Should the Death Penalty remain Enacted?

Introduction

The death penalty, which is also referred to as capital punishment, has existed in society for hundreds of years. Even from the beginning, the argument regarding this punishment is being used by society, whether it’s morally right or wrong. The perspective those who favor such kind of punishment credit it for controlling violent crimes, but on the other hand, those who are against this act of punishment present the prospect that the motive of criminal who commits the violent crime holds several other motives that can’t be stopped whether putting the death penalty of not. The violent crimes that happen in society come straight from a different set of thoughts and a state of mind, and they can’t be stopped for this significant act of punishment. The thought of committing such act of violent crimes leads the criminal to believe that he/she will never be caught, and the other reason can be that the fear of being caught is eliminated when the killer believes it’s the work of God that leads him/her to kill someone(Bohm, 25). Furthermore, this research paper will analyze both the arguments along with the morality or immorality of such an act of punishment.

Discussion

The most common argument states that the death penalty should remain enacted because not only does it bring justice in society by severely punishing the criminal, but it also sets an example for those who have the slightest amount of motivation and determination towards committing any violent crime. The high rate of crime not only exists in the United States of America, but in fact, other nations are also facing this problem. The killing and rape of innocent people for any particular reason or no reason at all have increased the disability in society. Even if the death penalty will not decrease the crime rate, it still plays its role by making a person think twice about whether to commit a violent crime or not. It’s the fear of punishment that will hold them back. Every human being desires not to die, and even criminals also think the same way of facing death. The violent crimes that will grant them death will hold them back and make those criminals think about whether the crime is worth losing their life or not. The studies have been conducted in order to know the perspective of the general public and also the rise and fall in crime rate as a result of the death penalty. The results show that there are a significant amount of people who are against the death penalty, but the result also shows that those nations who had stopped giving the death penalty are facing a rise in the crime rate. Apart from the crime rate and the general perception regarding the death penalty, at least those who had lost their loved ones would be able to have the satisfaction of receiving justice by seeing the predator facing the death sentence (Canes-Wrone et al., 15).

After going through the arguments in favor of capital punishment, there are several views that are against the death penalty, and even law enforcement agencies have several representatives who voted against capital punishment. Those people who are experienced in this field, where they have faced and dealt with several violent criminals, believe that the death penalty is not the solution to violent crimes. The studies had been conducted to figure out how many families are in favor or against the death penalty, and the result shows that now people don’t believe that granting death to criminals has replaced the amount of grief that they had to go through (Osler, Mark and Jeanne, 6). Considering all the other aspects, which include the cost of activities that happen when giving the death penalty, the surety that all the evidence has been tested, and the chance of giving another chance, it is worth going through. The other most significant aspect of the death penalty is that it is usually given to people who are non-white, which is clearly discrimination on behalf of law enforcement. The psychiatrists who have conducted studies also stated that the criminals who committed violent crimes are mostly mentally handicapped. The mental state doesn’t only involve insanity or disturbance, but low IQ is also considered to be the reason for committing a violent crime. The economic condition of people has also made them suffer enough that the current miserable condition started influencing them, and the fear of the consequences also lost its meaning to them. The state in which they had been living since birth was difficult enough that death started to seem the escape for them. In the end, human rights activists have also been influencing the government to eliminate such acts of punishment, which is against the law of morality. The person who had committed any crime and was found guilty deserves the chance to make amends (Vaughn, 67).

Conclusions

In conclusion, the death penalty, which was started several years ago by the kings to bring law and order, is still being enacted. Both the arguments that have been presented and analyzed here are true to their own place and should be considered in every case where the death penalty punishment is being considered. The lack of understanding of the consequences, along with the mental state, suggests that every human being deserves a second chance to make amends so that he/she can live a civil life. It is always immoral to kill anyone whether on a personal motive, punishment or if the criminal believes that he/she is committing the act of God.

Works Cited

Bohm, Robert M. Deathquest: An introduction to the theory and practice of capital punishment in the United States. Taylor & Francis, 2016.

Canes-Wrone, Brandice, Tom S. Clark, and Jason P. Kelly. “Judicial selection and death penalty decisions.” American Political Science Review 108.1 (2014): 23-39.

Osler, Mark, and Jeanne Bishop. “Victims: Transforming the Death Penalty Debate.” Capital Punishment: New Perspectives. Routledge, 2016. 131-144.

Vaughn, Lewis. Doing ethics: Moral reasoning and contemporary issues. WW Norton & Company, 2015.