacific Fleet, it supported Allied efforts during the island-hopping campaign across the Pacific. On May 11, 1945, Bunker Hill was severely damaged by two kamikazes while operating off Okinawa. Returning to the United States for repairs, the carrier would largely be inactive for the remainder of its career. A New Design Conceived in the 1920s and early 1930s, the US Navys Lexington- and Yorktown-class aircraft carriers were designed to conform to the restrictions set forth by the Washington Naval Treaty. This pact placed limitations on the tonnage of various types of warships as well as capped each signatorys overall tonnage. These types of restrictions were affirmed through the 1930 London Naval Treaty. As global tensions escalated, Japan and Italy left the treaty structure in 1936. With the failure of the treaty system, the US Navy began creating a design for a new, larger class of aircraft carrier and one which used the experience gained from the Yorktown-class. The resulting vessel was wider and longer as well as incorporated a deck-edge elevator system. This had been employed earlier on USS Wasp (CV-7). The new class would typically carry an air group of 36 fighters, 36 dive bombers, and 18 torpedo planes. This included the F6F Hellcats, SB2C Helldivers, and TBF Avengers. In addition to possessing a larger air group, the class featured a greatly enhanced anti-aircraft armament. Construction Designated the Essex-class, the lead ship, USS Essex (CV-9), was laid down in April 1941. This was followed by several additional carriers including USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) which was laid down at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, MA on September 15, 1941 and named for the Battle of Bunker Hill fought during the American Revolution. Work on Bunker Hills hull continued into 1942 following the United States entry into World War II. Bunker Hill slid down the ways on December 7 of that year, on the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mrs. Donald Boynton served as sponsor. Pressing to complete the carrier, Fore River finished the vessel in the spring of 1943. Commissioned on May 24, Bunker Hill entered service with Captain J.J. Ballentine in command. After concluding trials and shakedown cruises, the carrier departed for Pearl Harbor where it joined Admiral Chester W. Nimitzs US Pacific Fleet. Sent west, it was assigned to Rear Admiral Alfred Montgomerys Task Force 50.3. USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) - Overview Nation: United StatesType: Aircraft CarrierShipyard: Bethlehem Steel Company, Quincy, MALaid Down: September 15, 1941Launched: December 7, 1942Commissioned: May 24, 1943Fate: Scrapped Specifications Displacement: 27,100 tonsLength: 872 ft.Beam: 147 ft., 6 in.Draft: 28 ft., 5 in.Propulsion: 8 Ãâ€" boilers, 4 Ãâ€" Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 Ãâ€" shaftsSpeed: 33 knotsRange: 20,000 nautical miles at 15 knotsComplement: 2,600 men Armament 4 Ãâ€" twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns4 Ãâ€" single 5 inch 38 caliber guns8 Ãâ€" quadruple 40 mm 56 caliber guns46 Ãâ€" single 20 mm 78 caliber guns Aircraft 90-100 aircraft In the Pacific On November 11, Admiral William Bull Halsey directed TF 50.3 to join with Task Force 38 for a combined strike on the Japanese base at Rabaul. Launching from the Solomon Sea, aircraft from Bunker Hill, Essex, and USS Independence (CVL-22) hit their targets and defeated a Japanese counterattack which resulted in the loss 35 enemy aircraft. With the conclusion of operations against Rabaul, Bunker Hill steamed to the Gilbert Islands to provide cover for the invasion of Tarawa. As Allied forces began moving against the Bismarcks, the carrier shifted to that area and conducted strikes against Kavieng on New Ireland. Bunker Hill followed these efforts with attacks in the Marshall Islands to support the invasion of Kwajalein in January-February 1944. With the capture of the island, the ship joined with other American carriers for a massive raid on Truk in late February. Overseen by Rear Admiral Marc Mitscher, the attack resulted in the sinking of seven Japanese warships as well as several other vessels. Serving in Mitschers Fast Carrier Task Force, Bunker Hill next conducted attacks on Guam, Tinian, and Saipan in the Marianas before hitting targets in the Palau Islands on March 31 and April 1. Battle of the Philippine Sea After providing cover for General Douglas MacArthurs landings at Hollandia, New Guinea in late April, Bunker Hills aircraft conducted a series of raids in the Caroline Islands. Steaming north, the Fast Carrier Task Force began attacks in support of the Allied invasion of Saipan. Operating near the Marianas, Bunker Hill took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea on June 19-20. On the first day of the fighting, the carrier was struck by a Japanese bomb which killed two and wounded eighty. Remaining operational, Bunker Hills aircraft contributed to the Allied victory which saw the Japanese lose three carriers and around 600 aircraft. Later Operations In September 1944, Bunker Hill struck targets in the Western Carolines before mounting a series of attacks on Luzon, Formosa, and Okinawa. With the conclusion of these operations, the carrier received orders to depart the war zone for an overhaul at Bremerton Naval Shipyard. Reaching Washington, Bunker Hill entered the yard and underwent routine maintenance as well as had its anti-aircraft defenses enhanced. Departing on January 24, 1945, it steamed west and rejoined Mitschers forces for operations in the Western Pacific. After covering the landings on Iwo Jima in February, Bunker Hill took part in raids against the Japanese home islands. In March, the carrier and its consorts shifted southwest to aid in the Battle of Okinawa. Steaming off the island on April 7, Bunker Hills aircraft took part in defeating Operation Ten-Go and aided in sinking the battleship Yamato. While cruising near Okinawa on May 11, Bunker Hill was hit by a pair of A6M Zero kamikazes. These caused several explosions and gasoline fires which began to consume the ship and killed 346 sailors. Working valiantly, Bunker Hills damage control parties were able to bring the fires under control and save the ship. Badly crippled, the carrier departed Okinawa and returned to Bremerton for repairs. Arriving, Bunker Hill was still in the yard when the war ended in August. Final Years Putting to sea in September, Bunker Hill served in Operation Magic Carpet which worked to return American servicemen home from overseas. Deactivated in January 1946, the carrier remained at Bremerton and was decommissioned on January 9, 1947. Though reclassified several times over the next two decades, Bunker Hill was kept in reserve. Removed from the Naval Vessel Register in November 1966, the carrier saw use as a stationary electronics test platform at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego until being sold for scrap in 1973. Along with USS Franklin (CV-13), which was also badly damaged late in the war, Bunker Hill was one of two Essex-class carriers that saw no active service with the postwar US Navy.