Why Is Capital Punishment Wrong

The Death Penalty is Criminal
A man sits waiting for his execution. He has been found guilty of murder and the government sees it fit that he should be punished in the same way. But wait- doesn’t an eye for an eye leave the whole world blind? What if this man was falsely accused and he is innocent? He could be an upstanding citizen and a positive attribute to society. He might even have a family of his own to care and provide for. Capital punishment exists because some believe it deters crime. If criminals know their punishment will be death, they will not commit murder. Some believe a death for a death is fair. They believe it gives some closure and peace because the murderer is rid of forever. And that though it might be expensive, it
Being Catholic and taught social justice in high school, I learned that it is important to forgive and that it is also wrong to end another person’s life. Theologians believe it is not our right as humans to decide when someone else should die. Catholics get most of their beliefs from the Word of Jesus Christ and He also teaches us to be forgiving and understanding because we are all sinners. Christ leads by example by forgiving his enemies and executors while dying on the cross for their sins: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He also intervened to prevent capital punishment when he challenged those who would put to death a woman accused of wrongdoing: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (Christian Theologians Take a Stand Against the Death Penalty). It is said that the death penalty gives closure to the victim 's families. Some family members of crime victims may take years or decades to recover from the loss of a loved one. Judy Kerr, whose brother was murdered, recognized that “the death penalty [would not] bring [her] brother back or help to apprehend his murderer.” She suggested that governments invest in programs that will “actually improve public safety and get more killers off the streets” (Quotes by Families of Homicide Victims). Wouldn’t family and friends feel more at peace if they grew to forgive the person, regardless of the crime? New Hampshire
What happens if an innocent person is convicted of murder and is executed for something they did not even do? That person could be the parent of a child or a brother or sister who is a good citizen of society. On August 26, 2008, Michael Blair of Texas became the 130th person released from death row with evidence of innocence since 1973 (Effectiveness of the Death Penalty). Dozens of others have either been released through probable innocence or had their sentences shortened due to possible innocence. Of the more than 1,000 people executed since 1976, how many could have also been innocent? More than a few documented cases exist where DNA testing showed that innocent people were put to death by the government. Mentally ill patients may also be put to death. Many people are born with brain defects that cause them to act a certain way and it is not fair that someone should be executed just because they were unlucky enough to be born with a mental illness. It still must be proven to the judge and jury that the defendant is mentally ill although it is technically unconstitutional to put a mentally ill patient to