Capital Punishment: Is It Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Genre

I believe using two genres is the best for this paper; the first will be informative. The audience should be informed on the history and current issues of capital punishment and the death penalty. This may provide some information the audience is not aware of, and could help persuade them to get involved with helping abolish capital punishment. The second genre will be to persuade or convince the audience that the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment and should be abolished. Researching and using facts showing the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment, and that it does not lower the rate of crimes, which currently carry the death penalty. This will help persuade people with a pro-stance to think and possibly change their minds and their stance on the capital punishment, by looking over the information, facts, statistics and issues provided in this paper.

Audience

Some of the audience would have political and law changing powers; others would be the general public in America, who has the power to voice their opinions and appeal to the ones in power to bring about change in the current state and federal laws. The current views about the topic vary; some are pro-choice and others oppose capital punishment and the death penalty.

Scope

The main scope will be to analyze and inform on the topic of capital punishment, and the death penalty. Showing facts, statistics and causes that will help convince and persuade the audience to determine the death penalty is inhuman and not needed in our society as a deterrent to crime, and it has not made an impact on the number of crimes associated with capital punishment. Major sections would include the introduction, with thesis statement, the body, and the conclusion.

Questions to be Answered and Thesis Statement

Is capital punishment and the death penalty cruel and usual punishment? Should the death penalty be abolished completely? Is capital punishment a real...