Capital punishment results in death by execution. Capital punishment is legalized in 31 states and abolished in 19 states (Death Penalty Information Center). I believe the death penalty should be legal in all 50 of the United States, especially when an individual commits first degree murder. First degree murder is defined as: in order for someone to be found guilty of first degree murder the government must prove that the person killed another person; the person killed the other person with malice aforethought; and the killing was premeditated. To kill with malice aforethought means to kill either deliberately and intentionally or recklessly with extreme disregard for human life (lectlaw.com). There are many reasons as to why I believe the …show more content…
“Unless that balance is restored, society succumbs to a rule of violence. Only the taking of the murderer’s life restores the balance and allows society to show convincingly that murder is an intolerable crime which will be punished in kind.” (“Retribution (In Support of the Death Penalty)”). Without punishing the person who committed murder, the citizens are more likely to take the matter into their own hands. They will give the murderer a punishment they think he deserves. In order to keep violence down in the area, anyone who commits murder should be given the death penalty as a punishment. The murderer does not deserve to live since they killed the victim. “Deserved punishment protects society morally by restoring this just order, making the wrongdoer pay a price equivalent to the harm he has done” (Budziszewski). When someone commits a crime it not only disturbs society’s order, but it takes lives away that we as a society cannot get back. There is no longer the peace we had before after a life is taken for an unjustified reason. With that being said with the death penalty being legal we can use capital punishment in order to restore society. We can hope to give a semi normal life to the family before the …show more content…
This has not happened since the death penalty was reintroduced in 1976. Steven D. Stewart refutes this argument: “…No system of justice can produce results which are 100% certain all the time. Mistakes will be made in any system which relies upon human testimony for proof. We should be vigilant to uncover and avoid such mistakes.” Even though our justice system is in demand of a higher standard for death penalty cases, risks of making a mistake is slim to none. Also, there is no evidence to show the court executed anyone that has been innocent since the death penalty was reactivated. Just because there may be a small chance for mistakes does not mean we should eliminate the death penalty. Just like we should not make automobiles illegal because of fatal
For the victim's families, it may not feel good enough to just be living a life in prison or in some cases even being let back into society. And the death sentence
murder is illegal, and an individual found going against this penal social control is punished. Through the prohibition of murder, the government and society achieve social
On the other hand, the coercive system is a tool that the governments use to eradicate the violence. But another way to prevent the crimens is a stronger law that includes death penalty. The biggest questions may be, what is the meaning of death penalty? and in what kind of crimes this law should be applied? Although some people think that the prison is a strong punishment, criminals continue committed crimes,for that reason, the only solution to reduce the murders and
Russ Shafer-Landau provides us with two separate arguments about the death penalty in his academic book The Ethical Life, fundamental readings in ethics and moral problems. In the first argument, Justifying Legal Punishment, Igor Primoratz gives us substantive reasoning that opts favorably toward the necessity of the death penalty. Contrasting Primoratz, Stephen Nathanson, through An Eye for an Eye, provides us with an argument that hopes to show us that capital punishment, like murder, is also immoral and therefore, unjust. By the end of this essay, I intend to show that while capital punishment may not be the easy choice for a consequence and punishment to murder, it is, however, the necessary one.
The topic of capital punishment presents a test of values. The arguments in support of and opposition to the death penalty are complex. In the end, this is a question of an individual’s values and morals. The topic requires careful thought to reach a reasoned position. Both sides of the argument are defensible.
As states across the country strive to abolish the death penalty some states are still holding on. Which means that they will find any reason to keep or allow the death penalty to occur and happen. States are killing to hamper the pain of the victim(s)` families, and execution only extends a chain of violence. It`s sad to say that violence is the solution to violence, which it is not. Revenge is a substitute for pay back, it 's a human emotion to hurt someone that hurts someone else or loved one(s).
This article discusses individual cases and crimes and gives analysis of the arguments made against death penalty in real world. Firstly it discusses the deterrence argument while going through a number of cases. The conclusion is that it has no effect on reducing homicides but ironically it breeds violence as in some cases offenders committed a capital crime in a territory where execution still prevails while they could have easily avoided it. Second thing discussed is the cost, the research in article shows that it costs significantly more money to put a convict to death than to incarcerate him for life in a prison. Moreover it is shown that in many cases criminals are executed while there are reasonable doubts in their convictions and some have avoided execution by just a few hours before being exonerated.
Even though it is true that taking the life of another is not right, it is even truer that the punishment should fit the crime. The death penalty is an exercise of justice that promotes retribution for crime and moral punishment for those who choose to take human life. Also, it prevents society 's worse offenders from re-offending, and it provides justice for the victims whose lives were cut short without a second thought. To better understand why capital punishment is a justifiable act, Kant 's theory gives a clear and logical understanding of the eye for an eye approach. Additionally the utilitarian view also explains why capital punishment is justifiable in regards to comfort for the victim 's family and prevention of re-offending.
Why should they died because they killed so did the people in prison. In court they could mess up by someone who did not killed go to the death row. And someone who did not just go free it is not fair they did not killed the other people why should they get punished. The last fact is they could be there just has long has someone in prison.
Why death penalty must end ‘’An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,’’ said Mahatma Gandhi. The execution of someone who has possibly done a crime is an inhuman act. Death penalty is hypocritical and flawed. If killing is wrong, why do we kill when a criminal has done the crime of killing someone? In this essay, I will write why death penalty should end by writing about the violation of human rights, execution of innocent people, the fact that it does not deter crime and money.
However, studies done by Michael Summers, PhD, shows that crime rates the next year experienced a significant decrease after executions. An average of seventy-four fewer murders worldwide, and anywhere from three to eighteen fewer happen following a year with each execution. The number of executions have been dropping since 2001, and studies from the FBI show that the number of murders are increasing while executions decrease. The 1970s and 1980s have mixed results of executions and deterrence, but recent studies show a definite drop in crime each year following every execution. My personal thought is that the death penalty would definitely deter someone from committing a serious crime.
First off, 138 men and women have been released from death row, including some just minutes before being executed. The National Academy of Science has said that 1 in 25 people who are executed, turn out to be innocent. While 4.1% of all convictions, turn out to be false convictions. When 4.1% of the time, you don’t convict the correct person, the chances of executing someone who didn’t do anything wrong, greatly increases. For example, over a dozen other people who have been executed, have very strong cases for innocence.
The debate over the effectiveness of the death penalty seems to always arise whether its effectiveness deter crime or it is a violation of a person rights. A recent study done by the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology reports that 88% of top criminologist do not believe the death penalty deters homicides based on the National Research Council of the National Academies. The report found three flaws in the study. • The study did not factor in the effectiveness of capital
Due to the development of DNA testing, as of May 2007, some fifteen death-row inmates have been freed before they were put to death for a crime they did not commit. If the United States keeps the death penalty, it might be viewed in a negative way from countries worldwide. Most of the nations that
In relation to the previous paragraph, convicted killers have been released from prison and taken the lives of even more people. In addition, according to statistics, this does not come as a surprise. Approximately 95% of inmates will be released back into society at during their live, 67% of former prisoners are released in a year, and 52% of former prisoners are re-incarcerated in a year (Recidivism High). These statistics show if a murderer is released back into society, there’s a high probability of them commits new crimes or even murder once more. Furthermore, supporters of the death penalty believe it’s morally wrongful to let a person live that has taken the life of another.