Just the sound of the words murder or killing someone tells us that something is wrong. The thoughts and feelings we get after learning that someone has been killed, proves to us that killing is very wrong. Therefore, how can we be comfortable with passing a law that supports the death penalty? The death penalty is a legal procedure whereby the state executes a person as a punishment for the crimes/offenses he/she has committed (Kaufman 546). Therefore, when the capital punishment law is not abolished, it means that we will see many murders of people who this sentence has been passed on them. The capital punishment law should be repealed because it does not deter crimes, it is costly, and lastly, other sentences can be given apart from capital punishment. Moreover, it is a degrading, cruel, and an inhuman process that should not be supported because it denies an individual the fundamental human right to live.
Capital punishment laws should be abolished because they are against an individual’s basic human right to live. No person should be denied the right to live regardless of the crime he/she has committed. Hans et al. note that no one should decide the death of another (80). Capital punishment breaches two important human rights namely, the “the right to live a free life from torture and the right to life” (Flanders 690). We should note that these rights are documented and protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; therefore, these rights should not be taken for granted.
The death penalty allows for the execution of people convicted of first-degree murders and other heinous crimes. However, we should realize that there are other punishments like life incarceration, which can be given to people instead of killing them. Therefore, let us abolish the death penalty law and use the other available punitive measures to punish criminals of heinous crimes.
Secondly, the capital punishment law should be repealed because it is not an effective way to deter crimes. According to Manski, Charles, and John, capital punishment does not deter or decrease offenses in any way (130). Proponents argue that with the death penalty law, people will dissuade from crimes because of the fear of being executed by the state. However, this is not the case because many studies have revealed that countries that carry out more executions have the highest murder crimes rates.
The death penalty law should be abolished because the process is very costly. The process of capital punishment costs the state enormous amounts of money that can be directed to other important projects. Capital punishment trials cost a lot more compared to ordinary trials because they involve more lawyers, experts of the defense and prosecution, as well as additional investigators. Apart from the trial process, the state spends more on housing, feeding, and the security of the death row inmates, money that can be used to better the lives of these prisoners even when they are incarcerated.
Moreover, if this law is not abolished, there is the risk of executing innocent people. There are many recorded cases whereby imprisoned persons are pardoned after their cases are reviewed again and they are found not guilty. In fact, many individuals in jail right now for crimes they have not committed because of falsified evidence. Our systems are not perfect, meaning mistakes can happen in our justice system. Therefore, if we do not abolish these laws and an innocent person is blamed for an atrocious crime he/she has not committed, there is the risk of killing this guiltless person. Therefore, to avoid such mistakes, we should all fight against the death penalty laws to save the many lives of these innocent people.
Therefore, with the above arguments, it is evident that it is important to abolish the death penalty law and replace capital punishment with other punishments such as life imprisonment and even parole. Replacing the death penalty with other forms of punishment will not cost the state anything; in fact, it would help the state save a lot of money. When this is done, the country will save the many resources that are being wasted on this process and this can money can be directed to crime prevention and security programs. Moreover, we will help save the many innocent people who are being executed yet they are not guilty of the crimes against them. In essence, my proposition calls for the abolishing of the death penalty laws and replacing them with legislations that support other forms of punishment. Currently, we live in a modern world where many death penalty supporters have changed their minds on the subject. Therefore, the death penalty is degrading, inhuman, and a cruel process that should not be supported. Moreover, it is not effective in reducing or deterring crime; therefore, it does not help in the war against crimes. Therefore, death penalty laws should be abolished in all states because there are other alternative punishments to it.
Reflection
In this paper, it tried to persuade the audience to believe and accept that death penalty is wrong and these laws should be abolished. The audiences are lawmakers and politicians who are advocating for the death penalty. The target audience is significant because they are the people who will determine whether the death penalty should be legal or illegal. The audience feels that death penalty should not be abolished because it will help deter crimes such as murder and other atrocious crimes; however, this is not the case.
` Nonetheless, the appeal I used to persuade the audience is that there are other options apart from capital punishment. Moreover, I made it clear that death or a mistake cannot be paid for with another mistake. Even if the individual under trial killed someone, the dead person cannot be brought back to life with capital punishment.
In order to establish ethos and logos with my audience, I ensured that I gave out examples of how these laws can hurt the citizens, especially the innocent ones. In addition, I used the arguments against the procedure to persuade my intended audience, and I think this was successful.
Works Cited
Hans, Valerie P., et al. "The Death Penalty: Should the Judge or the Jury Decide Who Dies?" Journal of Empirical Legal Studies 12.1 (2015): 70-99. Print.
Kaufman, Sarah Beth. "The Death of the American Death Penalty: States Still Leading the Way." Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews 43.4 (2014): 545-547. Print.
Manski, Charles F., and John V. Pepper. "Deterrence And The Death Penalty: Partial Identification Analysis Using Repeated Cross Sections." Journal of Quantitative Criminology 29.1 (2013): 123-141. Print.
Flanders, Chad. "The Case against the Case against the Death Penalty." New Criminal Law Review: In International and Interdisciplinary Journal 16.4 (2013): 595-620. Print.
