Capital Punishment Essay, Research Paper

Crime

is a social act that offends the laws of society. This can range from stealing

a bar of chocolate from a shop to murder. All crimes can be divided into 2

groups- against property (e.g. vandalism, theft) and against people (e.g.

assault, murder, rape). There are lots of causes for people carrying out crime,

whether it be because they are so poor they commit robberies to survive or

because they are mentally unstable and do not realize the difference between

right and wrong. Nowadays drugs are a major factor in creating crime. Drug

addicts obviously need drugs to keep themselves on a "normal level".

So to keep them on that level, they need money to buy drugs. The only way they

can get the money (if they have run out of their own money) is by stealing and

committing money making crimes. Crime is also created because of pier pressure.

Some gangs think its hard and good fun to go around beating people up and

graffiting. Other sorts of people get a thrill out of vandalism and other

crimes. Some people do it for revenge, for things which have been done against

them previously. For a lot of people that do commit crime, it gives them a

sense of power and makes them feel good. ??????????? There are lots of ways to punish the

criminals but it isn’t all about punishing them. Punishment can be used as a

deterrent to stop the criminal committing crime and also to stop others as

well. Punishment can also be a form of retribution or revenge on criminal for

their actions. It makes them suffer for their crime. It can also be a form of

protection to society from the criminal. The criminal could be dangerous and it

could be for the public’s safety and the criminal’s well being if he is

punished. Punishment can also be a form of reformation, so they can change the

criminal’s ways and make him/her less likely to commit another crime. ??????????? There are lots of different types of

punishment, not all of which are present in our society, but are in others:

fines, torture, community service, curfews, attendance centres, jail sentences,

tagging, have your privileges taken away, execution, detentions and many more. ??????????? All of the above punishments are

used appropriately according to the crime committed. Most are used in our

society but one in particular is not- execution. In this essay I will write

about whether I agree or disagree with this statement: "God

gives life and only god can take it away" ??????????? I will give reasons for my answer

showing that I have thought of more than one point of view. Capital

punishment is the execution for a crime. There are lots of ways to execute

people. Nowadays the only types of execution include gassing, the electric

chair, lethal injection, firing squad and hanging. In our society we don not

use capital punishment as it was permanently abolished in 1970 after a

five-year trial. But in some countries it is still in use. Some people believe

that it should be brought back to deter and to take revenge on the criminals. ??????????? The theory of deterrence for capital

punishment in some people’s eyes should be brought back as it would deter the

criminals and others from committing a crime. Those in favour of harsher

punishments usually argue that it should be brought back because in their eyes

if some one does something wrong then they should receive a punishment fitting

for the crime they have committed. The

arguments for bringing it back can be fully debated. One argument is that it

puts off potential murders as in the theory of deterrence. Some say that

capital punishment protects civilians and police from violence. People against

the cause say why don’t they just be put in jail? The argument for is heavily

weighted because they can say that after they have served their prison sentence

they will be let out again and therefore be a threat to society again and re-commit

more crimes. So if they are put to death then they will not be able to

re-offend and be a threat to society any more. ??????????? Another argument for the bringing

back of capital punishment is that it has been in existence since the beginning

of time- so why stop doing it now? It can be traced back to thousands of years

before Jesus’ time and proved to be useful. ??????????? At the moment as there is no death

penalty the next thing down is a life prison sentence. This so-called

"life sentence" is imprisonment not for life but for only about 25-30

years. In the eyes of some people, if the crime they have committed is severe

enough and they get a life sentence then they believe that it’s the easy way

out and is not punishment enough. Some supporters for the cause have views on

how much a crime is worthy enough for death. Murder or attempted murder should

be punished by death and with constant petty crime, it should also be

considered. ??????????? Capital punishment adequately

expresses societies total abhorrence of murder or crimes of equal disgust.

Capital punishment if it were in use shows in reality the way society thinks

about people that commit such crimes and how these crimes will not be

tolerated. ??????????? One of human natures natural

reactions is revenge. Therefore it is only natural that if a crime of some

magnitude is committed that it be retaliated in an act of revenge. In this case

it is the death penalty. As it is no longer in use, society cannot take its

revenge out on the criminals and cannot get their own back. One type of crime

that is very strongly felt should be punished by death, is terrorist

activities. Terrorism over the last 50 years has been responsible for hundreds

of thousands of deaths. Terrorists do this to put a political view across and

to make sure that there view is heard, but why could they not just use

diplomatic methods? Surely it would be easier than putting whole communities at

risk. As people for the cause believe that these people are a huge risk to

society, their view is that these terrorists should be expelled permanently by

the death penalty.?? ??????????? Some people for the case of capital

punishment believe that the law should be based on the idea of "An eye for

an eye, a tooth for a tooth." In simple terms what you do wrong should be

done back to you. E.g. if you kill someone, you should be killed also. This

view can be backed up in the bible in the book of Leviticus chapter 24:17-20.

It says: "If

the person strikes another and kills him, he must be put to death. Whoever

strikes an animal and kills it is to make restitution, life for life. If anyone

injures and disfigures a fellow countryman it must be done to him as he has

done- Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth." ??????????? This isn’t necessarily true as in

some peoples eyes capital punishment should be for a fitting crime like in the

punishment of Achan (Joshua 7:20-26). In this story it tells of how Achan stole

2 kg of silver, 1/2 kg of gold and a beautiful Babylonian cloak. Achan

confessed and Joshua and the Israelites took him and all of his family and

possessions to trouble valley where they were stoned to death and burnt his

possessions. Once this was done the lord was no longer furious. ??????????? This shows that God allows and

supports the death penalty. It proves that it should be allowed and be brought

back as a punishment or to simply protect society.? ?????????????? In 1975 the British government

ruled that only certain types of crime were punishable by the gallows. These

offences were killing police officers, using guns or explosives, killing two or

more people and killing during a robbery. In 1965 after much debate capital

punishment was suspended for a 5-year trial period. In 1970 it was permanently

abolished. One of the debated reasons was because of the way the law condemns

murder, but then goes on to murder in the name of the law. Punishing murder by

murder is not right. That’s one reason against the case of capital punishment.

Another reason why some people are against the thought of bringing it back is

because of the role terrorism plays in our society. If a terrorist were caught

and punished by death then it would turn the convicted criminal into a martyr.

This is not right making these political extremists into martyrs. Surely it

would be better to imprison these people and at the same time keep them out of

societies way. ??????????? A life sentence is another option

instead of the death penalty. In the state of Texas in the USA where the death

penalty is still carried out, it costs on average $2.3m to prosecute and

execute convicted criminals each year, whereas it costs only $400,000 for life

imprisonment. This is a massive saving, which could help the surrounding

communities fund for things that are needed. *

It has been statistically proved 80% of murders are not pre-meditated. This

means that 80% of murders are not planned but are spur of the moment accidents.

It would then seem extremely unfair to punish the murder by death. This still

doesn’t take away the fact that it is still murder. The murder should be

punished but not quiet as severely as death. A lot of people believe that

capital punishment would be the easy way out and they would be escaping a real

punishment. So killing the offender would be like letting them off, which isn’t

the aim of punishment. The aim of punishment is to either deter, protect,

reform or to take revenge (retribution). The theory of reformation is an

effective punishment that includes an attempt to reform the criminal (make them

see they have done wrong and turn their ways). This aim of punishment is one

that is implied to young offenders to help them turn away from crime. Capital

punishment makes a complete mockery of this theory. It doesn’t give the

offender a choice to right the wrong that they have done previously. Rather

than kill the so-called murderer, we should begin to study their motives and

the pressures society has put them under. This would help us in reforming them. ??????????? One of the uses of capital

punishment is to deter other criminals from committing more crimes. This

doesn’t necessarily deter. Some speakers of Englands general synod of the

Anglican Church backed this view in 1983. They made the following points: 1.

God is merciful and man shares in God’s merciful nature. 2. The taking of a

life as a death penalty devalues human life. 3. There is substantial doubt that

capital punishment has any significant deterrent effect. 4. The abolition of

capital punishment gave prison chaplains a chance to work for the reform of all

prisoners rather than just some of them. ??????????? In point 2 it says that capital

punishment devalues human life. Some people believe that all life is sacred and

questions society on the right it has to end it. There are several biblical

teachings that back this view up like Jesus’ teaching about revenge in Luke

6:29-30. It says: "You

have heard that it was said: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But

now I tell you do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps

you on your right cheek, let them slap your left too. And if someone takes you

to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well. And if one

of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one kilometre, carry it

two. When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone asks to

borrow something give it to them." ??????????? This teaching tells us to be

generous. If someone does something to offend you, you should forgive them.

Another biblical reading that backs up the view against capital punishment is

"A woman caught in adultery" in Johns gospel (John 8:3-11). It says:? "The

teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught

committing adultery. ‘Teacher’ they said to Jesus. ‘In our law Moses commanded

that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now what do you say?’ He said top

them ‘Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at

her.’ He said to her ‘Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?’ ‘No

one sir’ she answered. ‘Well then’ Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you either.

Go, but do not sin again.’ ??????????? In this teaching Jesus didn’t

condemn the woman he forgave her. This shows that humans are able to forgive

others. By learning what this teaching means and relating to capital

punishment, we can try and follow Jesus’ example by forgiving.? If someone commits a crime then we should

try and forgive them and punish them accordingly. ??????????? Lots of different people have lots

of different views on capital punishment. Some people believe that if it were

in today’s society it would act as a deterrent. But then people against the

cause would say that there is no substantial proof to back this up. It could be

used as a deterrent but would it work? Other people would say that instead of

trying to rid them of society forever we should reform them and help them so

they can help society. That point could also be argued, as you cannot

necessarily guarantee the reformation of every criminal. Some might be mentally

unstable and there would be no way in which you could help them immediately. I

believe that capital punishment should be brought back but only used in certain

cases like the Pope said in his statement: "

Execution should only be used in cases of absolute necessity, and when society

is put danger and would not be able to defend itself otherwise".????? ??????????? ???

This is the view I have and I also believe that ‘life imprisonment’

should mean life imprisonment, not just 25-30 years. This should be used more

than the death penalty, as it is a fairer punishment, which also allows

reformation to take place as well as retribution and protection. I believe as

it has already been proved that neither punishment works as a deterrent, they

should be punished for the first three reasons. I believe deterrence does not

work.??