preview

The Controversy Surrounding The Death Penalty

Decent Essays

Death penalties back in the Eighteenth Century B.C. had different methods of execution, such as crucifixion, hanging, burning alive, and the guillotine. However, people began to see the death penalty as a "cruel and unusual" punishment in the early 1960s and unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. I strongly oppose with the statement that the death penalty is reasonable —a life for a life. For the reason being, that capital punishment is not humane and violates human rights. In addition, the death penalty mistakenly gives governments the power to take human life where death has to occur naturally. Moreover, the capital punishment is not complete without race and class bias. Leading to irrevocable consequences and wrongly executing innocent people who had only been victims of our bad decisions. Ultimately, the death penalty is more like a desire for revenge than for justice. After all, these facts put emphasis on my disagreement of the thought that the capital punishment is reasonable. Many people believe that offenders deserve the capital punishment to compensate the wrongness of his or her crime. In other words, they believe in the "eye-for-an-eye theory" described in the Code of Hammurabi. This suggested that anyone who cause harm, they should be punished in the same way. But if we emphasize this theory, then there would be no need for laws. The death penalty has proven to be cruel; however, it does not have any influence on the reduction of crime or at least there

Get Access