Capitol Punishment Essay Essay, Research Paper

An often-heated debate is that of capitol punishment. This is tricky subject though since so many people have troubles deciding for themselves where to draw the line with their morals. Some people say that killing in any form is absolutely wrong. Some people agree that killing is wrong, however, if one person kills another it is what they deserve. Both views are quite respectable.

The Old Testament does in fact say ?an eye for an eye.? Thus, the punishment should fit the crime. If a person sees fit to take another person?s life away from them, theirs should also be revoked. People that act and kill like animals should be treaded the same way, and put to sleep like dogs that are vicious. The death penalty does not apply to people. People have hearts and souls and emotion. This penalty only applies to heartless, savage animals. A quote from a famous song is ?a boy who kills has no heart, a boy who kills can not love?? Thus, anyone who has neither heart nor the capability of love should be put to death because they are no use to society. Also, this is only a punishment for those who have murdered. These convicts, though the do not deserve it, are killed in the most humane way possible. They are killed by lethal injection. In the past ten years nearly five hundred men have been executed in the United States. All these were punishment for murder. The American policy on executions is far more civilized that some other countries, in which death is the punishment for drunk driving or use of illegal drugs. Firing squads, gas chambers, and hangings are pretty much never used any more, however electrocution is still used solely in two states. Those two states do not even give the option of lethal injection.

Families often call for the death penalty because their sibling/child had no right to die. Since this person took their life, the family should have the right to lawfully take the murder?s life. However, life in prison is not enough, because they have an opportunity to leave on parole, and the thought of these murderous monsters being released into society again horrifies these families, thus they call for execution.

On the other side of the spectrum, killing is immoral and wrong in every way shape or form. How does your point get across not to kill if violence is the solution to your problems? The bible says, ?You shall not kill.? It does not say, ?You shall not kill except in some cases where it is perfectly fine to murder people, just make sure your reason is good enough.? Also, someone could truly be wrongly accused and yet will have to die for someone else?s sins. Judgment is not earthly; there will be a day when we all stand before a great judge who?s ruling truly matters. Thus, we should leave the judgment of sinners to God and merely do what is humanly possible to protect society from those who threaten it.

Some people use the argument that the bible says specifically ?an eye for an eye.? However, the bible also specifically teaches you how to make offerings of animals and says that one should not sit in the same chair where a menstruating woman has sat in the past certain number of days. Thus, one can conclude that not everything the bible is applicable to modern society. ?An eye for an eye? may have been useful in those days, but today we call ourselves ?civilized.? This is a word that means that we are above and far beyond primal ways of thinking. However, it is quite primitive to have a death penalty and to take the easy way out of the situation and just murder he who has broken the law. A character in ?Dead Man Walking? made another comment on the bible?s acceptance of capitol punishment. She comments that in the times of the bible prostitution, adultery, and many other things such as that were sentenced to death. However, if we follow this example, much of the population would be on death row.

My personal view is that the death penalty is wrong. Actions speak much louder than words can, so I believe that one?s actions should be those of love and not hate. Truly, the death penalty may frighten people into being upstanding citizens, and it may make someone think twice before murdering someone if the know the consequences. However, I am willing to bet that love could make twice as many people change their ways than fear ever could. Jesus, one of the world?s great lovers, (a lover of mankind that is) has more people who follow him than any other religious group that have existed since long before he was born. That is the product of one man?s love. Can you imagine the product of a society?s love, or for that matter a country?s love. Death penalty is below the act of animals. The death penalty is simply revenge. People who say ?an eye for an eye? have obviously never read that little known quote that one should ?turn the other cheek.? Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against us. How can we expect God to forgive us if we can?t forgive someone else? How dare you seek the sliver in your brother?s eye without noticing the plank in your own? Execution is hypocritical and barbarian. Had Jesus known a man who had killed, Jesus would have said, ?Brother, your sins are forgiven.?

Conclusively, my opinion is that capitol punishment is positively immoral and wrong. Thought I believe this, I accept the views of other people with an open mind. I pray that one day the death penalty will be gone, and people will not die before God calls them to die. I also pray that those people on death row have the strength of God with them, because in the past decade, execution rates have risen by 500%. (From 23 to 98 people killed) If this rate is consistent, in the year 2010 five hundred people will be killed by execution. Lastly, it is important to look at the humanity in everyone. These people grew up just as you have, perhaps with less love, perhaps with more. Nevertheless, they went to school, they took tests, they had romances, they have mothers and homes and bedrooms with clothes on floor just like you do. How can a person be a monster and still be human? The answer is that they made a mistake, and God has already forgiven them.

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