Summary:
Although in today's modern society many countries have now opted to declare capital punishment obsolete, some areas still feel that keeping the penalty instated is necessary such as the United States and China.
Capital punishment is one of life's topics that leaves many divided opinions due to it's risqué nature. It has been a subject full of controversy for centuries and still continues to be discussed to this day. Throughout my piece I will explain the case that is pro Capital Punishment, as well as the contrasting side - the opposition.
Early forms of the death penalty date back as far as ancient times. After the fall of Rome, capital punishment was practised in various parts of Western Europe. Signs of anti-punishment first stirred up in the 18th century when writers such as Montesquieu and Voltaire produced essays on the matter. Eventually others followed suit, and took influence from precedes leading to the first abolition of the penalty in countries such as Venezuela, San Marino and Costa Rica.
Although in today's modern society many countries have now opted to declare capital punishment obsolete, some areas still feel that keeping the penalty instated is necessary such as the United States and China. The argument supporting the use of death as a punishment.
It is believed that if a person fears death they will deter from committing a crime, especially of the serious nature such as murder or rape. The public deserves safety and satisfaction knowing that their streets are safe from possible danger, justice would be served and it is likely to prevent any malice that could be directed towards the family of the convicted.
It is difficult for someone to be wrongly accused due to rules which have been imposed to ensure success. These rules apply to 36 of the 39 states in which use the death penalty in America and include persons below 18 years of age, pregnant women, new mothers or persons who have become insane shall not be sentenced to death. Punishment may only be carried out when guilt is rendered clear and convincing. Also, the sentence may only be followed through after a judge has given a definitive assurance, along with a competent court and adequate legal assistance. Incapacitating helps people feel protected because it deprives a potential offender of the physical or intellectual power of natural illegal happenings (in other words, acting or thinking in an inappropriate manner which concerns the well-being of another).
Another 'motto' which people feel is fair can be referred to as lex talionis, or a life for a life, which means that if a person decides they can commit an act of total disregard for humanity, such as killing another, then they deserve the same fate themselves, similar to the 'eye for an eye' theory.
Life imprisonment is considered by many as barbaric as it involves convicts sitting tortured in a cell for the rest of their days, whereas with the death penalty (although it can take months or even years of waiting) life is brought to an end almost instantaneously when the execution does occur. Money is wasted needlessly on taxes to house and feed offenders who get to live relatively normal lives until they are called to parole, which would not be anything like punishment, and certainly would not discourage people from executing unacceptable acts or re-offending.
Despite these arguments, the majority of the British population remain resistant to capital punishment and its rulings because they feel it is inappropriate, and there are better ways to deal with people who do not abide by the law. If the guilty are disposed of immediately it does not allow them to compensate for their unnerving deed. It is believed that if kept alive and put to work, or community service, they 'repay' society inadvertently and give the victim's family a sense of retribution. The act of killing someone in such a way seems particularly disturbing to British society.
The Eighth Amendment of the United States ironically reads that the death penalty is a, 'cruel and inhumane way of dealing with the accused', which is why, for a four year period, death sentences were put to a halt throughout USA.
Contrary to the argument made earlier, many people still believe that capital punishment does not deter people from committing felonies. According to research conducted by Isaac Ehrlich in a study, spanning from 1957-1982 the number of murders in USA at present is 3 times as large as it was 20-50 years ago, and that is with the death sentence still firmly secured.
It has also, been found that execution is far more costly than imprisoning offenders due to the long waiting times at death row, this is because of the need for special prisons to accommodate the offenders so they have a place to reside while they wait for the congested execution list to reach them, which can result in years of agonizing anticipation. Maintenance is costly as it is needed for the various methods of carrying out the sentence.
It is against human morals to participate and condone in the taking of a human life regardless of what they have done to deserve it. Methods of death can also be torturous as the electric chair has been found to take more than one effort to complete a successful execution. Every person deserves the dignity of a decent withdrawal from life. Surely by accepting a person being killed as cruelly as they killed another, is just as despicable and uncivilized?
And finally, the judge may not always be correct, and if so, the decision after carried out is irrevocable, justice would miscarry and the wrongly convicted would never get another chance to be cleared and freed of all charges.
It can bee seen therefore that both sides give strong arguments and with such a difficult and sensitive subject it appears an absolute resolve will never be met. In the end, it comes down to opinions and everyone is entitled to their own. Society as a whole does strive to make the best decisions for some nations they feel capital punishment is the correct solution, as for others they feel equally as strong with the alternative approach. What view is correct? We will never know.
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