Capital Punishment
View:
The death penalty is the ultimate warning for the criminals and murderers. If the criminals know that the justice system will not stop at putting him to death, then the system appears more draconian to him. Hence, he is less inclined to break and enter. He may have no intention of killing anyone in the process of robbing them but is much more apprehensive about the possibility if he knows that he will be executed. Thus, there is a better chance that he will not commit the crime in the first place.
Secondly, it provides closure for victims. There are many victims of a single murder. The criminal gets caught, tried, and convicted and it is understood that the punishment will be severe. But the person he killed is no longer a part in this. Unfortunately, the murderer has deprived the victim’s family and friends of a loved one. The grief begins with the murder and does not end after execution of the murderer. The family and loved ones will at least feel relief after the murderer is killed since they don’t have to know that the criminal is still alive. A system in place for the justice cannot give justice to the surviving victims until the criminal is out to death.
If murder is the willful deprivation of a victim’s right to live, then the justice system has every right to take away the murderer’s life. It could be argued that without the capital punishment the justice system makes no equal response to a murder or a crime, and thus no justice is provided to the victim who was killed.
- Catsiya Rani Sekar I BBA 'A'
Counter view:
A society is always determined by its attitude towards women, children and the elderly. Perhaps, in this test to be civilized, their attitude towards death penalty should also be included as criteria. Over the years, history has taught us many different ways on how to control or punish people who do not follow the rules and laws imposed by society and courts. These are adopted by society to establish certain accepted standards of behavior. The death penalty is the most discussed punishment which does not leave many people indifferent.
There are many moral arguments against the death penalty. The first reason against the death penalty is ethical and moral principles. Each of us has the right to live and we have no right to deprive people of this. Moreover, the death of a murderer cannot bring peace to the victim, the death of a murderer cannot reverse the crime, and the death of a single murderer will never ensure that the act of murder never takes place again.
The second reason is the risk of executing the innocent people. The death penalty alone imposes an irrevocable sentence. Once the victim is executed, nothing can be done to teach him morality. There are numerous cases wherein innocent people were sentenced to death. The capital punishment cannot solely rely upon to deliver justice. Studies show that two-thirds of the trials contained serious errors and innocent people were killed. Society takes many risks in which innocent lives can be lost. When we construct bridges or buildings, we are aware that some workers will be killed during the construction. But wrongful executions can be prevented.
The death penalty is applied unfairly. Almost all defendants facing the penalty cannot afford their own attorney. Hence they are totally dependent on the lawyers assigned to them, many of whom lack experience and knowledge.A poorly represented defendant is more likely to be convicted or given the death sentence. With respect to race, many studies have shown that death penalty is likely where a white person is murdered than when a black person is murdered. The death penalty is racially used as it shows that white people’s lives are more valuable than black peoples.
-Ruby Joy Nagaraj
1 BBA ‘A’
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