Your first task is to provide a quick summary of the states as a whole on where they stand on the death penalty and then the federal government specifically. Then you should discuss the state you are from or have lived in most and give a brief history of that state’s history regarding the death penalty and its current death penalty state. If you are not from the states, you should account for how the U.S. federal government has explicitly treated the death penalty and its history.
Lastly, has public opinion on the death penalty shifted or remained the same in the last 20 years, and if so, why? I DON’T want your personal OPINIONS; what does research tell us?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Summary of Death Penalty in the United States
The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, remains a contentious issue in the United States. As of 2021, 24 states have abolished the death penalty, while 26 states still retain it. The federal government also has the authority to impose the death penalty for certain federal offenses.
Federal Government and the Death Penalty
The federal government has historically supported the use of the death penalty. The Federal Death Penalty Act (FDPA) was enacted in 1994, expanding the number of federal crimes eligible for capital punishment. However, there was a de facto moratorium on federal executions from 2003 until 2020. In July 2020, the Trump administration resumed federal executions, resulting in the execution of 13 individuals before the end of his presidency.
State Focus: [Your State]
[Provide information about your state’s history regarding the death penalty and its current death penalty state.]
For example:
Pennsylvania and the Death Penalty
Pennsylvania is a state that has a complex history regarding the death penalty. It currently retains capital punishment, but it has not executed anyone since 1999.
Historically, Pennsylvania had one of the highest numbers of death row inmates in the country. However, in 2015, Governor Tom Wolf placed a moratorium on executions, citing concerns about the fairness and accuracy of the state’s capital punishment system. Despite efforts to resume executions, there has been no change in the status of Pennsylvania’s moratorium.
Public Opinion on the Death Penalty
Public opinion on the death penalty in the United States has shifted over the past two decades. According to research, there has been a decline in support for capital punishment since the 1990s.
Several factors contribute to this shift:
Wrongful Convictions: High-profile cases of wrongful convictions and exonerations have raised concerns about the potential for innocent individuals to be sentenced to death. These cases have highlighted flaws in the justice system and eroded public confidence in capital punishment.
Costs and Effectiveness: The cost of death penalty trials and appeals is significantly higher than other criminal cases. As budget constraints become more relevant, some argue that resources could be better allocated to other areas of the criminal justice system that may have a greater impact on public safety.
Alternative Punishments: The availability of alternative punishments, such as life imprisonment without parole, has increased. This has provided an option for those who oppose capital punishment but still believe in severe punishment for heinous crimes.
Changing Moral Attitudes: Evolving societal attitudes towards punishment and human rights have influenced public opinion. Concerns about cruelty and the morality of taking a life as punishment have contributed to a shift in views on capital punishment.
In conclusion, research indicates that public opinion on the death penalty in the United States has shifted over the last 20 years. Factors such as wrongful convictions, cost-effectiveness, availability of alternative punishments, and changing moral attitudes have contributed to this change. It is essential to note that public opinion varies across different demographics and regions within the United States.
