Capital Punishment & the Death Penalty
Capital Punishment and the Death Penalty The old saying goes, "an eye for an eye," and as for me, I agree. How many people feel it 's the right thing to do to murder those who have murdered? Many families have lost loved ones due to violent crimes and murders criminals have committed. We read about and see on TV heinous crimes being committed, innocent families being slaughtered, and children being violated. I can 't imagine how much pain victims must feel and go through, but I know that if it were my loved ones I would want revenge. The taking of innocent lives can be justly served by taking the life of the person who commits the murder. This may not be the greatest reason to support capital punishment and the death penalty, but it 's a good enough reason for me because I feel it brings closure to the families of the victims. Since ancient times the death penalty has been used as a way to punish criminals for a variety of offenses. Supporters of capital punishment believe it removes the worst criminals from our society that it helps to save money compared to sentencing criminals to life in prison, that it 's an appropriate punishment for the crime of murder, and that it proves to deter other criminals from committing serious offenses. These are all arguments for the death penalty that will be mentioned later in more detail as you read further.
Opponents believe in abolishment of the death penalty, which dates back to the mid 1700 's in Europe, where opponents believed that the alternative to the death penalty would be better suited by life in prison for criminals. They believe that the death penalty is not only cruel and unusual punishment, but that it doesn 't help deter criminals from committing serious offenses. Opponents today also argue that criminals are receiving ineffective counsel, that racism exists against minorities and the poor, that it costs more money to execute than serving life without parole, and that by using the death penalty we
Opponents believe in abolishment of the death penalty, which dates back to the mid 1700 's in Europe, where opponents believed that the alternative to the death penalty would be better suited by life in prison for criminals. They believe that the death penalty is not only cruel and unusual punishment, but that it doesn 't help deter criminals from committing serious offenses. Opponents today also argue that criminals are receiving ineffective counsel, that racism exists against minorities and the poor, that it costs more money to execute than serving life without parole, and that by using the death penalty we
Cited: Dezhbakhsh, Hashem., and Joanna M. Shepard. "The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: Evidence from a 'Judicial Experiment '." Economic Inquiry. 44.3 (2006): 512-35. "Does the Death Penalty Deter?" The Wilson Quarterly. 30.3 (2006): 77-8. King, Rachel. "The Impact of Capital Punishment on Families of Defendants and Murder Victims ' Family Members." Judicature. 89.5 (2006): 292-96. Levey, S