Death to the Death Penalty

Sunday 10^th October marked the 8^th anniversary of World Day against the Death Penalty. This year it was dedicated to the USA who has executed 52 people and handed out 106 death penalty sentences in 2009 alone.

The main method of execution is by lethal injection; however there are some states, such as Florida, who use the electric chair, gas chamber, hanging or firing squad. Do you think this is right? Is it acceptable for the government to allow the ending of someone’s life in such extreme ways? I did not know that some of these radical methods were still used and now that I have become aware of this, it has changed my whole belief in the death penalty. Over the centuries we have developed to become a much more moral population, but if society still permits hanging and gas chambers as a form of killing it reverts us back to a time when we did not have respect and value for the human race.

The death penalty costs vary from state to state however California has the most expensive system in America. In 2008 a report on the state’s capital punishment system was released. It found that it was spending $137million per year on the death penalty. This is a ridiculous amount of money to be spending on a system that justifies ending people’s lives. Surely there shouldn’t be a price tag on the death of a human being, regardless of whether they are innocent or guilty. The same report also estimated that if the same inmates were given a maximum punishment of life without parole it would only cost $11.5million per year. With statistics like these it’s hard to understand why capital punishment even exists. Is it really worth all that money just to kill someone? We should be promoting world peace and how to help governments save money on unnecessary projects, not endorsing the legal ‘murder’ of human beings.

Some people agree with capital punishment as they believe it’s a deterrent to crime. I can understand this as it may put off people if they know they could be killed themselves, however in a survey of America’s top academic criminologists 88% of them rejected this belief.

Only 35% of the American public oppose the death penalty with 35 of the states being retentionists. These facts and figures do make you a little scared as to how extreme and ignorant people can be. Admittedly I was one to agree with capital punishment as I believed it would help prevent crime and really teach people a lesson. However, is it genuinely right for us to decide how and when to stop someone’s heart from beating?

The actual process is truly terrifying and has many potential problems. The drug pancuronium bromide is used to induce paralysis and stop breathing whilst potassium chloride stops the heart. If given whilst the prisoner is conscious they will feel excruciating pain and due to paralysis will not be able to express their agony. I consider injecting a drug that ultimately masks any pain is unethical and a form of torture.

The death penalty is a violation of human rights and I believe there is nothing that can justify it.

Uni Schmuni

University is often thought to be the mandatory option to take as it will, apparently, help mature and blossom teenagers into young adults. This is not necessarily the case. I don’t think the word ‘mature’ can be defined as getting drunk off Sainsbury’s basics vodka, doing a tactical chunder and then waking up with the world’s worst hangover, only to have to go to lectures at 9am.

In all honesty this sounds like my worst nightmare. Why would someone voluntarily choose to spend their night in some smelly club surrounded by sweaty students who all look like they’ve never had a drink before? What’s wrong with your good old local?

Not all students decide to behave like this and it is unfair on us as we still get labelled as threatening ‘youths’ by the older generations. Most students are between the ages of 18-21 which means legally we can be classified as adults who have the right to make decisions, like who to vote for to run our country. In spite of this why do so many older adults continue being patronising and treating us as if we’re still untrustworthy children? Is it because all students have this behaviour innately built into them or is it the university who is imposing this type of conduct onto us?

Perhaps this is just the rowdy, pessimistic side of me talking, but university is definitely not all that it is geared up to be. Does anyone still use any of the knowledge they learnt from going onto higher education? A few bright sparks may learn how to be more organised, but this is hard to achieve if the organisation you attend is unable to accomplish this themselves.

The only real thing people take from university is a piece of paper that says you have a degree and perhaps liver failure.

My Chemical Romance – The Only Hope for Me is You

It’s been four years since The Black Parade album and it seems like the ship for MCR has sailed and won’t be coming back. They’ve traded their costumes and blood stained album artwork for a more sane appearance but boring songs. It’s safe to say that the only hope for me is the mute button.

Mcfly feat. Taio Cruz – Shine A Light

Mcfly have come a long way since school discos and twee love tunes. Shine A Light shows this maturity but in a way that questions the boys integrity to their guitars. This song is trying too hard to be current with all the synthy electric-ness of it. It sounds more like a bunch of pretty boys auto-tuned than real musicians.

Rihanna – Only Girl (In the World)

The only way to describe this song is that it’s like an annoying fly buzzing around in a repetitive manner. How do you get rid of it? You squash it, which is exactly what Rihanna should’ve done to this song. Only Girl has no substance to it and it is just another boring pop song.

The Ting Tings – Hands

With lyrics like “what’s a guy to do with two hands” this song is bound to face a lot of mocking. Not purely because of this phrase but also the tune itself isn’t that great. Think 80s electro disco with no modernisation at all.

After two years away from the scene, is this all they’ve got?