Ethics of Death Penalty
Throughout the ages, the death penalty has been used as one of the severe ways to punish or deter people from breaking all range of laws from petty theft to murder; and many times as to set forth an example of a consequence when an individual betrays communal entity such as nationality and kindred. Evidently, the capital punishment is the ultimate punishment, for the determined offender is given no opportunity of repentance or rehabilitation. Over the years in the United States, the standards for sentencing the °ultimate± punishment has changed. The constitutionality of the death penalty is a highly controversial issue leading to seemingly circular arguments. Both the pro and the anti capital punishment viewpoints can be justified in legal scope, however the validity of the death penalty policy can be further examined.The death penalty satisfies the public¯s need for retribution, relieves the anguish of the victim¯s family, permanently removes the actual incorrigible criminal from society. The capital punishment can be justified in many ways. In 1976 the US states began creating a bifurcated(dual) trial procedure that would legally allow imposing the death sentence. The states did so in response to the 1972 (Furman vs
The capital punishment is ineffective and inefficient. Logically, terminating a criminal¯s life should seem cost effective for tax payers. Taxpayers may feel that he should not pay millions of dollars to have these vicious criminals to live in a penitentiary with recreations such as pool hall, television, fitness center, education, as well as full medical care. Some correctional facilities offer most privileges enjoyed by law abiding citizens with the exception of fenced boundaries. The average cost of a capital trial in Texas is 2.3 million dollars, three times the cost to incarcerate an individual for 40 years. The average trial in the state of New York is 3.1 million dollars. Some criminals could be incorrigible; they cannot be rehabilitated and must be separated permanently from society. Incarcerating such criminals for a life sentence without parole costs less than having to execute such criminals, both options accomplish the necessary objective. Generally, it is safely accepted that all human life is equally precious and sacred. No matter how heinous the crime committed, the value of the criminal¯s life should not depreciate. Does the society have the right to judge that a person¯s life is so worthless that we, the society can legally terminate his presence in all? Condemning the murderers for their act is hypocritical since the states replicate their deed in return. After all, rapists are not raped as their punishment, and arsonists are not subject to have his asset burnt down. . Georgia) supreme court decision which ruled that death penalty statutes were too vague and ambiguous, thus unconstitutional and illegal. The notion of the capital punishment dates back thousands of years back to the primal justice system. For example, many western cultures embrace the Holy Bible as their moral and ethical foundation. God set forth his words as a guide by which to live our lives. God¯s commandments are eternal. Even though one of the ten commandments states °Thou shall not kill±, there are many incidents in the old testament where the book promotes °an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth± principle as also set forth in the ancient book of Hamurabi way back in 1750B
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Approximate Word count = 1482
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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