There are a number of practical arguments made for the death penalty. Because the death penalty is such a powerful construct, many argue that it decreases crime rates through deterrence. While many believe that the death penalty is more of a deterrent than a lengthy prison sentence, the very concept of ‘deterrence’ is argued by many as inapplicable to criminal psychology, especially if mental illness is involved. Criminals rarely think about the consequences of their actions and this is especially true with crimes of passion.
Behind this reasoning, if an individual had committed a murder, that person’s punishment should ultimately be death itself. Both Pojman and van den Haag truly believe that retributivism helps protect our social order, and helps by eliminating the chances of vigilante justice. All guilty individuals deserve to be punished in proportion to the severity of their crime they had committed. This states that real justice requires people to suffer for their own wrongdoings, and to suffer in a way that is appropriate for the crime. For example, if murders are sentenced to death and are executed, potential murders will double think before killing another for the fear of losing their own lives.
Although a lot of people may disagree that using the death penalty is wrong because it 's taking the life of another human, many others agree that it 's right because it 's punishing people who don 't obey the laws of our county. The death penalty was given to a person for a very serious capital law such as murder, the death penalty was believed to “deter crime”. The Death Penalty was a punishment that was used against people who committed capital crimes, and as for their disobedience to their country they were given a certain punishment for their crime, some were more harsh than others believe it or not but they all resulted in death. There were many laws that could have been broken for one to receive the death penalty such as, murder treason and many more horrible crimes.
However, taking a man’s life as a form of justice is wrong. Therefore, the government should ban capital punishment and come together to create a different way to seek justice. Can capital punishment be reversed? Everybody makes mistakes. For example, if a jury wrongly convicts a person of murder and the person is sentenced to life in prison, the jury can immediately have the conviction overturned and the person will be released.
Society frowns down upon murder and is taken very seriously so that no one is wrongly convicted. When a person is convicted of murder the punishment still varies between the severities of the murder case. If it was manslaughter, the convicted would have to pay a fine and serve time for their recklessness. First degree and second degree murder convictions can range from a few years to life in prison and in some cases the death penalty. Murder is an example of how knowledge changes the consequences.
The death penalty shouldn’t be abolished nationwide. There are several different reasons why we should keep the death penalty. Some of reasons death penalty is still legal in most of the states is because it is viewed as revenge for pain and suffering that the criminal inflicted on the victim. In the same way, some people strongly believe that a person who has taken the life of another person does not have a right to live. The death penalty has proven to decrease the number of murder rates in the United States And some believe that convicts should not be allowed to live their life behind bars, it is better to kill them.
This can make a reader feel like they are buying into societal norms, and that it is not okay with humans doing such thing since it is not always right. Ryan then explains how the death penalty is not fair to everyone, murderer that some get sentenced to death row and some do not. He questions if this penalty is really meant for closure he states “Some advocate the death penalty as necessary to provide needed closure to surviving family members who have experienced the unspeakable horror of having a loved family member murdered” (Ryan) Closure is something that is to given to every family as he explains, that many murders are not sentenced to death
Henry Louis Mencken argues the two most commonly heard arguments against capital punishment in his essay “The Penalty of Death”. Mencken believes that the death penalty is a form of “katharsis” for the immediate victims of the crime. Katharsis being a release of healthy steam. He states that criminal punishment is not solely for deterring other criminals of similar crime, but to give a peace of mind to the society that has been wronged. Mencken also argues the complaint of “that of a hangman is a dreadful business” (463).
This usually happens in cases of murder or sexual assault. The average time on death row before execution has risen from 6 years to 16 years. I believe that it is critical that the death penalty becomes abolished because we won 't be taking away somebody else 's life or killing
To begin with one of the arguments against the death penalty system is that it puts innocent lives at risk. This occurs where wrongfully accused or innocent- presumed guilty individuals are sentenced to death row. The existing stress on quicker implementations, less resources for the accused, and an increase in the number of death cases mean that the execution of the not-guilty people is unavoidable. Courts are allowing executions to occur even when not sure about the defendant 's guilt. This majorly occurs to the less privileged individuals who cannot stand up for their rights or the oppressed who cannot do anything about the position they find themselves in.
The United States remains in the minority of nations in the world that still uses death as penalty for certain crimes. Capital punishment is seen by many as barbaric and against American values, while others see it as a very important tool in fighting violent pre-meditated murder. One of the supporters of the Death penalty was a man named Walter Berns (a professor of American constitutional law and political philosophy.) He wrote clearly about his view on the death penalty in his Crime and Delinquency article, “Defending the Death Penalty.” He argued that the “Opposition to capital punishment is a modern phenomenon, a product of modern sentiment and modern thought” (p. 504) and with the help of historical references and logical reasoning throughout
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, and the debate about its abolition is the largest point of the essay written by Steve Earle, titled "A Death in Texas”. This form of punishment should be abolished for 3 reasons; First, It does not seem to have a direct effect on deterring murder rates, It has negative effects on society, and is inconsistent with American ideals. To begin, the death penalty is unnecessary since it is ineffective at deterring rates of murder. In fact, 88% of the country's top criminologists do not believe the death penalty acts as a deterrent to homicide, according to the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. In opposition, supporters may argue that it may indeed help to deter murder rates as they have
The death penalty has always been one of the most highly debated consequence in the United States. Although some people will say you get what you deserve, is it really necessary for the United States to go to this extreme? Or are they taking it too far? The death penalty is as follows per death penalty.procon.org "Also called capital punishment - Execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense. Capital punishment should be distinguished from extrajudicial executions carried out without due process of law.
Ever since the outset of the American Constitution, capital punishment has existed as a crime sentence in the United States. However, in recent decades, this topic has become highly controversial, as many states have dictated against the death penalty. Although states with this position on capital punishment are increasing, some states, such as Texas, have continued to edict this practice in their provinces. In the State of Texas, the sentence to death upon a person should not be permitted due to the fact it can wrongly convict a person, its court trial is highly expensive, and it brings forth an unjust treatment.
The late, Louis Pojman, was a great American philosopher, who was known for his many writings such as A Defense of the Death Penalty. The death penalty has always been a very touchy subject for most people. People have their views of what they consider right or wrong. Philosopher Pojman was pro-death penalty, so naturally he had some who agreed with him and some that did not. As I read the “Best Bet” argument my opinion of murderers is that they deserve to be killed for their horrid actions.