Should the Eighth Amendments apply to an underage defendant who committed a capital punishment?

The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibiting the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishment. The United States is one of five countries that still practice the death penalty. They’re 18 states in the United States that abolished the death penalty and 32 states currently still use the death penalty after convicted of a capital offense. There about 41 Federal Capital Offense, if found guilty of the offense the defendant could be sentenced to the death penalty. My view on the death penalty is if someone committee one of the forty-one Federal Capital Offense should be punished. I also understand why people are against the death penalty because two wrongs don’t make a right. At the end of the day, they’re consequences for your actions. There have been many different death penalty cases, but the most controversial are when the defendant is under the age of 18.  The defendant is tried as an adult and is charged with capital offenses. Before 1988, the offenders who committed the crime when they were under the age of 18 were executed. In 1988, The U.S. Supreme Court decided that offenders under the age of 18 can’t be sentenced to death because is “cruel and unusual punishment.” Thompson v. Oklahoma was the cases the U.S. Supreme Court decided capital offenses committed by under age of 18 couldn’t be sentenced to death. In this case, the defendant was 15 years old at the time of the crime. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the defendant because they felt it violated the eighth amendment because it was “cruel and unusual punishment” for a 15-year-old to be sentenced to death. I believe that the crimes committed by the offender of any age is cruel and should get a sentence that fit the crime. I understand the U.S. Supreme Court ruling is base on the United States Constitution but the Constitution doesn’t specify what are “cruel and unusual punishment.” One thing is the defendant being sentenced to death when they’re underage, and the other being executed at a young age. In the past cases, a defendant who was under 18 years old were executed at age 28. I think the Eighth Amendment shouldn’t apply to under the age of 18 who committed a capital offense because there is an increase in violence by juveniles if there is no death penalty, juveniles would continue committing capital offenses, at least they would realize if they committed a crime they could get sentenced to death.


Sources:

http://crime.about.com/od/juvenile/i/juvenile_death_2.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Death_penalty_for_rape

http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004927

http://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-viii

Global Warming is Our Reality

                  We don’t see reality as how it is until you get a rude awaking and you realize the ugly reality. I recently went to Mexico City, it was my fourth time going; on my previous trips I didn’t get sick, but this last trip I did. It wasn’t the food that got me sick, but it was the air contamination. I was feeling really sick that I had to leave as soon as possible. When I landed in the United States, my symptoms went away. It turns out Officials in Mexico had advised people to limit outdoor activity because of the high ozone level, it was Mexico City’s first air pollution alert in 11 years. I always knew that Global Warming exists but I didn’t want to believe it until my experience in Mexico. Unfortunately, this is the future of the United States if there is no initial to stop Global Warming. In “Why destroy what keeps us alive?” by Beatriz Cordero,  she makes a valid point that money isn't used help fight Global Warming. If the United States doesn't do anything we are going to relive one of the most destructive events in the decade; Hurricane Katrina. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, killing more than 200 people and causing $80 billion in damage. The Center for Ice and Climate researchers at the University of Copenhagen conducted a study on the changes in regional sea surface temperatures, they concluded that there's an increase chance to have Katrina-like events in the future. Many scientists said the primary cause of Global Warming is the rising emissions of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide, ozone, and methane. I agree with miss Cordero about Companies who burn fossil fuels should provide winds and solar panels. Olga Mugisa, 11-years-old from Uganda proposed if you cut one tree, plant two.  By doing this it helps stop climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air. If the United States government regulated companies and made sure the companies would be liable if they don't provide benefits for the environment and citizens. I hope the U.S. government wakes up to the reality that Global Warming is causing many destructions and soon it can get rid of our existences.

Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/16/choked-mexico-city-bans-1m-cars-in-air-pollution-alert

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130319-hurricane-climate-change-katrina-science-global-warming/

http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/07/135576/

Legalized Marijuana helps the Economy

                     Over the years, marijuana has been one of the most consume recreational drug and now it's used for medical purposes. Four states have legalized recreational marijuana and a total of 23 states have legalized medical marijuana (1). According to Tom Huddleston, Jr from Fortune estimates $6.7 Billion Dollars in sales of legal marijuana would be sold in 2016 (2). Marijuana excise taxes collected by the states like Colorado have been using for school construction, law enforcement, youth programs and drug education initiatives. Colorado has collected almost $70 million in marijuana taxes that’s the double excise taxes collect from alcohol, $42 million excise taxes collected in the same year (3). After seeing the profit of marijuana, I believe the United States should legalize marijuana in all 50 states. I’ll be honest I’m not a consumer of marijuana, but I believe the excise taxes collected could help states with funding and the national debt. Many people believe with the legalization of marijuana isn’t a good idea because it’s not healthy, creates more crimes and effects the economy. If marijuana is so bad why are alcohol and tobacco is still legal? In 1920, alcohol was prohibited from manufacturing, sale and distribution of intoxicating liquors. People believe alcohol was going decrease crimes and believe that other goods and entertainment would generate more money, but that wasn’t a reality. Prohibition causes crimes to increase, it was bad for the economy, and bootleg alcohol was sold. In 1933 Prohibition ended, the economy recovered, crime decreased, alcohol had restriction and regulation (4). After Prohibition, alcohol generates many excise taxes, the U.S. government isn’t going to prohibit alcohol even though it causes many health problems and death; the taxes are uses for school, streets, and other necessary expenses. Tobacco is a legal consumable item that causes health problems, but the federal government is going to let tobacco companies produce more tobacco products. In the next five years, tobacco excise tax would generate $50 billion dollars (5). Legal marijuana generated about $1.6 billion in taxes just in the 23 states; imagine if all 50 states were legal how much money legal marijuana would (6). Legalized marijuana would benefit the economy. Legislators can create laws strictly on consuming, selling, and distribution; also creating age restriction like the same with alcohol and regulate marijuana making sure is safe to consume. Legalizing marijuana would decrease crimes, because there wouldn’t illegal trafficking of marijuana, putting out cartels out of business (7). Marijuana is use as medicine to help treat and prevent illnesses (8). Marijuana becoming legal for recreational or medical it would help the economy. We can’t prohibit something because is unhealthy; many products aren’t safe but we still consume and the government profits. So if someone says marijuana shouldn’t be legal first think how much taxes could be collected, second the uses of those taxes are use to help build schools, streets and other things, finally thing to consider if marijuana is bad for us why have legal products like alcohol and tobacco available for sale, if the government was concern with our health it would remove legal products that cause harm. Marijuana is beneficial for everyone.

1)      Barnard, Jeff. "Five Questions: Here Is What’s Legal (and What’s Not) in Oregon     Marijuana." The Cannabist. Associated Press, 22 June 2015. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

2)      Basu, Tanya. "Colorado Raised More Tax Revenue From Marijuana Than From Alcohol." Time. N.p., 16 Sept. 2015. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

3)      Huddleston, Tom, Jr. "The Legal Pot Market Could Hit $22 Billion in Sales By 2020." Fortune. N.p., 01 Feb. 2016. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

4)      History.com Staff. "Prohibition." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 01 Jan. 2009. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

5)      Tobaccofreekids.org. Increasing the federal Tobacco tax by 94 cents per pack will increase revenue and save lives. N.p.: n.p., 2015. PDF.

6)      St. Pierre, Allen. "Congressional Research Service: Report On Federal Government Taxing Marijuana." NORML Blog Marijuana Law Reform Congressional Research Service Report On Federal Government Taxing Marijuana Comments. N.p., 20 Nov. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

7)      Savron, Jacqueline. "7 Ways America Would Change If Marijuana Became Legal - AvvoStories." AvvoStories. N.p., 28 May 2010. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

8)      Loria, Jennifer Welsh and Kevin. "23 Health Benefits Of Marijuana." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 20 Apr. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.