The Effectiveness of The Death Penalty

1335 Words3 Pages

The death penalty has been an ongoing debate for many years. Each side of the issue presents valid arguments to explain why someone should be either for or against the subject. One side of the argument says deterrence, the other side says there’s a likelihood of putting to death an innocent man; one says justice, retribution, and punishment; the other side says execution is murder itself. Crime is an unmistakable part of our society, and it is safe to say that everyone would concur that something must be done about it. The majority of people know the risk of crime to their lives, but the subject lies in the techniques and actions in which it should be dealt with. As the past tells us, capital punishment, whose meaning is “the use of death as a legally sanctioned punishment,” is a suitable and proficient means of deterring crime. Today, the death penalty resides as an effective method of punishment for murder and other atrocious crimes. Personally, I believe in the expression “An eye for an eye,” which means I am in support of the death penalty. However, I do feel that there are only certain circumstances that warrant this type of execution such as: a pre-meditated (serial in nature) crime, murder (especially of children), a person committing a terrorist act, etc. If someone has done something so bad that they are a threat to others from then on, then I simply don’t see why that person should have the expense of maintaining them covered by the law abiding community. They should be painlessly detached, eternally (given that an unconditional assurance of guilt is reputable). If someone shows a overall disregard for regulations and the community, then why should the community be concerned about them? Methods of execution ... ... middle of paper ... ...ace of mind. Works Cited Acker, J. (2003). THE DEATH PENALTY: AN AMERICAN HISTORY. Contemporary Justice Review, 6(2), 169-187. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. "Methods of Execution." Welcome to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. http://www.clarkprosecutor.org Rubin, P. H. (2009). Don't scrap the death penalty. Criminology & Public Policy, 8(4), 853-859. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2009.00598.x Steiker, C. S., & Stetker, J. M. (2010). CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: A CENTURY OF DISCONTINUOUS DEBATE. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 100(3), 643-689. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Vollum, S., Longmire, D. R., & Buffington-Vollum, J. (2004). CONFIDENCE IN THE DEATH PENALTY AND SUPPORT FOR ITS USE: EXPLORING THE VALUE-EXPRESSIVE DIMENSION OF DEATH PENALTY ATTITUDES. JQ: Justice Quarterly, 21(3), 521-546. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

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