Essay On American Punishment

In American culture, punishment is seen as an essential effect of the crimes of criminals. In political ideology, the notion of common punishment addresses the explanations, practices, and objectives of inflicting pain or impoverishment on a human being for a crime that he or she has committed. (Sheldon). Additionally, two main principles are set for carrying out punishments in society. The first concept is based on the saying “eye for an eye”, meaning imposing pain on someone who has injured another person as revenge. The second concept is based on a more sensible view. People view punishment as ensuring civil peace and providing a barrier to further crime. Yet, the punishment that America considers necessary is inhumane and does not help

In the early stages of the American colonies, the punishment was usually cruel and barbaric. The customary forms of punishment were torture. In a study by Julie Beicken, torture is defined as,

Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person, information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind. Now, as the era changes America, our methods start to shift as well. The US legally opposes torture, yet continues to support its use in the psychological field (Beicken).

For instance, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 shocked the world and introduced new types of threats, panic, horrors, and national responses acknowledged as the War on Terror. In the course of this era, the practice of torture legally abolished back then and mainly considered uncivilized and morally wrong, surfaced as a potential aid in this global war (Beicken). If America does not change its methods, then history is doomed to repeat itself and go back to its barbaric

People believe that if a definite punishment for criminal activity exists, people will be less likely to commit crimes against others (theft, assault, murder, etc.). Moreover, some Americans believe in capital punishment. Capital punishment implies that the government deliberately takes human life as a form of punishment for a crime, such as the death penalty. In an article by John R Vile, he states, “Advocates of capital punishment argue that it is a just penalty for those who have maliciously taken the lives of others and that the penalty properly vindicates the value of the lives of the victims. Proponents might also argue that the penalty is an effective deterrent to murder”. This refers back to the first concept of punishment, an “eye for an eye”. The reason why people agree with capital punishment is that they believe this is the best way for someone to learn their lesson. Also in some cases, people aren't punished because they feel they aren’t getting what they deserve. However, the people who are pro-death penalty do not recognize it as a type of savage practice. In particular, “Electrocution and lethal gases became widely accepted as more humane alternatives toward the end of the 19th century, when executions became less public. More recently, most states with the death penalty have used lethal injections,” (Vile).