Capital Punishment - Is It Morally Intolerable?

A detailed Summary of Capital Punishment - Is It Morally Intolerable?

Throughout history capital punishment has been supported by most societies, often even for crimes we would consider minor. During this century, more and more people are regarding it as morally intolerable. Do I agree? That is a question that I have a hard time finding an answer to since I seem to be balanced between both perspectives. If this was a fair world and capital punishment was administered fairly, then yes, I would regard it as moral and would advocate it. Until it is administered fairly, I think I have to stick with my original belief and oppose the death penalty.

Before I can agree if the moral issue addressed here is intolerable or not, I would have to explore other elements to the punishment such as: is it administered fairly, does it have an effective deterrent to crime, and should it be abolished. The ethics of the death penalty have been questioned as far back as the 18th century. The arguments of Cesare Beccaria condemned capital punishment as an ineffective and inhumane deterrent to crime, whereas philosopher Immanuel Kant claimed that execution was the fairest punishment for murder. Both arguments continue to spark the controversy to this day.

Kant, a great advocate of the death penalty precisel

The main point that I am making here is that before we say capital punishment is intolerable, think about whether it is to get revenge or actual just punishment. It would be intolerable if this were all for just revenge. The hurt and torture a family goes through of a murder victim will never be compensated, as neither will the taken life. Of course the first thing that comes to mind is revenge and payback. So lets say we executed the murderer. Does his family have to go through that same hurt and torture of losing him, as did his victim's family? Would that be morale? Is it right for the criminal's family to go through that just for revenge? Will taking his life bring back the victim's life? Was it the fault of the family of the criminal? No...so it is fair for them to suffer just the same?

- And...in a culture of death, the option for the death penalty, although morally licit, should be rejected by Catholics as a witness to their belief in the sacredness of all human life.

Is the death penalty administered fairly? Advocates say leniency in some cases shows that the system works by sparing mentally ill or mentally retarded criminals. But recent studies have documented allegations of racial discrimination in capital cases. Opponents say the death penalty has more to do with the criminals skin color rather than violence of the crime. I stand firm on the argument that the death penalty is not administered fairly. Statistics show that African American defendants are much more likely to receive the death penalty than are white defendants charged with the same crime. A study conducted by the University of Iowa concluded that defendants accused of murdering a white victim are 4.3 more times likely to receive the death penalty than defendants accused of killing blacks. Statistics also show that women are accused of murder are two and a half times less likely to face capital punishment based on their gender. If advocates claim a life for a life, why should the criminal's race or gender matter? My argument for the fair administration of the death penalty would be that if a criminal doesn't see gender or race when he kills, why should the state be influenced by the gender or race of the criminal when it comes to executio

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Approximate Word count = 1517
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics