Capital punishment, which is also referred to as the death penalty, involves the legal act of executing a person as a way to punish them for their committed crime. It is typically used in cases where serious offenses such as aggravated murder, felony killing, or contract killing have occurred. Each state has its own laws and chooses how it prefers to carry out executions, including methods like lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, firing squad, and hanging. In this discussion, I will examine different viewpoints and share my personal opinion on the pros and cons connected with capital punishment.
The death penalty is a significant issue with profound effects on everyone involved. Personally, I hold conflicting emotions regarding capital punishment; however, I firmly believe that it is ethically unjustifiable to end someone’s life. As I have never had the unfortunate experience of losing a loved one to murder, I am unsure if my stance would change in favor of the death penalty. Therefore, when making crucial decisions concerning matters of life and death, I can only depend on divine guidance.
The media has a significant impact on society as it supplies the public with information that heavily influences decision-making in death penalty cases. Journalists, radios, TV, and news media not only analyze evidence but also shape public discussions by selecting which topics and stories receive attention. Consequently, mass media extensively covers crimes, causing challenges for all parties involved in emotionally charged trials like those related to capital punishment.
Media interaction can lead law enforcement officers involved in criminal cases to provide evidence for death penalty cases. The presence of cameras in the courtroom and subsequent media coverage may affect witness behavior and judges’ decision-making process in murder cases seeking capital punishment. While media coverage has both positive effects and negative consequences, it impacts all parties involved in prosecuting these types of cases.
In modern society, the question arises about whether the traditional concept of “an eye for an eye” applies when examining the advantages of capital punishment. A cold-blooded killer is defined as someone who deliberately and without remorse or compassion plans and carries out a murder intentionally, disregarding the worth of human life.
I am in favor of implementing the death penalty as a means to permanently remove criminals from society and create a safer world. According to the death penalty information center, 33% of the U.S. population supports this punishment. Additionally, for those who have suffered the loss of their loved ones due to murder, the death penalty brings a sense of closure.
Rather than being seen as a state-imposed treatment program, the death penalty is considered a valid form of punishment. It involves executing criminals, subjecting them to suffering. The effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent for potential murderers is an ongoing topic of debate and challenging to determine. However, I believe that its primary purpose is to serve as a long-lasting method of punishment rather than acting as a deterrent for crime.
There are various grounds for opposing the death penalty. It is argued by some that executing someone for a violent crime is morally wrong, as it would be akin to committing murder. Others propose that instead of capital punishment, individuals convicted of violent offenses should participate in extensive treatment programs. The ACLU states that in 1972, the Supreme Court ruled in Furman v. Georgia (408 U.S. 238) that the death penalty, as per the laws then in place, constitutes cruel and unusual punishment and consequently violates both the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.
The Court ruled that death penalty laws were unconstitutional due to their excessive severity, unpredictability, and unfairness. To highlight the wide-reaching effect of this decision, the Court promptly invalidated death sentences in numerous cases involving various state statutes, crimes, and factual scenarios.
Opposition against the death penalty arises due to concerns regarding the possibility of innocent individuals being executed for murder. In certain states, prosecutions can occur without complete knowledge of all the facts, leaving only the murderer and victim aware of the true nature of the crime. The perpetrator might even endeavor to deny their participation in first-degree murder.
According to Priya Johnson, the death penalty is more expensive compared to keeping the same criminal in prison for life. Supporting facts provided by Amnesty International USA state that a 2003 legislative audit in Kansas found that the estimated cost of a death penalty case was 70% higher than that of a comparable non-death penalty case. The cost of a death penalty case includes all expenses until execution, with a median cost of $1.26 million. Conversely, the cost of a non-death penalty case includes expenses until the end of incarceration, with a median cost of $740,000 (December 2003 Survey by the Kansas Legislative Post Audit).
According to a report released by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Office of Research in 2004, trials involving the death penalty in Tennessee are on average 48% more expensive than trials where prosecutors seek life imprisonment. The Urban Institute reported that death penalty cases in Maryland cost three times as much as non-death penalty cases, with one case in March 2008 amounting to $3 million. Furthermore, the California Commission for the Fair Administration of Justice disclosed that California’s current death penalty system costs approximately $137 million per year, while a system without the death penalty would only require $11.5 million annually as of July 2008.
Priya Johnson states that the expenses associated with a trial, both before and during it, consist of a continuous sequence of appeals and legal conflicts. This is specifically applicable to trials that involve capital punishment as they necessitate special motions and extra time for selecting the jury. Moreover, the costs of investigation, especially by the prosecution, increase considerably. Consequently, allocating funds towards the death penalty diminishes crucial resources for crime prevention, mental health care, rehabilitation programs, and important victim services.
The death penalty is a divisive legal process that generates different viewpoints in society. Every day, criminals commit murders, showing no respect for human life. Supporters of the death penalty believe these murderers are inherently wicked and assert that methods like lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, firing squad, or hanging cannot truly bring solace to the victims’ families. They wonder why taxpayers should bear the expenses of lifelong incarceration and permit these criminals to communicate with their loved ones.
Those in favor of the death penalty contend that murderers should not be spared from receiving the same consequence. They advocate for proportional punishment, asserting that taking a life justifies execution through methods approved by the state. On the other hand, those against capital punishment argue that killing someone has no purpose. They believe that executing an individual will not alleviate one’s pain and could even be perceived as an act of homicide.
The cost of the trial and charges to execute someone is a burden on American resources that could be better allocated towards crime prevention, mental health treatment, rehabilitation, and victim services. Opponents argue that no one has the right to take another person’s life, which is why they do not support the death penalty. The debate over the pros and cons of capital punishment has endured for years in society. Personally, I believe the issue of whether murderers should be put to death will always be a subject of debate. I do not have a clear stance on the death penalty; rather, I can only hope that this country makes wise decisions when it comes to matters of life and death.
Works Cited
- Johnson, Priya. Death Penalty Pros and Cons, 02/13/, 2010 Retrieved http://www.buzzle.com/articles/death-penalty-pros-and-cons.html
- “Death Penalty”. Study Mode.com. 11, 2009 Retrieved http://www.studymode.com/essays/Death-Penalty-258808.html.
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Greenberg, Jack, (1986) Against the American System of Capital Punishment (Copyright 1986 by the Harvard Law Review Association)
Retrieved http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/angel/procon/greenbergarticle.html The Case against the Death Penalty
