Essay The Death Penalty is Not the Solution - 2978 Words

The death penalty has been present, in one way or another, for virtually as long as human civilization has existed. The reasons why are apparent; it is intrinsically logical to human beings that a person who takes the life of another should also be killed. This philosophy is exemplified in the famous Biblical passage, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. However, in light of recent research into ethics, criminology and the justice system, the time has come for us to re-examine our ageless paradigm of revenge. Capital punishment is a custom in which prisoners are executed in accordance with judicial practice when they are convicted of committing a â€Å"capital crime†. Capital crimes are crimes considered so atrocious that they should†¦show more content†¦Capital punishment is often defended on the grounds that society has a moral obligation to protect the safety and welfare of its citizens. Criminals put the safety and welfare of the public at risk. In order to ensure that killers do not kill again, murderers should be put to death. Second, those who favour capital punishment contend that society must support methods that will bring about the highest balance of good over evil. Capital punishment is believed to be such a practice. It is seen as beneficial to society because it could deter violent crime. While it is challenging to produce direct evidence to back up this assertion, by definition, those deterred by the death penalty do not commit murders or other violent crimes, common sense indicates that if people are aware they will face death if they partake in a certain act, they will be reluctant to perform that action. If the threat of death does in fact prevent murderers, the abolition of the death penalty will sacrifice the lives of many innocent victims whose killers may have been deterred. However, if the death penalty does not discourage crimes, and we continue to enforce it, we will only have sacrificed the lives of convicted murderers. It is surely better for society to take the chance that the death p enalty deters in order to protect the lives of innocent individuals than to take a gamble that it does not deter and thus guard the lives of wrong doers, all the while risking the livesShow MoreRelatedDeath Penalty Essay1050 Words   |  5 PagesThe death penalty or capital punishment is an issue that has sparked controversy and anxiety in today’s society. Capital punishment refers to â€Å"a sentence of death by execution†, for the crimes committed. In order to receive the death penalty an individual needs to commit certain types of crimes known as â€Å"capital crimes† or â€Å"capital offences†. Capital crimes include treason, perjury, kidnapping, rape, terrorism and murder. Today, executions are carried out by either a lethal injection or electrocutionRead More Anti Death Penalty Essay1721 Words   |  7 Pages Disasters in Death Introduction I. Roosevelt Collins, a black man in Alabama, was convicted of rape, sentenced to death, and executed in 1937. Roosevelt testified that the â€Å"victim† who was white had consented to sex, which caused a near-riot in the courtroom. The all-white jury deliberated for only FOUR minutes. Later interviews with several jurors revealed that although they believed the act was consensual, they also thought that he deserved death simply for â€Å"messin’ around† with a white womanRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Abolished Essay1293 Words   |  6 Pagessevere cases. The death penalty needs to focus on the dignity and the respect of human life; therefore, society needs to fix the existing problems within the legal system. Finally, this paper will explore the views of Kant to help find a solution as to the future of the death penalty. Although the government occasionally still makes mistakes, capital punishment is nevertheless needed (be it sparingly) within society. Some in-class groups discussed abolishing the death penalty entirely due to theRead More Death Penalty - Justified Essay896 Words   |  4 PagesDeath Penalty - Justified There are many problems facing our criminal justice system today. Some of the more important ones are overcrowded jails, the increasing murder rate, and keeping tax payers content. In light of these problems, I think the death penalty is our best and most reasonable solution because it is a highly effective deterrent to murder. And, tax payers would be pleased to know that their hard-earned tax dollars are not being wasted on supporting incorrigible criminalsRead MoreCapital Punishment Essay895 Words   |  4 Pagesopinion capital punishment is wrong. The death penalty is the center of much debate in society. This is due, in part, to the fact that people see only the act of killing a criminal, and not the social effects the death penalty has on society as a whole. Upon reading about the death penalty, it was found to be an unethical practice. It promotes a violent and inhumane society in which killing is considered okay. Since there are alternatives, the death penalty s hould be abolished. Some people believeRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Cruel And Unusual Punishment1432 Words   |  6 PagesSome people think that abolishing the death penalty would cause criminals to commit more capital crimes. Although to some degree this is true, I believe that if a criminal is going to commit any capital crime his or her first thought is how can I get away with this? Most criminal may not even think about getting caught. For me this statement applies to the mentally ill convicts, which is one of the reasons why I’m against the death penalty. Besides the execution of an mentally ill person these areRead MoreArgument For Capital Punishment889 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussing whether the death penalty is wrong. I will be arguing in favor of capital punishment and will be presenting several arguments to back up my position. First, an understanding of what the death penalty is and why it is used currently needs to be established. The death penalty has been ar ound almost as long as humans have. It is a form of punishment that is a deterrent for other criminals. Also, capital punishment is a way to prevent the criminal being put to death from committing any furtherRead MoreThe Cost Of Capital Punishment1664 Words   |  7 Pagesdollars into the death penalty with no resultant reduction in crime. The exorbitant costs of capital punishment are actually making America less safe because badly needed financial and legal resources are being diverted from effective crime fighting strategies. Before the Los Angeles riots, for example, California had little money for innovations like community policing, but was managing to spend an extra $90 million per year on capital punishment. Texas, with over 300 people on death row, is spendingRead MoreEssay The Death Penalty: Cruel and Unusual1291 Words   |  6 Pages The death penalty is the most inhuman and crucial punishment. Even though it is not applied in every state, the death penalty is a very strong debate and argument within our own government. There are people who support it and those who are against it. The death penalty is a punishment to those who due to their actions and circumstances commit crimes. All people are all equal under the eyes of the law and those people in the end are still humans no matter the crimes they have committed. The deathRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is The Only Good Enough Punishment1065 Words   |  5 Pagesgiven the death penalty for murder are neither innocent nor victims. There’s nothing moral about how a criminal murders an innocent victim. These kinds of individuals should be removed from society permanently. The death penalty is the only good enough punishment for taking a human life unlawfully and is the only moral action (Van den Haag 1983). Our laws based ultimately on ancient Jewish laws whi ch is the basis of all western morality and is in which the death penalty was practiced. The death penalty