Discussing the Death Penalty

Why is the death penalty used as a means of punishment for crime? Is this just a way to solve the nations growing problem of overcrowded prisons, or is justice really being served? Why do some view the taking of a life morally correct? These questions are discussed and debated upon in every state and national legislature throughout the country. Advantages and disadvantages for the death penalty exist, and many members of the United States, and individual State governments, have differing opinions. Yet it seems that the stronger arguments, and evidence such as cost effectiveness, should lead the common citizen to the opposition of Capital Punishment.

Only the most dangerous criminals in the world are faced with society’s ultimate penalty, or at least that is the theory. Capital punishment, commonly referred to as the Death Penalty has been debated for many decades regarding if such a method is ethical. While there are large amounts of supporters for the death penalty as a form of retribution, the process is avoidable financially as taxing for all parties involved. The financial expenses may be better off saved for life imprisonment with an emphasis in restorative justice for victims. Overall, there is unreasonable inefficiency with the capital punishment to justify the taking of another person’s life.

The death penalty is one of the most controversial issues in the United States today. The debate of a life for life is one that has many dimensions and points of views. However, the acceptance of the death penalty is affected by many factors morality, deterrence, retribution, mistakes, cost, race, an income. More specifically the discussion will be based on these three reasons to support the death penalty; the matters of retribution, deterrence and morality.

Does death justify the loss of a loved one? The death penalty has been around for decades, raising questions and resulting in the issue of whether it is socially acceptable or morally incorrect. Instinctively we perceive death with horror, particularly the thought of killing someone else. But as human beings we also have a barbarian instinct that wants revenge when someone has hurt us deeply. Generally people who have suffered a tragedy, in which a loved one has been taken from them, would tend to support the death penalty. While those who have never experienced such an ordeal may see things with a different perspective and debate that a criminal’s life is a human life nevertheless. Arguments of why the death penalty should exist include

Burgess, Regehr & Roberts (2013), lamented “The Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, controlled the use of capital punishment by prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment in the Eighth Amendment” (p. 175). The justice system has valid alternatives to the death penalty, such as life imprisonment without parole, that constitute adequate punishment even for the most repugnant crimes. Moreover, it is dangerous to engage in ethical equivalencies and hierarchically rank human beings; the point should not be to judge whose life is more vulnerable, but rather to affirm that all human life must be valued. A system that ends a human existence cannot stand in a righteous and just society. The solution is for the justice system to provide remedy to victims, not vengeance. Moreover, this view fails to give due credence to the reality that the death penalty system has not been and cannot be proven to be a successful deterrent, is more expensive than relevant alternatives because of the appellate process, is subject to human error, and is often riddled with economic and racial bias in its application. The irrevocable nature of the death penalty renders it an unsustainable and indefensible remedy in an imperfect justice system. What should be done to the death penalty is not an intellectual exercise. The death penalty can divide and damage families, due to the fact that death is final and because individuals have deeply held feelings about the morality and utility of executions, unlike any other punishment the death penalty creates irreconcilable conflict amongst the surviving family members of murder

Proponents of the death penalty say that it is a just punishment for men and women who have taken the lives of others. Following the “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” proverb, proponents conclude that killing murderers, rapists and other criminals is justifiable and gains retribution for the victim and their family.

It is clear in our society that violent crimes, such as murder, should carry some sort of stiffer punishment than that of other, lesser crimes. What is not clear is what that punishment should be. One punishment that is a constant source of debate is the death penalty. In this paper, I will examine whether the death penalty is or is not ethical. Both sides of the issue will be explained, through examination of various aspects of it, which include religious and financial considerations, whether the death penalty is a deterrent or not, and whether or not it can be regarded as justice. I submit that the death penalty is an ethical and equitable punishment for murderers, and should be used throughout our country.

This paper will discuss the history of the death penalty, the cost of the death penalty, and its arguments under the law. For many years the death penalty has been utilized to punish the individuals who have committed crimes to the fullest extent that the law will allow, with a slight disagreement surrounding the death penalty. Some of the concerns would be are the criminals rightfully being held to pay for their actions, rather than taking their lives for the crime. In addition, the cost of the death penalty is rather expensive, and lastly the arguments surrounding the death penalty under the law. This paper state a strongly believe that the death penalty is not effective.

     Proponents of the current system of capital punishment defend this system as beneficial to society on these same grounds. It is argued that putting prisoners to death saves money over the alternative option of imprisoning them for a formidable amount of time, and acts as a deterrent to violent crime. It is further argued that the death penalty is in perfect accordance with all principles and protections set forth in the Constitution. Finally, the contention is offered that the death penalty is morally acceptable and permissible in that a violent offender has forfeited his or her right to life in the commission of his crime. Through the use of evidence consisting of both statistics and expert opinions on all three of the aforementioned grounds it can be clearly shown that the death penalty should be abolished once and for all.

In 1976 the Supreme Court of the United States of America ruled the Death Penalty constitutionally permissible. The debate over capital punishment has always been a topic of great controversy. Before the Supreme Court ruling in 1976 America had been practicing capital punishment for centuries. At the current time some states enforce the death penalty, while some do not. There are differences of opinion’s relating to whether or not the death penalty is the proper way to punish human beings for taking a life, or if death is truly deserved for the horrendous acts they have perpetrated upon another human being. This essay on capital punishment will present several arguments why it is believed that capital punishment should be outlawed in America, followed by a summary of arguments in favor of capital punishment.

Capital punishment is a justified form of punishment for murderers and is enforced by most states in the United States. The death penalty is a fitting punishment for murder because executions maximize the public safety through a form of incapacitation and deterrence. When a person kills another person, their common sense and mental reasoning is lost. As a result of this, the murderer is no longer capable of a mentally stable life not only to himself but also society as a whole. In contrast, moral issues question the accuracy and the benefits of the death penalty as well.

Capital punishment has been a debated issue for many years and is commonly thought to be only sought out upon by extremists. Henceforth, the death penalty has been extremely problematic and widely disputed issue for centuries. Since the start of civilization, individuals who commit a criminal act have been subjected to capital punishment. The punishment itself is carried out in the most humane way possible; thusly, the issue is whether the citizens accept it as a sensible punishment. In contrast, the citizens criticize the governmental bodies that partake in the non-moral act. Even though capital punishment has become, to a greater extent, less gruesome. This form of punishment has evolved from beheadings to the electric chair, and now lethal injection. A couple of common supporting arguments that death penalty commentators often voice is that it saves money, lives, and is a just cause from a moral standpoint. Subsequently, this leads to the benefits of the death penalty outweighing the negative counterparts.

This essay will discuss the various views regarding the death penalty and its current status in the United States. It can be said that almost all of us are familiar with the saying “An eye for an eye” and for most people that is how the death penalty is viewed. In most people’s eyes, if a person is convicted without a doubt of murdering someone, it is believed that he/she should pay for that crime with their own life. However, there are some people who believe that enforcing the death penalty makes society look just as guilty as the convicted. Still, the death penalty diminishes the possibility of a convicted murderer to achieve the freedom needed to commit a crime again; it can also be seen as a violation of the convicted person’s

However, as with every controversial issue, there are always two sides to consider. Opponents of the death penalty argue that the death penalty violates the basic human right to life. They believe that prison sentences are a satisfactory alternative to the death penalty for criminals who commit even the most horrific crimes. They present their case by contradicting the very same reasons that validate the death penalty. In addition to their counter arguments, they further argue that it sometimes leads to the death of innocent people and that it discriminates by race. Even after considering objections made against it, I have addressed the statements of opposition to illustrate that the need for the death penalty exceeds these objections.

Controversies surrounding death penalty have elucidated various reactions from different quarters for or against it. Those that support the death penalty argue that it has higher rewards compared to other methods of punishment for grand offenses like sexual assault, robbery with violence or even murder. The reason death penalty is an incredible alternative is because it is less costly, it is legal, provides justice for the family of victims and serves as a deterrent for other individuals who would be considering engaging in similar unlawful activities. This paper will offer a detailed explanation why the death penalty is a better alternative to punishing crime in the US.