Death Penalty - Opinion Piece
- Submitted by: Observer22
- Views: 224
- Category: Politics: Moral Issues
- Date Submitted: 01/10/2015 03:09 AM
- Pages: 3
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The death penalty has always been one of the most controversial issues in that's going around. As our species grows older and wiser, however, evidence clearly points to the fact that the death penalty is not a good solution.
There is no question that killing another person is the most heinous crime that one can commit. I am not sure why, but it seems that our government is being hypocritical when it states that capital punishment is allowable because, after all, the criminal did murder an innocent victim, and therefore should be killed. This is known as the "eye-for-an-eye theory." but of course then the whole world becomes blind. Of course, if we used this system all the time, there would be no need for laws. If someone hits me, I would hit him/her. How simple, we can all be primitive again.
A second argument that some people use to support capital punishment is that the fear of being given the death penalty is going to stop criminals from murdering. How many criminals would murder in the first place, even in a state where there is no capital punishment, if they thought there was a chance of getting caught? Most murderers feel that they have a fool-proof plan to get away with murder. Unfortunately, most are right.
In response, we are supposed to prohibit cruel and unusual punishment. If there is any punishment much crueler than death, please let me know.
In addition, it is time to face the fact that our judicial system is prejudiced. For instance; in southern states in the United States, 8 percent of the black criminals who murder get the death penalty. Only 1 percent of white murderers get capital punishment. Also, murderers are seven times more likely to get the death penalty for murdering a white person as they are if they murdered a black person. This strikes me as blatant prejudice.
Also, people are innately flawed with reckless emotion. Retribution is just another word for revenge, and the desire for revenge is one of the lowest human emotions...
There is no question that killing another person is the most heinous crime that one can commit. I am not sure why, but it seems that our government is being hypocritical when it states that capital punishment is allowable because, after all, the criminal did murder an innocent victim, and therefore should be killed. This is known as the "eye-for-an-eye theory." but of course then the whole world becomes blind. Of course, if we used this system all the time, there would be no need for laws. If someone hits me, I would hit him/her. How simple, we can all be primitive again.
A second argument that some people use to support capital punishment is that the fear of being given the death penalty is going to stop criminals from murdering. How many criminals would murder in the first place, even in a state where there is no capital punishment, if they thought there was a chance of getting caught? Most murderers feel that they have a fool-proof plan to get away with murder. Unfortunately, most are right.
In response, we are supposed to prohibit cruel and unusual punishment. If there is any punishment much crueler than death, please let me know.
In addition, it is time to face the fact that our judicial system is prejudiced. For instance; in southern states in the United States, 8 percent of the black criminals who murder get the death penalty. Only 1 percent of white murderers get capital punishment. Also, murderers are seven times more likely to get the death penalty for murdering a white person as they are if they murdered a black person. This strikes me as blatant prejudice.
Also, people are innately flawed with reckless emotion. Retribution is just another word for revenge, and the desire for revenge is one of the lowest human emotions...