Pros Cons of the Death Penalty and Current Status by Country

Pros Cons of the Death Penalty and Current Status by Country Capital punishment also dubbed the death penalty, is the planned taking of a human life by a government in response to a crime committed by that legally convicted person. Passions in the United States are sharply divided and run equally strong among both supporters and protesters of the death penalty. Quotations from Both Sides Arguing against capital punishment, Amnesty International believes: The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state in the name of justice. It violates the right to life...It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. There can never be any justification for torture or for cruel treatment.​ Arguing for capital punishment, the Clark County, Indiana, prosecuting attorney writes: There are some defendants who have earned the ultimate punishment our society has to offer by committing murder with ​aggravating circumstances present. I believe life is sacred. It cheapens the life of an innocent murder victim to say that society has no right to keep the murderer from ever killing again. In my view, society has not only the right, but the duty to act in self-defense to protect the innocent.​ And Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, wrote: The death penalty diminishes all of us, increases disrespect for human life, and offers the tragic illusion that we can teach that killing is wrong by killing. Death Penalty in the United States The death penalty has not always been practiced in the United States, although Time magazine estimated that in this country, more than 15,700 people have been legally executed since 1700. The Depression-era 1930s, which saw a historic peak in executions, was followed by a dramatic decrease in the 1950s and 1960s. No executions occurred in the United States between 1967 and 1976.In 1972, the Supreme Court effectively nullified the death penalty and converted the death sentences of hundreds of death row inmates to life in prison.In 1976, another Supreme Court ruling found capital punishment to be constitutional. Since 1976, almost 1,500 people have been executed in the United States. Latest Developments The vast majority of democratic countries in Europe and Latin America have abolished capital punishment over the last 50 years, but the United States, most democracies in Asia, and almost all totalitarian governments retain it. Crimes that carry the death penalty vary greatly worldwide, from treason and murder to theft. In militaries around the world, courts-martial have sentenced capital punishments also for cowardice, desertion, insubordination, and mutiny. Per Amnesty Internationals 2017 death penalty annual report, Amnesty International recorded at least  993 executions  in  23 countries  in 2017, down by 4% from 2016 (1,032 executions) and 39% from 2015 (when the organization reported 1,634 executions, the highest number since 1989). However, those statistics do not include China, known as the worlds top executioner, because the use of the death penalty is a state secret. Countries in the table below with a plus sign () indicate that there were executions, but numbers were not received by Amnesty International. Executions in 2017, by Country China: Iran: 507Saudi Arabia: 146Iraq: 125Pakistan: 60Egypt: 35Somalia: 24United States: 23Jordan: 15Vietnam: North Korea: All other: 58Source: Amnesty International As of 2018, capital punishment in the United States is officially sanctioned by 31 states, as well as by the federal government. Each state with legalized capital punishment has different laws regarding its methods, age limits, and crimes that qualify. From 1976 through October 2018, 1,483 felons were executed in the United States, distributed among the states as follows: Executions from 1976–October 2018, by State Texas: 555  Virginia: 113Oklahoma: 112Florida: 96Missouri: 87Georgia: 72Alabama: 63Ohio: 56North Carolina: 43South Carolina: 43Louisiana: 28Arkansas: 31All others: 184 Source: Death Penalty Information Center States and U.S. territories with no current death penalty statute are Alaska (abolished in 1957), Connecticut (2012), Delaware (2016), Hawaii (1957), Illinois (2011), Iowa (1965), Maine (1887), Maryland (2013), Massachusetts (1984), Michigan (1846), Minnesota (1911), New Jersey (2007), New Mexico (2009), New York (2007), North Dakota  (1973), Rhode Island (1984), Vermont (1964), West Virginia (1965), Wisconsin (1853), District of Columbia (1981), American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Source: Death Penalty Information Center The Moral Conflict: Tookie Williams The case of Stanley Tookie Williams illustrates the moral complexities of the death penalty. Williams, an author and Nobel Peace and Literature Prizes nominee who was put to death on December 13, 2005, by lethal injection by the state of California, brought capital punishment back into prominent public debate. Williams was convicted of four murders committed in 1979 and sentenced to death. Williams professed innocence of these crimes. He was also co-founder of the Crips, a deadly and powerful Los Angeles–based street gang responsible for hundreds of murders. About five years after incarceration, Williams underwent a religious conversion and, as a result, wrote many books and created programs to promote peace and to fight gangs and gang violence. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize and four times for the Nobel Literature Prize. Williams admitted his life of crime and violence, which was followed by genuine redemption and a life of unusually good works. The circumstantial evidence against Williams left little doubt that he committed the four murders, despite last-minute claims by supporters. There also existed no doubt that Williams posed no further threat to society and would contribute considerable good. His case forced public reflection on the purpose of the death penalty: Is the purpose of the death penalty to remove from society someone who would cause more harm?Is the purpose to remove from society someone who is incapable of rehabilitation?Is the purpose of the death penalty to deter others from committing murder?Is the purpose of the death penalty to punish the criminal?Is the purpose of the death penalty to take retribution on behalf of the victim? Should Stanley Tookie Williams have been executed by the state of California? Exorbitant Costs The  New York Times  penned in its  Ã‚  op-ed High Cost of Death Row: To the many excellent reasons to abolish the death penalty- it’s immoral, does not deter murder and affects minorities disproportionately- we can add one more. It’s an economic drain on governments with already badly depleted budgets.It is far from a national trend, but some legislators have begun to have second thoughts about the high cost of death row. (September 28, 2009) In a 2016 California had the unique situation of having two ballot measures up for  a vote  that purported would save taxpayers millions of dollars per year: one to speed up existing executions (Proposition 66) and one to convert all death penalty convictions to life without parole (Proposition 62). Proposition 62 failed in that election, and Proposition 66 narrowly passed.   Arguments For and Against Arguments commonly made for supporting the death penalty are: To serve as  an example  to other would-be criminals, to deter them from committing murder or terrorist acts.To punish the criminal for his/her act.To obtain retribution on behalf of the victims. Arguments commonly made to abolish the death penalty are: Death constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, which is prohibited by the Eighth Amendment to the  U.S. Constitution. Also, the various means used by the state to kill a criminal are cruel.The death penalty is used disproportionately against the poor, who cannot afford expensive legal counsel, as well as against racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.The death penalty is applied arbitrarily and inconsistently.Wrongly convicted, innocent people have received death penalty sentences, and tragically, were killed by the state.A rehabilitated criminal can make a morally valuable contribution to society.Killing human life is morally wrong under all circumstances. Some faith groups, such as the Roman Catholic Church, oppose the death penalty as not being pro-life. Countries that Retain the Death Penalty   As of 2017 per Amnesty International, 53 countries, representing about one-third of all countries worldwide, retain the death penalty for ordinary capital crimes, including the United States, plus: Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Botswana, China, Comoros,  Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt,  Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis,  Saint Lucia,  Saint Vincent  and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia,  Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand,  Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda,  United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe. The United States is the only westernized democracy, and one of the few democracies worldwide, to not have abolished the death penalty. Countries That Abolished the Death Penalty As of 2017 per Amnesty International, 142 countries, representing two-thirds of all countries worldwide, have abolished the death penalty on moral grounds, including: Albania, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada,  Cape Verde, Colombia, Cook Islands,  Costa Rica, Cote DIvoire, Croatia, Cyprus,  Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,  Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Holy See (Vatican City), Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta,  Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands,  New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa,  San Marino,  Sao Tome  and Principe, Senegal, Serbia (including Kosovo), Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia,  Solomon Islands,  South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Togo, Turkey , Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine,  United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela. Some others have a moratorium on executions or are taking strides to abolish death penalty laws on the books.

Biography of Ellsworth Kelly, Minimalist Artist

Biography of Ellsworth Kelly, Minimalist Artist Ellsworth Kelly (May 31, 1923–December 27, 2015) was an American artist who played a key role in the development of minimalist art in the U.S. He was also associated with hard-edge painting and Color Field painting. Kelly is best-known for his single color shaped canvases that went beyond the typical square or rectangular shapes. He also produced sculpture and prints throughout his career. Fast Facts: Ellsworth Kelly Occupation: ArtistBorn: May 31, 1923 in Newburgh, New YorkDied: December 27, 2015 in Spencertown, New YorkEducation: Pratt Institute, School of the Museum of Fine ArtsSelected Works: Red Blue Green (1963), White Curve (2009), Austin (2015)Notable Quote: The negative is just as important as the positive. Early Life and Education Born in Newburgh, New York, Ellsworth Kelly was the second of three sons of insurance company executive Allan Howe Kelly and former schoolteacher Florence Githens Kelly. He grew up in the small town of Oradell, New Jersey. Kellys paternal grandmother introduced him to birding when he was eight or nine years old. The work of legendary ornithologist John James Audubon would influence Kelly throughout his career. Ellsworth Kelly attended public schools, where he excelled in his art classes. His parents were reluctant to encourage Kellys artistic inclinations, but a teacher supported his interest. Kelly enrolled in the Pratt Institutes arts programs in 1941. He studied there until his induction into the U.S. Army on January 1, 1943. Military Service and Early Art Career During World War II, Ellsworth Kelly served with other artists and designers in a unit called The Ghost Army. They created inflatable tanks, sound trucks, and fake radio transmissions to deceive the enemy on the battlefield. Kelly served with the unit in the European Theater of the war. Exposure to camouflage in the war influenced Kellys developing aesthetic. He was interested in the use of form and shadow and the ability of camouflage to hide items in plain sight. After the end of World War II, Kelly used funds from the G.I. Bill to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. Later, he attended the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. There, he met other Americans such as avant-garde composer John Cage and choreographer Merce Cunningham. He also associated with French Surrealist artist Jean Arp and Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. The latters use of simplified forms had a profound effect on Kellys developing style. Ellsworth Kelly said that a key development of his painting style while in Paris was figuring out what he didnt want in a painting: [I] just kept throwing things out, like marks, lines and the painted edge. His personal discovery of Claude Monets brightly-colored late-career works in 1952 inspired Kelly to explore even more freedom in his own painting. Kelly made strong connections with fellow artists in Paris, but his work was not selling when he left to return to the U.S. in 1954 and settled in Manhattan. At first, Americans seemed somewhat mystified by Kellys minimalist canvases of bright colors and geometric shapes. According to Kelly, the French told him he was too American, and the Americans said he was too French. Kellys first solo show took place at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York in 1956. In 1959, the Museum of Modern Art included Kelly in their landmark exhibition 16 Americans alongside Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, and Robert Rauschenberg among others. His reputation grew quickly. Painting Style and Minimalism Unlike many of his contemporaries, Ellsworth Kelly showed no interest in expressing emotion, creating concepts, or telling a story with his art. Instead, he was interested in what happened in the act of viewing. He was curious about the space between the painting and the person looking at it. He eventually abandoned the constraints of typical square or rectangular canvases in the 1960s. Instead, he used a variety of shapes. Kelly called them shaped canvases. Because he used only isolated bright colors and simple shapes, his work was considered part of Minimalism. In 1970, Ellsworth Kelly moved out of Manhattan. He wanted to escape a busy social life that was eating into his time producing art. He built a 20,000 square foot compound three hours north in Spencertown, New York. Architect Richard Gluckman designed the building. It included a studio, office, library, and archive. Kelly lived and worked there until his death in 2015. During the 1970s, Kelly began incorporating more curves in his work and the shapes of his canvases. By the early 1970s, Ellsworth Kelly was prominent enough in American art to be the subject of major retrospectives. The Museum of Modern Art hosted its first Kelly retrospective in 1973. Ellsworth Kelly Recent Paintings and Sculpture followed in 1979. Ellsworth Kelly: A Retrospective traveled in the U.S., the U.K., and Germany in 1996. Kelly also worked on sculpture in steel, aluminum, and bronze. His sculptural pieces are as minimal as his paintings. They are mostly concerned with simplicity in form. The sculptures are designed to be seen quickly, sometimes in a single glance. Ellsworth Kellys final art project was a 2,700-square-foot building influenced by Romanesque churches that he never saw in its completed form. Named Austin, it stands in Austin, Texas as part of the Blanton Museums permanent collection and opened to the public in February 2018. Facades of the building include blown-glass windows in simple colors that reflect Kellys life work. Personal Life Ellsworth Kelly was known as a shy man in his personal life. He had a stutter as a child and became a self-described loner. For the last 28 years of his life, Kelly lived with his partner, photographer Jack Shear. Shear became director of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation. Legacy and Influence In 1957, Ellsworth Kelly received his first public commission to create a 65-foot-long sculpture titled Sculpture for a Large Wall for the Transportation Building at Penn Center in Philadelphia. It was his largest work yet. That piece was eventually dismantled, but a wide range of public sculpture still exists as part of Kellys legacy. Some of his best-known public artworks include: Curve XXII (I Will) (1981), Lincoln Park in ChicagoBlue Black (2001), Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St. LouisWhite Curve (2009), Art Institute of Chicago Kellys work is seen as a forerunner of artists like Dan Flavin and Richard Serra. Their pieces are also focused on the experience of viewing art instead of trying to convey a specific concept. Source Paik, Tricia. Ellsworth Kelly. Phaidon Press, 2015.