death penalty ethics

A detailed Summary of death penalty ethics

The idea of putting another human to death is hard to completely fathom. The physical mechanics involved in the act of execution are easy to grasp, but the emotions involved in carrying out the death sentence on another person, regardless of how much they deserve it, is beyond my own understanding. I know it must be painful, dehumanizing, and sickening. However, this act is sometimes necessary and it is our responsibility as a society to see that it is done. Capital punishment debates can quickly turn heated and argumentative because of the very dramatic nature of the topic. Most people either completely support capital punishment or are completely against it. Unfortunately there is no middle road that you can take, you can't half kill a person for a crime. I will argue that capital punishment for first degree murder is a necessary part of living in a civilized society. Capital Punishment dates back to the bible and seems to be a normal part of life in many cultures through the years. I will start my argument by defending some of the arguments made by opponents of capital punishment and then present some arguments in favor capital punishment.

Opponents of the death penalty have basically four a

The argument of rehabilitation also has a lot of problems and assumptions associated with it. The opposition is correct when they say that the prison system does not do a very good job at rehabilitation and this can be proven by the number of criminals that go through the system only to repeat the original offense or even commit a different crime. The important point that is made here is to eliminate a chance for someone capable of murder back into society.

The second argument against capital punishment is that it is unfair in its administration. Statistics show that the poor and minorities are more likely to receive the death penalty. The wealthy have more resources available to them and thus can afford better lawyers that are more skilled. Once again, this is a separate issue. It can't be disputed sadly, the rich are more likely to get off with a lesser sentence, and the bias is wrong. However, this is yet another problem with in the court system and should not be considered a problem with the death penalty. The same problem exists for less serious crimes not just murder and death penalty cases.

As the 20th century comes to an end it is obvious that the justice system needs reform and the debate about capital punishment will continue. As we look at capital punishment it is important to see both sides of the issue and ask ourselves why is it right or wrong. From my point of view, I think an eye for an eye is the most reasonable way to look at capital punishment in our current society.

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Approximate Word count = 1772
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics