The death penalty is a necessary form of punishment in the United States. There are several reasons for supporting this controversial issue.
First of all, many argue that there is the possibility of convicting and killing an innocent person by mistake. It can’t be denied that it is immoral to kill innocent people. This fact, however, is one reason why the death penalty should be allowed. The benefits gained by society from being able to execute murderers far outweigh the potential risk of sentencing an innocent person to death. Capital punishment has a strong deterrent effect on potential future criminals. Each execution deters between 3 and 18 murders. Therefore, even if the occasional innocent person is sentenced to death, this punishment will in turn save a greater number of lives. Of course, our country carries out the death penalty with the assumption that the convicted person is truly guilty. With this assumption holding true in the vast majority of cases, capital punishment is effective in providing just retribution for the worst of criminals, while deterring future murders.
The opinion that the death penalty discriminates against racial minorities is false. Whites who are arrested for murder are slightly more likely to be sentenced to death than blacks arrested for murder (1.6 percent vs. 1.2 percent). This proves that there is no racial discrimination against minorities.
5 comments:
I think that you have a strong topic to argue, but your argument could be better if it was clearer. Your argument seems more focused on introducing the common disagreements associated with the death penalty rather that stating how the death penalty is a positive form of punishment. I think it would also be helpful if you could include more facts and statistics in your argument. I feel like the part about discrimination is kind of random and short. Maybe include a better lead-in, such as "Many people are against the death penalty because they feel that is is discriminatory towards racial minorities. This opinion, however is not true." -- and then give your statistics. Overall, I think you chose a really good topic, and I think you have a strong argument that could just use a little fine tuning!! Good job!!
I think that it is just cruel to say that it is okay to subject innocent lives in hopes of stopping an criminal. You think that it is okay, to just say “Hey, it doesn’t matter that they are innocent, we will kill other murderers to make up for their life.” No one’s life is worth any amount-it is simply priceless. There is nothing that you can do or say to make up for killing an innocent person’s life. What if one of those innocent people was you? And you say it is okay if we kill an innocent person because of how many guilty people you kill will make up for it. Will that make up for your own life-killing other guilty murderers?
Imagine yourself, spending most of your life in jail, just letting your life rot away behind bars for something that you didn’t do. Imagine yourself, walking down through the hall way, and then rolling in on a gurney to the execution chamber (and in your heart knowing that this is all wrong and that you did not deserve this). Your hands and ankles are locked to the gurney by restraints. A sheet is then placed over your head and they inject you with the lethal injection. So I ask to you, is it fair that we continue to kill inmates knowing that there is a possibility that we could be killing an innocent person?
I think that your topic is a very good one, but I think that it should be a little longer and have a little more evidence to support the arguement. Other than that your arguement is good.
I am in full agreement with your argument. The death penalty is very much necessary and useful member of our penal system. Some crimes deserve for the life of the perpetrator to be ended due to the brutality, number or age of the victims. To remove the death penalty from out justice system would remove the fear of losing your life for taking another in the eyes of some perpetrators. As for your specific take, you may want to attempt to clarify what you are saying. There is alot of imformation presented and maybe you should consider re-arranging the order or supporting of your points more clearly... over all i enjoyed the argument.
When I think of the Death Penalty, the words cruel and unusual punishment comes to my mind. It seems that the Death Penalty is totally barbaric, relating back to the old days when hangings and slavery took place. Some people may think that others may not like the death penalty because of sympathy for the convicted felon. But on the contrary, murder, to me is a lack of respect for human life. Do we have a lack of respect for human life, by killing these people? Like I stated in my brief, aren’t we just being hypocritical by “murdering” (the heinous crime) the murderers. Don’t you agree that the death penalty could send out the message that human life no longer deserves respect?
Another main issue about the death penalty is the cost. It costs way too much to just have one person executed versus life in prison. “In Texas, a death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years (Davis).” To me, it does not seem that the cost of life in prison is anywhere close to the cost of the death penalty. Even if the cost of life in prison is rising, it can only be considered minute next to the colossal amount we have to pay for the death penalty. Why not use life in prison, when it guarantees no future crimes?
It can also be seen that life in prison would be a more just and harsh punishment than the death penalty without actually having to take their life away. Just think of the murderer have to rot away in a cell for the rest of their life; with no ability to go out into the real world and to live as a civil human being once again. Wouldn’t the pain of suffering and aggravation seem fit for the cost of their crime? A life sentence in prison clearly seems more effective.
We as America should stand for all that is right, and just. We must show by example, what is decent and humane and by that we should not kill people. When we look at what our country is founded on; such as the amendments, it clearly shows the answer to whether death penalty is a proper punishment for criminals. Amendments 8 and 14 state that there should be no cruel and unusual punishment inflicted on any human being. It also states that no state can take away any person’s life, liberty, and property. By using the death penalty as a means of punishment it is clearly going against the stone foundation that our forefathers have set for us.
In the end people may think that people deserve their life to be taken away because of something that they did. But is killing that person going to bring the other back to life? It does not redeem the life of the one lost. Why stoop to the level of the criminal themselves? It only makes us look like we are no better than them. Is that we want to be portrayed as?
Davis, Diane. "Economic Impact of Death Penalty vs. Life Sentence." 4-8-2008 http://greensboropeerpressure.blogspot.com/2006/08/economic-impact-of-death-penalty-vs_03.html
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