The Importance of the Death Penalty - 2120 Words

The Importance of the Death Penalty Lorena Pula PHI 107 Dr. Latasha Williams-Fleming September 12, 2009 The Importance of the Death Penalty The world can be a dark and cruel place to live in. Proof of this cruelty can be easily determined just by watching the news, or reading a newspaper of current events. It seems like every day a horrendous crime is committed: murder, kidnapping, and child molestation, just to name a few. These crimes are sufficient proof that there is enough evil in the world to make even the atheist pray for divine intervention. Amazingly, the human species has survived long enough to see another day. Perhaps the reason for our survival is sheer luck, but most of us would agree that luck has nothing to do with†¦show more content†¦It makes a strong case for why the death penalty is very impertinent to our society. It will eliminate all chances of a repeated offense. It is also a great preventive measure to securing the lives of innocent people. However, as with every controversial issue, there are always two sides to consider. Opponents of the death penalt y argue that the death penalty violates the basic human right to life. They believe that prison sentences are a satisfactory alternative to the death penalty for criminals who commit even the most horrific crimes. They present their case by contradicting the very same reasons that validate the death penalty. In addition to their counter arguments, they further argue that it sometimes leads to the death of innocent people and that it discriminates by race. Even after considering objections made against it, I have addressed the statements of opposition to illustrate that the need for the death penalty exceeds these objections. The people who oppose the death penalty argue that retribution is another word for revenge, and that killing someone who has killed someone close to you is simply to continue the cycle of violence (Should the death penalty be used for retribution, 2009). This is not true. According to Pojman, people often confuse retribution with revenge. Retributivism is the th eory that the criminal deserves to be punished in proportion to the crime, whether or not the victim or anyone else desires it. VengeanceShow MoreRelatedThe Debate Over Death Penalty1618 Words   |  7 PagesReiner Writing 39C 7/20/16 Debates over Death Penalty in the United States The issue of death penalty today is a popular topic for numerous public and scholarly discussions. The death penalty has a long and distinguished history in the United States, as it has been around in some form—either official or otherwise—since the beginning of American society. America originally adopted the British justice system, with hundreds of crimes being punishable by death. Slowly but surely, states began to eliminateRead MoreDeath Penalty Research Paper1710 Words   |  7 PagesThe Death Penalty Research Paper English Composition ENG101 03 December 2011 Abstract The death penalty is a subject of much debate amongst the American people. Some people support capital punishment while others do not. Examination of sources and analyses of important history regarding the death penalty will hopefully add to the understanding of why it is so important in our day and age to have such a penalty to deter and deal with the most violent of offendersRead MoreCapital Punishment is Barbaric Essay815 Words   |  4 Pagesalways been a controversial issue. For most of history, most governments have punished numerous crimes by way of death. However, in the mid-18th century critics of this form of punishment began to emphasize the worth of the individual. They considered these practices unjust. The controversy and debate continue today. The first significant movement to the abolishment of the death penalty occurred during an era known as the Age of Enlightenment. Critics of capitol punishment protest that it is brutalRead MoreSentencing Guilty Verdict1067 Words   |  4 PagesI. Introduction Sentencing is defined as the penalty phase which follows a guilty verdict levied for a criminal act (The Free Dictionary, 2014). Sentencing attempts to accomplish four goals: a. Punishment b. Incapacitation c. Deterrence d. Rehabilitation (Renter, 2008) When imposing legal sanctions we must consider the criminal act committed. The importance of this consideration lies in fact that the punishment should fit the crime. We would not want to sentence a child to life imprisonment forRead MorePublic Policy Issues in Texas831 Words   |  3 Pagesevidence suggests that after generations of unfettered hostility toward immigration, many Texans are moderating their stance. For instance, the article by McKinley (2013) asserts that the GOP establishment finally seems willing to understand the importance of fair immigration reform, and stop letting a small vocal minority scream about deportation for all. (McKinley, p. 1) This represents an important shift toward the center in a state whose policy-makers are decidedly right-leaning. The promiseRead MoreThe Debate On Death Penalty1447 Words   |  6 PagesThe debate on death penalty In her book Last Words From Death Row: The Walls Unit, Norma Herrera writes about the tribulations she and her family went through while trying to free her brother, Leonel, from the death row. Despite showing glaring and overwhelming evidence claiming his innocence, Leonel was sentenced to death for a crime that he did not commit. His last words to the world were, â€Å"I am innocent, innocent, innocent. I am an innocent man, and something very wrong is taking place tonightRead MoreThe Death Penalty Of The United States948 Words   |  4 Pages The death penalty is a huge controversy in the United States. There are many different feelings regarding the death penalty. Some feel like it is the easy way out for people who have committed heinous acts, and others feel like it is the perfect justice for those individuals. An argument made by the website ListVerse explained, that people teach their children not to steal, or commit crimes because they will be sent to prison and punished ( ListVerse). Completing their argument, the same websiteRead MoreThe Death Penalty : An Important Development For The Human Right868 Words   |  4 Pagesthose who belong to the United Nation (UN). On the flip side, the death penalty as practiced by most of the countries had its record since the 8th century (in Roman law). The reformation movement against capital punishment took place during the last half of the century. The debates on the abolition of death penalty sill exist today within the legal fraternity, and so the purpose of this essay is to explore how far the death penalty is justifiable in view of right to life that has been enshrined inRead MoreShould Capital Punishment Be Abolish?981 Words   |  4 PagesShould capital punishment be abolish? The answer should definitely be, no. Without the death penalty, criminals would oppose the law more aggressively. Criminals would openly do as they like, because they would no longer have the restriction from the law. Meaning wi thout the law, the crime rate would escalate greatly. Yet in light of this importance, opponents (against capital punishment) offer their oppositional viewpoints. They combat what they consider the menace of social order. They question:Read MoreShould the Death Penalty Be Legal? Essay598 Words   |  3 PagesThere is a lot of controversy about whether the death penalty should be legal or not. It is widely used, with only 18 out of the 50 states having abolished it, but should it be permitted, regardless of the popularity of it? The answer is no. It should be abolished because it demeans life, is cruel, prison is a better punishment, and it is not effective. Steve Earle once said â€Å"My objection to the death penalty is based on the idea that this is a democracy, and in a democracy the government is me,