To better understand the grounds on which Van Den Haag basis his arguments, let's first look at the issue itself. The death penalty has been used in almost all civilizations in human history. In the United States today it is reserved for the those irrevocable and most heinous offenses (e.g. murder, treason). The arguments for and against the death penalty stem from its too main functions, deterrence and retribution. For the death penalty to act as deterrence, it must deter people from committing crimes that warrant its use. The reward amassed by committing the crime must be outweighed by the consequences of that crime. For most people, the death penalty fits this description. Although, there are some who would rather sacrifice their lives to commit a crime they feel is justified or worth the consequence of d

I do not argue that, "improper distribution cannot affect the quality of what is distributed," (Van Den Haag 340). The death penalty is immoral and no matter how it is distributed it will never be moral. Equality is less important than justice in this sense. Justice is not derived from murder. In fact, I believe justice is corrupted by execution and will never be had by society or the convict. A dead man cannot feel the consequences of his crimes. This might seem like an odd notion, but I do not believe death is punishment. Sex offenders who are released after serving their debt to society then have their names posted in the communities they relocate to. This practice makes everyone aware of the criminal's activities and forces the consequence to persist past jail time. I think crimes like rape and molestation can be just as heinous as murder and should be treated with as much fervid punishment. The prospect of one's indiscretions being public information for indeterminate ye!

MacKinnon, Barbara. Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues, Third Edition. Wadsworth, 2001.

e consequences for all crimes, but those consequences should not, themselves, be immoral.

. Van Den Haag concludes his essay with the simple yet telling line, "It is the only fitting retribution for murder I can think of," (Van Den Haag 343).

Almost all philosophers will agree that humanity is equal. We are instilled with basic natural rights as humans and no one person's life is worth more than another. This notion has been the foundation for our nation's Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights. To use capital punishment is to permit a violation of natural rights. No person should have the power to take another's life. Society's job should be to infuse its members with conscience and moral direction, it should not be to murder those who have failed to grasp these concepts. Van Den Haag suggests that, "punishment is to vindicate the law and the social order undermined by the crime," (Van Den Haag 342). I agree with this statement, yet I don't think vindication should imply death. Life in prison is a proportional and suitable punishment for murder. We cannot right an injustice by repeating the injustice. Many people feel overwhelmed by the prospect of dealing with all the people who have no respect for socia!

discrimination, the author argues that it also has no bearing on the morality of the punishment itself, "because most black murderers kill blacks, black murderers are sparred the death penalty more often than are white murderers," (Van Den Haag 341). While evidence does show that people who are convicted of killing white men suffer the death penalty more frequently than those convicted of killing blacks or other races, this means that most black murder convicts are favored under the hand of justice. Although the author also points out that criminals are individuals and their punishments are personal, not the punishments of an entire race or social class.

When addressed with the issue of retribution, the author suggests that revenge and compensation are not, or should not, be the only things gained from capital punishment. The sentence is meant to return balance to the social order, "Punishment is to vindicate the law an

Some common words found in the essay are:
Den Haag, Benedict Arnold, Den Haag's, San Francisco, van den, Van Den, Bill Rights, van den haag, den haag, death penalty, capital punishment, Punishment Defense, Capital Punishment, Western Europe, morality death penalty, morality death, Edition Wadsworth, den haag 341, haag 341, human life, den haag 342, haag 340, crime van, den haag 340, haag 342,
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Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)