Death Penalty, Revenge or Justice?
Death Penalty, Revenge or Justice? by: Tiffany Efni
Death penalty, or also known as the capital punishment, is one of the most debated topics in the judicial system of the world. It has existed long before 2500 BC, when Hammurabi (Mesopotamia civilization) created the first written law called ‘Codex Hammurabi’. The principal of the codex is generally ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’. At that time, it was most likely if a person committed a capital crime, such as murder or theft, they were executed to maintain harmony in the community and to bring solace to those who knew the victim. Mesopotamia’s culture of killing a criminal was carried out into this modern era. But the truth is, it has basically divided the world into two groups –those who support death penalty, and those who against it.
In modern world nowadays, killing a criminal is more and more being considered as a barbaric, even evil practice with revenge instead of retribution as the sole motivating factor. Some countries in the world which are against the death penalty think that death penalty does nothing to discourage crimes. Terrorists are still causing terror here and there without afraid of getting ambushed. Those terrorists are not afraid to die, so threatening them with the capital punishments won’t make them stop their terrors. Death penalty system also cannot be separated from the possibility of executing the innocent man. Most of the terrorists are usually using an innocent man who had an unstable mental to carry out their mission. If the legal still persists to kill them, it means they are going against the human rights. Most countries that don’t do death penalty usually questioned the motives behind the death sentenced. The motives for the death penalty may be for revenge. Legal vengeance solidifies social solidarity against law breakers and is the alternative to the private revenge of those who feel harmed.
But one argument can’t always be accepted by both parties. People who support
Death penalty, or also known as the capital punishment, is one of the most debated topics in the judicial system of the world. It has existed long before 2500 BC, when Hammurabi (Mesopotamia civilization) created the first written law called ‘Codex Hammurabi’. The principal of the codex is generally ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’. At that time, it was most likely if a person committed a capital crime, such as murder or theft, they were executed to maintain harmony in the community and to bring solace to those who knew the victim. Mesopotamia’s culture of killing a criminal was carried out into this modern era. But the truth is, it has basically divided the world into two groups –those who support death penalty, and those who against it.
In modern world nowadays, killing a criminal is more and more being considered as a barbaric, even evil practice with revenge instead of retribution as the sole motivating factor. Some countries in the world which are against the death penalty think that death penalty does nothing to discourage crimes. Terrorists are still causing terror here and there without afraid of getting ambushed. Those terrorists are not afraid to die, so threatening them with the capital punishments won’t make them stop their terrors. Death penalty system also cannot be separated from the possibility of executing the innocent man. Most of the terrorists are usually using an innocent man who had an unstable mental to carry out their mission. If the legal still persists to kill them, it means they are going against the human rights. Most countries that don’t do death penalty usually questioned the motives behind the death sentenced. The motives for the death penalty may be for revenge. Legal vengeance solidifies social solidarity against law breakers and is the alternative to the private revenge of those who feel harmed.
But one argument can’t always be accepted by both parties. People who support