Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment, also known as the death penalty, was used in extreme cases where the accused commited a series of charges that was punishable by death. Currently, some parts of the US still use the death penalty, whereas in Canada, a bill was passed in 1976 and abolished use of the death penalty. Over 700 people were killed in Canada during the reign of C.P and the last two people who died were executed privately: “Two minutes after midnight on Dec. 11, 1962, Arthur Lucas and Ronald Turpin became the last people to be executed in Canada,” (CBC). Both individuals were charged with murder after they commited a previous crime and thus, they were executed.

In Two Fishermen, a man is sentenced to death after protecting his wife from a molester. An aspiring journalist, Michael, searches for the hangman responsible for the man’s execution to conduct an insight on the executioner himself. Considering that this story was set in the early 1900’s, it is likely that Canada and the US would be similar in terms of execution. However in terms of publicity, Canada’s last public execution was in 1869 with a man charged of killing his father and step-father. Referencing the story, “he had killed old Matthew Rhinehart whom he had caught molesting his wife when she had been berry-picking in the hills behind the town” (Callaghan, 1). While this news would not be considered shocking during the reign of capital punishment in Canada during that era, it would be alarming to hear that it is the first public execution since 1869.

It was not justified, as Thomas was simply defending his wife from a sexual assault. While killing was not necessary, his actions in attacking the perpatrator was understandable. Not only that, but the attacker himself hurt Thomas Delaney – allowing it to have been a case for self-defense: “Thomas Delaney had taken a bad beating before he had killed Rhinehart.” (Callaghan, 1). No one should get hung for protecting another being and especially not for defending oneself. However, murdering for the sake of it simply creates a vicious cycle that needs to be put to an end.

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