Capital Punishment Essay, Research Paper

Capital Punishment

What type of society kills its own people? The American culture?s morals have accepted the death penalty as a reasonable punishment. However, who gives us the power to determine when someone?s life should end. People who murder others should be punished and pay the price of their crime, but not killed. Our society feels so strongly that murder is wrong and criminals should be killed. In actuality, we are committing the same horrid deed. Capital punishment is wrong for many reasons.

Several states in our country have adopted the death penalty as a reasonable act. However, there has been no dramatic decline in violence among these states and others. Proving capital punishment does not deter crime. People are still killing and committing other horrible acts of crime.

Another reasons the he death penalty is wrong is that it does not prove to be an effective punishment. Some criminals may look as dying as a way out. They would rather die than spend the rest of their lives in prison. Also it does not provide peace, justice, or happiness for a victim or their family. Robert Willies raped Debbie Morris and was later killed by lethal injection. Debbie Morris found no peace in Willies death. ?Justice didn?t do anything to heal me. Forgiveness did.? (?Dad Man Walking: The Victim Who Survived? Debbie Morris and Gregg Lewis) A death of a criminal will not erase the past or make a victim?s life complete.

Another negative of capital punishment is the high cost. Many dollars are spent during the legal cases and for things such as providing witnesses. Many people who are for the death penalty believe it costs more money to house a criminal in jail. That is wrong, if we can abolish the luxuries many inmates have, the cost is not as high. That way, a prisoner will the way he should live.

Above all, capital punishment is morally wrong. A society that is so rich and powerful should not kill each other. We have not been given the power to kill someone. We should concentrate on offering help to criminals, such as counseling and psychological help.

Capital punishment does not seem to be doing a lot of good. It isn?t deterring crime; it isn?t an effective punishment and costs too much. The death penalty is also morally wrong. If we are trying to be a morally right society, we shouldn?t be killing others. Our goal should be to prevent crime before it happens and the death penalty does not seem to be an effective way.