Death Penalty Persuasive Essay Example

Death Penalty Persuasive Essay Introduction

In the present time, the death penalty is rarely used in society. One supposes that it is an inhuman, immoral, unethical and barbaric way of punishment. However, earlier, when the death penalty had been widespread there were not so many murders. People were afraid to kill, steal or do other illegal actions. It means that the death penalty helped prevent killing. Religion forbids depriving another person of life. When it comes to capital punishment, people's opinions do not coincide. There are those who think that the death penalty is immoral and unethical. They suppose that people cannot decide who should live or die. However, the problems in the criminal justice system of America can be solved through the implementation of capital punishment. It can root out violence and decrease crime rates.

Arguments Pros the Death Penalty

People support the death penalty due to an increase in violence and cruelty in the society. There are many cases when murderers kill many individuals intentionally. They are serial maniacs. As a result, they deserve the capital punishment as they commit other violent actions as well. Speaking about the forms of execution in ancient times, one should mention the following fact. They were extremely torturing and violent. One can distinguish such forms of execution: lethal injection, the firing squad, gas chamber, electrocution, and hanging (Anckar, 2014, p. 9).

Serial maniacs and murderers are eligible to receive the death penalty as they kill other people intentionally. They do not regret about their violent actions as cruelty brings pleasure to them. Even after the imprisonment such people if they deserve to be called so continue their criminal activity. The capital punishment can be applied fairly to those whose crime is intentional, shocking and outrageous (Anckar, 2014).

Criminals Deserve Capital Punishment

It is evident that morality is not an argument against capital punishment. The death penalty is justified and moral when it comes to the crimes of larceny, murder, kidnapping, treason, torture, and rape. Such criminals deserve capital punishment as even life imprisonment will not make them follow moral principles. The pardoning of murderers can lead to anarchy and degradation of society. One cannot find moral assumptions in criminal activities. It means that criminal justice should use capital punishment as a way of decreasing violence and promoting some ethical principles (Anckar, 2014). One should analyze the problem of capital punishment from philosophical, cultural, social and political perspectives.

Political Perspective

Political perspective presupposes constitutionality that defines whether a state should or should not apply the death penalty. It is subjective to think that constitutionality condemns capital punishment. On the contrary, it justifies it as murdering and violent actions being not less cruel than execution. In ancient times, the ways of execution were more torturing and outrageous. Modernization has originated new forms of execution that may not result in pain and suffering. For example, Kentucky offers new methods of the death penalty that are shared by 35 other states. Capital punishment uses innovative and more human ways of punishment (Banner, 2002).

“91% of respondents said politicians support the death penalty in order to appear tough on crime – and 75% said that it distracts legislatures on the state and national level from focusing on real solutions to crime problems” (Death Penalty Information Center, 2015). Old preventive measures (like community works and imprisonment) do not work. That is why the criminal justice system of America seeks innovation and programs that will help decrease the crime rate. The incarcerated population can be divided into lifers (3, 7%) and death row (96%) (Death Penalty Information Center, 2015). If to analyze the data in one prison the percent of incarcerated black people is higher than white ones. 37, 447 is a total number of incarcerated persons; 28, 280 inmates are black people; 9, 094 inmates are white people; and 70 inmates are of other races and ethnicity (Death Penalty Information Center, 2015). The average sentence for adults is the term of 21 years. These statistics prove the racial issue in the criminal justice system of Louisiana (Baze v. Rees, 2008).

The Deterrence Effect of Capital Punishment

One should not generalize speaking about the deterrence effect of capital punishment. The death penalty deters murders and statistics together with the common sense proving this. Firstly, one should say that people are afraid of death. Therefore, fear of death can deter them from murdering or raping. Life imprisonment has less evident influence. The execution brings sufferings and pain and results in death. Consequently, life imprisonment can be a paradise for serial maniacs. One should execute murderers to protect citizens from new murders and guarantee safety to society (Radelet, 1996).

Philosophical Perspective of Capital Punishment

Philosophical perspective refers to feelings and thoughts of people about retribution.

Retribution is inevitable when it comes to criminal justice. As a result, the death penalty is justified to a full extent. Capital punishment is only a way of punishing those who spread cruelty and do not want to follow legislation. It is difficult to build just order in the community. However, capital punishment is one of the ways of improvement (Kayser, 2011). The government cannot constantly feed criminals who have been sentenced to imprisonment. It is unfair when murderers deprive people of their liberties, peace, lives, and worldly good as well as receive the only imprisonment as a punishment. After amnesty, they can continue their illegal activities. One should say that deserved punishment is a way of moral protection of the community. It should be done by means of making an offender pay a price for the crime and restoring the just order. One should not confuse retribution and revenge as they have different motives. Retribution presupposes a just punishment (Soss, Langbein, & Metelko, 2003).

One should say that such irrevocable mistakes in criminal justice are rare. As a result, capital punishment can be justified. It is evident that criminal justice cannot be 100% perfect. Human testimony for proof can cause mistakes that will serve as a way of improvement. Besides, criminal justice should be vigilant to avoid and uncover possible errors. Death penalty cases demand a higher standard to achieve perfection in the system of justice. Small percent in death penalty cases cannot be credible evidence for refusing from it. A risk of making mistakes exists in any sphere (Banner, 2002).

One should not rely on the thoughts of opponents. The cost of the death penalty is high ($2 million per case). However, the life of the criminal who murdered many people cannot be valuable even when it comes to the cost of $1 million for 50 years. Evaluating capital punishment one should take into account the costs spent on imprisonment. Life in prison presupposes costs for food and clothes (Baze v. Rees, 2002).

Cultural Perspective

Race cannot be crucial when one decides upon capital punishment. Indeed, African Americans and Hispanics are charged with capital punishment, according to the committed crimes. The probability of the punishment of innocent African American people is the same as among the whites. The statistics show that African Americans are more likely to commit crimes and offenses. People can be criminals despite their race, social class or ethnicity (Lambert, Clarke, & Lambert, 2004).

Social Perspective

Income level is not the indicator of innocence. For example, in the present time, Louisiana is one of the most dangerous states in the USA. It is evident that problems in the criminal justice system are inevitable. This state occupies the first place, according to the prison incarceration rate. 74.4% are black state prisoners; and 48.3% are white state prisoners (Death Penalty Information Center, 2015). These statistics are alarming and provokes taking juveniles in custody, execution and death sentences. 102, 275 persons are imprisoned on probation and parole (Death Penalty Information Center, 2015). It is the population of Los Angeles. Adults are imprisoned for violent crimes (37.6%), drug crimes (31.8%), and property-related crimes (20.6%) (Death Penalty Information Center, 2015).

Arguments Cons the Death Penalty

Taking into consideration morality, many researchers of law condemn the death penalty as an unethical way of preventing crimes. They suppose that the state and federal governments should not decide whether criminals deserve to die. Capital punishment cannot be an example of moralism and ethical principles of criminal justice (Gudorf, 2013). The legislation concerning the death penalty in America relies on ethnic and racial discrimination. Those who are against capital punishment insist that such a decision is applied more often to poor and innocent rather than guilty and rich. They also suggest that the death penalty is an immoral condition that deprives the person of self-improvement and defense (Eren, 2015).

Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the USA

According to constitutionality, death is a severe punishment for any crime. It is characterized by enormity, finality, pain, and severity. Capital punishment treats people as objects and non-humans who deserve discarding. Persons who are against capital punishment indicate the fatal constitutional infirmity of the death penalty and deprival of common human dignity. The Clause should not regard humans as those who should be subjected to death. In the present time, the Clause forbids capital punishment as an unusual and cruel means of punishment that violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.

The opponents of capital punishment deny its efficacy in decreasing the crimes within the community. They object that the death penalty deters murders and rapes more effectively than life imprisonment. The statistics show that states that use capital punishment do not have lower crime rates than others that have no laws in regard to the death penalty (Eren, 2012). The same situation is with the states that have canceled this punishment. As a result, the death penalty does not provide a deterrence effect. The opponents of capital punishment insist that there is no credible evidence that will prove a decrease in crimes due to the application of the death penalty (Kayser, 2011).

The opponents of capital punishment believe that the cost of death is too high for any crime. Life in prison deprives criminals of a happy and rewarding life. Living in jail presupposes net expenses and taxpaying. However, those who support the death penalty ignore this fact insisting that one should not kill another person to make the community better. Besides, they state that capital punishment demands additional costs. It combines complicated and lengthy capital punishment trials (Shen, 2014).

Death Penalty Persuasive Essay Conclusion

In conclusion, one should say that capital punishment is justified due to the criteria of morality, income level, deterrence, constitutionality, retribution, the cost of death and life in prison, irrevocable mistakes, race, attorney quality, and physicians at executions. One should not doubt the morality of the death penalty as the crimes of larceny, murders, kidnapping, treason, torture, and rapes destroy all ethical principles. The constitutionality makes the death penalty a new form of the execution depriving criminals of pain and suffering. The government saves money spent on imprisonment using capital punishment. Another advantage of the death penalty is deterrence that prevents juveniles from committing crimes. This punishment deters murders and statistics together with the common sense proving this.

Problems in the criminal justice system of America can be solved through the implementation of capital punishment. It is difficult to root out crimes due to their popularity among juveniles. The public correctional policy of the criminal justice system does not work properly as incarceration. It only results in the degradation of humans rather than the prevention of further crimes. The death penalty can be used as deterrence from future crimes. The income level and race are not the most crucial aspects in terms of choosing a proper way of punishment. As a result, those who are in favor of the death penalty have created a stereotypical vision of the death penalty depriving it of any sense and efficacy. However, with the help of capital punishment, the American criminal justice system can be improved.

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