The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is an authorized practice by the government under the terms of which a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime that they have committed. According to Deathpenalty.org, there are many methods of execution. They are lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, firing squad and hanging. But today most states only practice the method of lethal injection and it is the most modern way of execution. Three drugs are used in lethal injection. They are injected in the body to cause a certain reaction. For example, a drug called Potassium Chloride is injected into the body to stop the heart from beating. This drug is usually the last drug injected out of the other two drugs and it causes the person to die suddenly. Three articles that I have read that are against the death penalty are "Death Penalty fails to equal Retribution" by Anna Quindlen, "A Hanging" by George Orwell and "Death Row" by William Styron. Each author takes their stand on why they are against the death penalty, whether it's a story that they tell or a personal experience. They all use different language, style, and technique on their approach.
"A Hanging" by George Orwell provides his readers with his concern which is that a human being life should never be taken away under any circumstance. He as being one of the officials that are awaiting to attend the hanging of a Hindu prisoner realizes the unfairness in killing someone who is living and in a healthy state. This is noticeable when the author states, "All the organs in his body were working- bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming- all toiling away in solemn foolery". Orwell explains that the prisoner is in a healthy state and he feels that there is clearly something wrong with taking the life of a man who is still alive and is completely conscience of what is going on and within a couple of minutes this human being will no longer exist.
