Global Demographics and the Death Penalty Essay

Global Demographics and the Death Penalty - Essay Example However, global patterns can be examined which can help uncover the underlying indicators that are common to countries that have the death penalty. The fair institution of the death penalty can be evaluated in the United States. Research can show the motivations, targets, and eventual victims of capital punishment in the world and in the United States. Two thirds of the world's countries have abolished the death penalty either in law or in practice and membership in the European Union requires its abolishment. There are still 69 countries that maintain and practice capital punishment. China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the USA were responsible for 94% of the known executions that took place in 2005. China had the greatest numbers of executions and though accurate data is difficult to obtain, at least 1,170 people were confirmed executed in 2005. Other estimates for China range as high as 8.000 ("Facts and Figures"). Though China had the greatest number, on a per capita basis Saudi Arabia had the largest percentage of its population executed. A Saudi was almost five times as likely to be executed than a Chinese and eighteen times as likely as an American. Saudi Arabia's unusually high rate is due to the wide range of crimes that are punishable by death. Renouncing of Islam, witchcraft, sexual offenses, drug dealing, and corruption can all carry a death sentence. China uses the death penalty for criminal activities that range from murder to economic crimes. It should be noted that both China and Saudi Arabia are highly guarded societies. Their legal system is extremely secretive and people charged are afforded almost no legal rights as we perceive them in the United States. There may be no right to an appeal and execution may take place on the same day as sentencing. The denial of rights and the broad range of crimes account for the high rates of executions in both China and Saudi Arabia. While methods of execution have evolved in some countries, others such as Afghanistan and Iran still use the barbaric means of stoning. In nearby Saudi Arabia, beheading is the method of choice. China still uses the firing squad but is slowly moving towards lethal injection. Hanging, which the United States has only recently moved away from, is still found in Japan and Egypt. Electrocution is used only in the United States though most executions are carried out through the more humane method of lethal injection ("Facts and Figures"). Support for the death penalty usually comes from extreme religious positions or totalitarian regimes. The high rate in China is perpetuated by the tyranny of ideology and reflects the mass executions of political foes that have occasionally cropped up around the globe. Castro executed an estimated 1,000 members of the opposition in his first 3 months of power. Still, the mainstay of support for capital punishment is religion. In Iran and Saudi Arabia, the ruling theocracy condemns prisoners for crimes against Islam. In the United States the support comes from biblical justification. In the Scandinavian countries, which are less religious, capital punishment is banned and has little support. Though the Catholic Church officially denounces capital punishment, American Catholics favor the death penalty in greater numbers than the general population (Davis and Smith). Davis and Smith also report

Epidemiology and Public Health Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Epidemiology and Public Health - Research Paper Example The monarch lives in Buckingham Palace. Parliament meets in Westminster Palace. The borough has an important railroad terminal (Paddington). In Westminster are the administrative offices of the British Broadcasting Corp.; London's chief shopping district; Harley St., a center of medical practice; and a clothing industry. Westminster School is a leading public school, founded in the 14th cent and reestablished by Queen Elizabeth I in 1560(Encyclopedia). Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Saint James's Palace, the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery, the imposing Central Mosque, the Imperial College of Science and Technology, St. James's Park, Hyde Park, parts of Regent's Park and Kensington Gardens, Mme Tussaud's waxworks, and Kensal Green Cemetery, resting place of several literary figures are other notable features of the borough of Westminster (Encyclopedia) . The data on population other demographic variables of the borough of Westminster have been collected from the office for National Statistics. For the purpose of the course work these data have been rearranged and presented by means of a pyramid (Figure 1.1). The data belong to the period of 2006 and it mainly exhibits the data relating to male and female and their age group. The following table (Table 1.1) and the pyramid (Figure 1.1) exhibits the entire data in a more comprehensible way. Table 1.1- Sex-wise Demographic Data Age Group Male Female Total 0-4 5900 5800 11700 5-9 4600 4500 9100 9-14 4000 3800 7800 15-19 5300 5100 10400 20-24 10800 12600 23400 25-29 15400 16800 32200 30-34 15700 13700 29400 35-39 12200 9500 21700 40-44 8900 7800 16700 45-49 6700 6400 13100 50-54 5000 5400 10400 55-59 5600 5900 11500 60-64 4300 4800 9100 65-69 3300 3600 6900 70-74 2800 3400 6200 75-79 2400 2800 5200 80-84 1600 2200 3800 85 + 1200 2000 3200 Table no.1.2 Population for Westminster, 2006 Age Group Males Females 0-4 5900 5800 5-9 4600 4500 10-14 4000 3800 15-19 5300 5100 20-24 10800 12600 25-29 15400 16800 30-34 15700 13700 35-39 12200 9500 40-44 8900 7800 45-49 6700 6400 50-54 5000 5400 55-59 5600 5900 60-64 4300 4800 65-69 3300 3600 70-74 2800 3400 75-79 2400 2800 80-84 1600 2200 85+ 1200 2000 Total 115900 116000 Total Population 231900 Table 1.3: Resident Population Estimates by Age Group and Sex Westminster Borough MALE FEMALE Age Group Population Total Percentage Age Group Population Total Percentage 0-4 5900 115900 5 0-4 5800 116000 5 5-9 4600 115900 3.96 5-9 4500 116000 3.87 9-14 4000 115900 3.45 9-14 3800 116000 3.27 15-19 5300 115900 4.57 15-19 5100 116000 4.39 20-24 10800 115900 9.31 20-24 12600 116000 10.86 25-29 15400 115900 13.28 25-29 16800 116000 14.48 30-34 15700 115900 13.54 30-34 13700 116000 11.81 35-39 12200 115900 10.52 35-39 9500 116000 8.18 40-44 8900 115900 7.67 40-44 7800 116000 6.72 45-49 6700 115900 5.78 45-49 6400 116000 5.51 50-54 5000 115900 4.31 50-54 5400 116000 4.65 55-59 5600 115900 4.83 55-59 5900 116000 5.08 60-64 4300 115900 3.71 60-64 4800 116000 4.13 65-69 3300 115900 2.84 65-69 3600 116000 3.10 70-74 2800 115900 2.41 70-74 3400 116000 2.93 75-79 2400 115900 2.07 75-79 2800 116000 2.41 80-84 1600 115900 1.38 80-84 2200 116000 1.89 85