The Immorality of the Death Penalty
The Immorality of the Death Penalty
Word Count: 1580
Capital Punishment was adopted by America when the state of Virginia carried out the colonies’ first execution in 1608 (“History of the Death Penalty”). Since then, usage of the death penalty has been instituted by 36 states, making execution the ultimate form of punishment. Although in theory the death penalty seems like a viable method of punishment, in practice, it has serious flaws that damage the integrity of the state. Capital Punishment has been falsely idolized as a deterrent, applied unfairly for generations, used as a vehicle for revenge, and made people blind to the fact that life in prison without parole is an equally acceptable form of punishment. The death penalty is an unjust form of punishment and America needs to find other alternatives instead of resorting to such an unjustified practice. Many proponents of the death penalty argue that “the fear of the execution chamber will restrain potential murderers” (Costanzo 95), defined as the deterrence theory. However, the usage of the death penalty is too infrequent to have any significant impact on criminal behavior (Reiman 38). Out of the 20,000 murderers convicted in America, only 300 were sentenced to death and then only 55 were actually executed each year (Bright 212). People are led to believe that “the death penalty is a better deterrent than prison sentences” (Pojman 206), however, “living in a cage for decades, surrounded by other dangerous criminals and stripped of all important choices” is a far more unbearable sentence then being executed (Costanzo 106). Louis P. Pojman in his article “A Defense of the Death Penalty” provides an analogy promoting the deterrence theory: every time a person kills an innocent, they’d be struck down by lightening, and after a while, other killers would notice this and think incredibly hard before they decided to kill as well. Then stating that “a great deal of crime is committed on a cost-benefit
Word Count: 1580
Capital Punishment was adopted by America when the state of Virginia carried out the colonies’ first execution in 1608 (“History of the Death Penalty”). Since then, usage of the death penalty has been instituted by 36 states, making execution the ultimate form of punishment. Although in theory the death penalty seems like a viable method of punishment, in practice, it has serious flaws that damage the integrity of the state. Capital Punishment has been falsely idolized as a deterrent, applied unfairly for generations, used as a vehicle for revenge, and made people blind to the fact that life in prison without parole is an equally acceptable form of punishment. The death penalty is an unjust form of punishment and America needs to find other alternatives instead of resorting to such an unjustified practice. Many proponents of the death penalty argue that “the fear of the execution chamber will restrain potential murderers” (Costanzo 95), defined as the deterrence theory. However, the usage of the death penalty is too infrequent to have any significant impact on criminal behavior (Reiman 38). Out of the 20,000 murderers convicted in America, only 300 were sentenced to death and then only 55 were actually executed each year (Bright 212). People are led to believe that “the death penalty is a better deterrent than prison sentences” (Pojman 206), however, “living in a cage for decades, surrounded by other dangerous criminals and stripped of all important choices” is a far more unbearable sentence then being executed (Costanzo 106). Louis P. Pojman in his article “A Defense of the Death Penalty” provides an analogy promoting the deterrence theory: every time a person kills an innocent, they’d be struck down by lightening, and after a while, other killers would notice this and think incredibly hard before they decided to kill as well. Then stating that “a great deal of crime is committed on a cost-benefit
Cited: Baumeister, Roy F., and Brad J. Bushman. "Prejudice and Ingroup Relations." Social Psychology and Human Nature. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2007. 402-38. Print. Costanzo, Mark. Just Revenge: Costs and Consequences of the Death Penalty. 1st ed. New York: St. Martin 's, 1997. Print. “Death Penalty (Capital Punishment) in the United States - Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty." US Politics - Guide to the US Presidential Election, Legislation, and Political News and Opinion. The New York Times Company, 2009. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. . Decker, Scott H. and Carol W. Kohfeld. "The Deterrant Effect of Capital Punishment in Florida: A Series Analysis." Criminal Justice Policy Review 1.422 (1986): 422-37. Web. 14 Oct 2009. "History of the Death Penalty." Death Penalty Information Center Capital Punishment - Cruel and Unusual? (The Information Series on Current Topics) (Reference Series). Wylie: Information Plus (TX), 1998. Print. Pojman, Louis P. "A Defense of the Death Penalty." The Right Thing to Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy. By James Rachels and Stuart Rachels. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2010. 203-10. Print. Rachels, James. "The Utilitarian Approach." The Elements of Moral Philosophy. Comp. Stuart Rachels. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2010. 97+. Print. Reiman, Jeffrey H., and Louis P. Pojman. The Death Penalty: For and Against. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 1998. Print. Ross, Michael. "The Death Penalty is Applied Unfailry to Blacks." The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. By Paul A. Winters. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 1997. 148-54. Print.