The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty

The death penalty is needed to deter crime in the United States. The death penalty has been around since ancient times, and it has served as a punishment for serious crimes. Capital punishment has shown the world that committing serious crimes such as murder and treason are looked down upon, and that it will not be tolerated. In order to discourage wrongdoing in our country, the death penalty is needed. The principle reasons for the death penalty are convicted criminals are used to deter crime and all people killed by the death penalty are convicted criminals. These two facts confirm that all people killed by the death penalty are people used by the government to prevent crime. Although there are several objections to this statement, these

One major objection is the morality of capital punishment. Multiple people believe that this sentence is cruel and unusual. In the article “Should we put the Death Penalty on the Chopping Block,” it is stated that “it is not a justification to kill offenders to show to the public that killing people is wrong.” Other objections are religious, and are established by people’s spiritual beliefs. Another objection that has made a tremendous impact on people’s opinions is the cost of the death penalty. When dealing with capital punishment, there are more trials and more attorneys that are needed. Various people argue that the cost of capital punishment is a con that outweighs any of the pros. These people suggest that life without parole sentences do not cost as much. The biggest objection of all would be that the death penalty does not cause deterrence of crime. In an article written by Daniel Nagin it is stated that, “the scholarly evidence on the deterrent effect of capital punishment is too weak to guide decisions.” Some research that has been conducted is flawed and does not have the ability to conclude anything major about the deterrence of crime made by the death penalty, which is also discussed in Nagin’s

The fact is that the criminal had the choice between right and wrong, and by choosing to do the wrong thing, he or she gave up the right to dictate his or her future. Death penalty cases do cost extra than a life without parole sentence; however, because there are a greater number of life without parole sentences, the costs even out. The deterrence of crime that the death penalty creates is not seen very well in statistics because of some flaws in the research. Although the statistics are not in favor nor against capital punishment, common sense is in favor of the death penalty. Ernest Van Den Haag, a supporter of the death penalty once said, “People fear nothing more than death.” This fear of death has the ability to dissuade criminals. If criminals weren’t afraid of death, they wouldn’t put so much effort into receiving life in prison instead of the death penalty. Serious crimes are discouraged and deterred by the death