There are strong pros and cons to the death sentence, but the pros outweigh the cons. One of the strongest is that the death penalty does not deter crime. Another argument against the death penalty is that it subjects potentially innocent people to suffer the ultimate penalty, thereby making the government the murdering criminal. Additionally, the investigative and court costs associated with prosecuting crimes associated with the death penalty are far higher than those associated with crime which subject only to life in prison with no option for early release. Finally, DNA and other investigative techniques already have vindicated a number of people wrongfully sentenced to death. If the death penalty has already been imposed, there is no recourse to eradicate society debt to restore those people to their rightful place in society.
The web site, Balanced Politics lists fourteen points on the “con” side of the argument and only nine on the “pro” side when it comes to the death penalty. . Attorney Bruce Fein, in an argument for the death penalty, presented the argument that the death penalty honors human dignity by “ treating the defendant as a free moral actor ” . This goes beyond the common augments to extend an additional depth to the moral considerations generally associated with this debate. It also raises issues associated with the government’s duty to act based upon the facts not upon moral judgments. As an argument against the death penalty, Amnesty International observes that the United States is the only Western Democracy that still imposes the death penalty. In their report, they observe that recent studies show not only does the death penalty fail to deter crime; it affects the United States global influence in the prosecution of international crimes, as other governments do not want their citizens executed by the American Justice System. . With the increased need for International cooperation in law enforcement this alone is a strong argument against the death penality.
References
Fein, B. (2008, June 17). The Death Penalty. Retrieved 3 30, 2012, from Pro Con: http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002000
Messerli, J. (2012). the death penalty pros and cons. Retrieved 3 30, 2012, from Balanced Politics: http://www.balancedpolitics.org/death_penalty.htm
Speilmann, P. J. (1012, 3 27). Capital Punishment. Retrieved 3 30, 2012, from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/27/capital-punishment_n_1381652.html
