The ongoing debates about the capital punishment split the whole audience in two: those in favor of depriving criminals their basic right for life, and those, who think that it is inhumane, and must be abolished.
Even though every human has a right to live, there are certain circumstances whereby this right can be overruled, for instance, taking the life of a person. The death penalty has been adopted by many states and is commonly used for heinous crimes, especially murder. It is also used for crimes against the state, such as treason, crimes against humanity, espionage, and violent crimes, being the part of Federal Government’s military justice. The debate over death penalty has been going on for years now and continues to be extremely controversial and complicated issue. It is now discussed as a religious, ethical, and legal issue, and is believed to be the only punishment that gives justice to the victims involved.
In the ongoing debate on capital punishment, mixed reactions can be heard, depending on one’s faith and principles. I strongly believe that if all states approved capital punishment, many innocent lives could be saved, with justice being done to the victims. But if this penalty is scrapped though, there will be no deterrence left, and murderers will continue to kill unabated.
Human life is sacred, and is granted by God, and only by God can it be taken, not by any other human being; sometimes this idea is used for justification of death penalty. There is no rationalization at all as to why someone who denies another the right to live should be left unpunished. Though inhumane, the justice must, however, decide the exact murderers that should be left alive so that they can later have a taste of their own cruelty. Some people with criminal record have even gone to the extent of moving to states that are not in favor of this punishment. In the process, they have escaped the judicial system and denied justice to the victims. To add, I would like to say that it is possible for such people to continue killing, since they are let free, yet they are murderers. That is the main reason for present advocacy of enforcing capital punishment in multiple states. Capital punishment should be meted out to persons who have been convicted legally for the atrocious crimes they have committed. This way, it acts as deterrence to existing and would-be offenders and might result in the reduction of murderers in our society (Schabas 67). If the state fails to execute such offenders, many lives are put in danger, particularly when the offender turns out to be a serial killer. There is a possibility of homicide rates dropping by a large margin, if the judicial system approves capital punishment in every state.
Everybody is entitled to the right of life, but sometime people should be and be deprived of this right for the sakes of others. Murder is the worst form of inhuman and horrifying act that can ever be perpetuated on an individual. Why should an individual, who denies another their most basic right be letf alive? For this purpose all states must support capital punishment to protect the lives of those innocent people. Capital punishment is the best punishment that can be used to protect people’s lives. No one should deny another person the right to live, and, if death penalty is passed to those who commit murder, it will be the best way to protect this right. Since life is sacred according to all religions, no one should be deprived of the right to live; hence, murderers should be put to death by the state to protect the right to life of its citizenry. Death penalty helps to get rid of repeat murders and to prevent foreseeable killings or massacre as was recently witnessed in Norway (Mandery 92). In order to serve justice to the victims, it is necessary to end the life of the murderer as a deserving punishment.
Another advantage of death penalty is deterrence. Death penalty helps to maintain law and order. Criminals will always stay aware of the possible aftermath of their actions, thus they will refrain from committing any crime that might lead to them losing their lives. Law and order cannot be maintained as long as the state remains lenient with the criminals. However much people argue that it will not deter everyone by using death penalty; I suppose that it might possibly deter some crimes, as many will fear being executed and so will not commit unrightfully deeds. It deters murderers in the sense that by taking the life of a convicted murderer, they will not be around to kill once again, but if they are imprisoned, they will still get an opportunity to kill.
Capital punishment is the best punishment given to perpetrators of heinous crimes, and abusers of minors under 16. Even though many people have been against death penalty, I support it, for I strongly believe that if all states approve it, many innocent lives can be saved and it can result in justice being done to the victims. In addition, everyone is entitled to the right of life and no one should be deprived of this right. Capital punishment should be supported by all states because it will help reduce heinous crimes and restrain potential murderers. This will help save many lives and law and order shall be maintained. All states should make sure that their laws are not lenient on criminals but strict to serve its best humanitarian purpose.
Works Cited
Vaughn, Lewis. "Capital Punishment." Doing Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2008. Print.
Mandery, Evan. Capital Punishment a balanced Examination. New York: Jones & Bartley Publishers, 2005. Print.
Schabas, William. The abolition of Death Penalty in International Law. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Print
