The Death Penalty

People who commit crimes such as murder (mass or only an individual killing), rape and kidnapping should all be punished for what they have done. For example, the current issue with the Balibombings "mastermind". Amrozi Bin Nurhasyim is up for trial and if proven guilty, the death penalty will be imposed. Although he himself believes that he is a hero, I believe that as he killed so many and injured many more, the death punishment is the only fitting and adequate punishment. Many people oppose the death penalty because they consider it cruel.... ... middle of paper ... ... that Capital Punishment is the best way to go to punish people who murder and commit other drastic crimes.

Does this mean that we should throw out the death penalty because people, who did not really deserve to die, were killed? No, we have changed the laws, and no one gets the death penalty unless they deserve to die. Capital punishment should stay around. Yes, there are some maldistributions on the way it is opposed on a person, but those maldistributions are imposed on guilty people. Capital punishment is feared by potential murderers because once it is ordered on them they are not coming back.

An important fact to note is in Europe in the middle Ages as well here in America, the social status of a condemned person often influenced was the individual was executed. Thus enters the unbalance in our universal justice system. One cannot ignore the reasoning of those who says the Death Penalty should not be abolished. Their justification is the Death Penalty is necessary to stop murders and other heinous is crimes. On the flip side of the coin, other voices sound, ‘the Death Penalty must be abolished’, citing that taking a human life is cruel and unusual punishment.

But is this a “fair” or “just”punishment for crimes committed by an individual? Depending on the severity of the crime, and its circumstances, it just may be. A large part in the justification of the death penalty is based on the same idea as this early thought. One way to think of it, is that some crimes are so serious in nature, and emotional cost to others, that the only logical or just solution may be to pay the deed, or wrongful act, back in full, by giving one’s own life as restitution. Families of victims often become bitter and angry about the outcome of a crime, the loss of their loved one, and feel as if the death penalty is perhaps the only fair punishment for the violators of the law.

Stoning, drowning, burning at the stake, impaling, and beheading are other forms of punishment that people used hundreds of years ago. These previous methods are found cruel and unusual and evolve to what we refer to today as modern capital punishment. Capital Punishment today is the legal infliction of death as a penalty for violating criminal law and is justly so. Since 1976, capital punishment is accomplished through various means; lethal injection (primarily), electrocution, and gas chamber are the most prominent (Death Penalty Information Center). These new methods are more efficient and less inhumane for the party receiving the sentence of death.

According to Justice Department figures, nearly 80 percent of inmates on death row are Black, Hispanic or from another minority group (Eddlem, 2002). Yet another reason for abolishing capital punishment is that the death penalty is often applied at random. “Politics, quality of legal counsel and the jurisdiction where a crime is committed are more... ... middle of paper ... ... it achieves justice. In my opinion, people who commit heinous crimes against humanity should be executed. Regardless of cost or how long it takes I believe that putting these people to death is the correct sentence, not only because I feel that they deserve to die but because the death penalty is a deterrent and society is better off without these criminals.

The principle of deterrence is based on the idea that the threat of punishment must be harsh enough to counter the benefits or pleasures that the criminal would receive from the illegal act. In addition, the punishment must be administered swiftly so that potential criminals will see a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the two. The most convincing argument for the deterrent effect of the death penalty comes from the commonsense belief that people fear death more than life in prison. "Once in prison, virtually all convicted murderers seek to avoid execution by appealing to reduce their sentence to 'life in prison' (Bender)." For example, in the Washington Post, a witness to a murder had been executed hours after testifying, so a second witness to the same murder, Arlin Budoo, decided he'd rather face life imprisonment for contempt of court rather than the strong possibility of death.

They fear most, death deliberately inflicted by law and scheduled by the courts….Hence, the threat of the death penalty may deter some murderers who otherwise might not have been deterred. And surely the death penalty is the only penalty that could deter prisoners already serving a life sentence and tempted to kill a guard, or offenders about to be arrested and facing a life sentence.” Ernest’s argument is that capital punishment is the strongest deterrent society has against murder. Isaac Ehrlich cond... ... middle of paper ... ...e the applicable punishment, which in some cases may be the death penalty. Capital punishment can be a difficult topic to approach because people tend to have extreme views on it. The death penalty is a benefit to society; it deters potential criminals as well as serves as retribution to criminals, and is in no way immoral.

The death penalty is unjust, equally sinful, and improper as the crime that was committed. The U.S. Constitution comprises and protects the rights and freedom of our people yet it finds capital punishment acceptable. What kind of country have we become that intentionally taking anyone’s life is acceptable. The death penalty has become a fatal attraction that should be abolished.

Death Penalty I. Introduction Attention Graber: Everyone knows that in the United States killing is wrong and if you do kill you get punish for it. Holly Near an activist tells us “Why do we kill people who are killing people to show that killing people is wrong?” Audience relevance: The United States is one Nation and that we believe that if you commit any crime you must be punished. If you commit a crime than you should be punish not murder. The death penalty is not a punishment.