The death penalty is a widely discussed and controversial topic in today’s society. It has been debated over many years on whether or not it should still be legal or banned altogether. Some believe it is an effective method to respond to crimes, such as murder. Others believe it is inhumane and should not be practiced at all. As for Nebraska, it was the 19th state to officially ban the penalty. The ban went into effect in May of 2015, but they are reconsidering lifting the ban in the 2016 election coming up in November. A total of 37 people have been executed in Nebraska after 1976.

There were two main ways the death penalty has been practiced. The first method of execution is the electric chair. A metal hat is placed on your head, then the hat sends 500-2000 jolts, for thirty seconds. They give your body a moment to relax, then another jolt is sent throughout your body. The executors continue this process, until the person dies. They decided the method was cruel so they discontinued it. The other widely used method is lethal injection. It is an effective way to execute someone in a faster manner. Lethal Injection uses three drugs for its components. The first is sodium thiopenta, which is used as an anesthetic, Second is pancuronium bromide which is used as a paralyzer, The final ingredient is potassium chloride which sends the person into cardiac arrest. A big aspect of the death penalty that has been debated on is whether or not it’s cruel and inhumane. Out of the two methods, senior Cristina Bravo said, “I think the electric chair is better, but only in cases of murder or rape.”

The death penalty dates back to earlier times. They used other methods for the consequences such as hangings and gas chambers. Some people believe the death penalty is a way for the one at fault to get an easy way out. They believe they should have to live with the regret of their actions and rot in prison. Yes, giving them the same pain they gave to someone else makes sense, but it is viewed as “unusual and cruel punishment”, which is why most states will not allow it. Bravo also said, “I do not think it is inhumane, I believe that what you do to someone, a similar form of pain should be inflicted on them.” The death penalty is being used for punishing for a variety of crimes such as first degree murder, terrorism, and espionage. Espionage is the practice of spying or using spies.

Nebraska’s reconsideration requires roughly 60,000 votes to even be considered for the ballot, then it goes through the voting process. Most people believe killing prisoners saves state’s money, because they don’t have to pay for prisoners to live out their lives in prison, but the state ends up spending thousands of dollars on court costs and including the long process of getting it approved. The rough amount of money it costs for an execution is 1.26 million, compared to life without parole which costs roughly $740,000. Senior Jordan O’Neil stated “In the end, Nebraska will end up spending more money on the executions themselves instead of focusing on a better way to spend that money on.”