The Pros And Cons Of Capital Punishment

Ernest van den Haag, a professor and author of “Punishing Criminals:Concerning a Very Old and Painful Question” wrote about the issue of deterrence: “…capital punishment is likely to deter more than other punishments because people fear death more than anything else. They fear most death deliberately inflicted by law and scheduled by the courts…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 van den Haag stated that capital punishment or the death penalty is the strongest deterrent that society has against murder, which has been proven in many cases. “Since society has the highest interest in preventing murder... ... middle of paper ... ...dant with a nonblack victim, regardless how severe the murder committed. Black-on-black crimes is less likely to receive a death sentence, followed by crimes by other defendants, regardless of the race of their victims.” It is important to note that in these cases, race may more easily become the deciding factor in who lives and who dies.

I agree with this statement because once a person is convicted of a harsh enough crime to be condemned to life in prison they should not be dependent on society’s hard earned cash. Not only does capital punishment clear up room in our already overcrowded prisons, but... ... middle of paper ... ...ty believe that the death penalty serves as the ultimate justice and that it will, in the end, deter murderers and promote the sacredness of human life. Abolitionists view it as harsh, unfair, and contradictory. They see hypocrisy in punishing murder by engaging in murder. Arguments for the death penalty are matched by those that support its abolition; the fight to abolish capital punishment seems to be far from over and only time will tell the story.

Not everyone will be deterred from committing heinous crimes because of the death penalty. However, since the death penalty is the highest penalty for crimes it will obviously evoke the most fear in a human being. This fear will save... ... middle of paper ... ...rt the healing process. If a state governed by law is to be able to show warmth, compassion and peace of mind to victims and their families, then the death penalty is the most effective way to bring this about. The argument to the above is that the death penalty does not bring back any victim to life, therefore, unnecessary.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Crime is a part of our lives, it is everywhere! Controlling or eliminating crime and criminals is no easy task but it can not be ignored. Making sure those that are rightly accused to a just punishment is very important. There are many reasons why people commit crimes; some do it for the shear of enjoyment others do it to be able to survive. The death penalty should not be used for every crime, although I strongly believe it should be used for those who commit very violent crimes, such as murder.

Capital punishment has been the “ultimate” price to pay for criminals over hundred of years. This form of punishment was designed to keep criminals off our streets and to scare people from committing heinous crimes, like murder. Without capital punishment, our society would seem as if it supported the act of murder. Showing that you will lose your life, if you choose to take the life of another, proves how seriously these crimes are taken by society. There are arguments for capital punishment, and there are arguments against it, but what is the best argument for/against having capital punishment?

Although criminal justice is supposed to protect the citizens in the surrounding areas, sometimes it can be a dangerous way for miscommunication to occur and things to be done or said wrongfully. The death penalty is an example of this incidence. To those that support the death penalty, capital punishment is in lines with the U.S. Constitution while simultaneously providing equity and justice to all; the death penalty is also more cost efficient than alternative sentencing. Whereas those that oppose the death penalty regard it as a form of unjust, ineffective, and immoral punishment. More than seventy percent of voters support the death penalty and according to followers of capital punishment, capital punishment upholds our society ((Sharp , 1997).

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. In general, the anti death penalty arguments often do not hold up when examined more thoughtfully. It is important that the nation is united on this issue, rather than having the it divided. The death penalty can be an incredibly advantageous apparatus in sentencing criminals that have committed some of the worst crimes known to society. It is crucial that we begin to pass legislation making capital punishment legal throughout the United States so that justice can be served properly.

One day Timmy is asked whether he believe the death penalty stops criminals, he answers that he no because it didn’t stop thugs from murdering his parents for their money. Most people who think the death penalty is effective don’t usually know all of the facts or how much time and money are used to put someone into death row. To good arguments for and against the effects of the death penalty are presented in our reading. Ernest Van den Haag argues that we should keep using the death penalty and Hugo Adam Bedau thinks that is obsolete and we should discontinue its use. I think both the arguments are convincing, but Bedau’s argument has statistics to back up his logic.

The number of potential murders that are deterred by the threat of a death penalty may never be known, just as it may never be known how many lives are saved with it. However, it is known that the death penalty does definitely deter those who are executed. Life in prison without the possibility of parole is the alternative to execution presented by those that consider words to be equal to reality. Nothing prevents the people sentenced in this way from being paroled under later laws or later court rulings. Furthermore, nothing prevents them from escaping or killing again while in prison.

However, America seems to to always want to put people in prison for life, but how is that fair to the criminals who did not commit such a horrible crime, but still gets the same punishment? The death penalty should be used more often, but is the death penalty the answer to crime? The death penalty is not the perfect answer to crime. Criminals should often be put to death; but this supposes a frequency of crimes, and from hence the punishment will cease to have its effect, so that it must be useful and useless at the same time (Black 74). So in other words, in all states where death is used as a punishment, every example supposes a new crime committed.