The Issue of Death Penalty
Capital punishment has always been a highly debatable topic, both from a moral and legal perspective, throughout humanity’s history. Some societies allowed the death penalty; some banned it based on tradition or religious beliefs. Even in this age of globalization and international human rights law, there is no universal consensus on this issue. It is essential to define the death penalty. According to Hood (2021), “capital punishment, also called death penalty, execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense” (para. 1). In this paper, the arguments for and against the death penalty will be discussed.
Why Capital Punishment Should Be Allowed, Justice
Interestingly, the arguments for allowing the death penalty are compelling. One of the arguments is that this is fair. Proponents of the death penalty argue that it is justly in cases of serious crimes, such as, for example, the murder of one or more people, rape, and maiming. As they say, “An eye for an eye” (Arguments for and against the death penalty, n.d., para. 1). According to their reasoning, criminals give up their right to life when they take someone else’s life, torture, or sexually abuse someone. The following argument is as valid as the first one and can change opponents’ minds about the death penalty.
Why Capital Punishment Should Be Allowed, Cost Saving
Another argument is that criminals’ long-term and lifelong imprisonment is a burden on taxpayers; criminals are unworthy of their money and services. Experts argue that “to continue to house, clothe and feed them for the remainder of their natural life at taxpayer expense makes a mockery of justice” (Arguments for and against the death penalty, n.d., para. 1). A person has committed a serious crime, so why should people provide for their existence even if it is very limited. Therefore, capital punishment is not only fair but also cost-effective.
Why Capital Punishment Should Not Be Allowed, Reform and Tyranny
There are also many arguments against the death penalty. One is that capital punishment deprives a person of the chance for redemption and change for good. There are many people whose character in prison has changed dramatically. According to Amnesty International (2019), “Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are great examples of reform, one running art classes and the other studying to be a pastor” (para. 10). Another counterargument is that allowing the death penalty gives the state too much opportunity and power (Arguments for and against the death penalty, n.d.). The state would be able to fabricate criminal cases and exterminate unwanted individuals. Consequently, the state becomes a threat to society which is unacceptable.
Conclusion
This paper explores two opposing categories of capital punishment arguments. Arguments in favor include that it is fair in cases of severe crime and cost-effective. The arguments against it are that it deprives a person of the chance to atone for his guilt and that the death penalty allows the state to control society. Although there is a large number of quality facts on both sides, the question remains conventionally unanswered.
The Complexity of the Text
The text follows the 7th edition of the American Psychological Association rules, has only primary headlines, and does not contain any graphs or illustrations. This essay would be easy for anyone used to reading literary texts. It is worth noting that it also does not have multiple meanings. The flow of the author’s thoughts is straightforward. The text structure is simple, but the arguments against it do not follow logically from the arguments in favor. Simply put, they are presented in sequence. The essay is devoid of any language features besides one proverb and avoids complex sentence structure. This essay would be easy to read for the vast majority of high schoolers and middle schoolers.
References
Amnesty International. (2019). 5 reasons some people think the world needs the death penalty. Amnesty International. Web.
Arguments for and against the death penalty. (n.d.). Debating Europe. Web.
Hood, R. (2021). Capital punishment. Encyclopædia Britannica. Web.