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Death Penalty
Introduction
Death penalty is also called Capital Punishment. There is a continuous and long term decline in the cases of death penalty in American society despite a slight increase in the executions in the year 2018. It is significant to note that death penalty was favored in early 60s and 70s, but the stance of mounting fear of crime and cynical manipulation of death penalty by many politicians for their personal interest has lowered the shift of death penalty. (Clarke, et, al. 2018). Certain studies have been brought into practice in order to know the status of death penalty in terms of future. It is important to note that death penalty in American society has become a complex issue because there are different views in favor and against the imposition. There is a clash between the point of views that either encourage or discourage death penalty because there is a continuous shrinking between the government and interest groups to push for strong laws in order to mitigate crimes. (Clarke, et, al. 2018). Death penalty is more like a boat in which American society is stuck, taking into account that agreeing with death penalty is not satisfactory and ignoring it will lead to social destructions.
Discussion
In the year 2018, twenty-five people were executed, and about forty-two were sentenced to death, taking into account that it is the fourth year with fewer than 50 executions each year and less than 40 death sentences. In accordance with the statistical data public opinion about death penalty is also at historical lows. It is significant to note that both governments believe that death penalty is an expensive and risky action taking into account the difficulty of questionable methods and unsorted guilt; still it is important to keep morals and ethics functional in society. The opinion from interest groups have highlighted that death penalty is a violation of human rights; none of the entity in this world has the authority to assign death sentence to anyone else. Amnesty International is against execution policies, taking into account that it is the cold-blooded killing of an individual. (Sarat, & A, 2018). It is significant to note that Gallup poll informs, about 56% of Americans are in favor of death penalty while about 43% of people are opposing it. In the year 1994, the ratio of death penalty in American society was 80% which has reduced to almost half in the present time. Americans are more like a spotlight regarding the "death penalty” taking into account fairness and applicability. 49% American believe that death penalty is applied fairly while 45% believe that death penalty is a sheer manifestation of power in order to achieve desired intents by risking the lives of others. Government and interest groups are themselves captured in an untraced condition regarding death penalty.
There are pons and cons associated with death penalty. One of the major benefits of death penalty is deterrence. It is significant to note that death penalty is one of the effective tools in crime deterrence. In accordance with the views of “advocates of death sentence," the fear of death penalty will keep criminals away from potential crimes such as murder and rape. (Sarat, & A, 2018). It is asserted that death penalty has "hardened criminals." It describes the phenomena of state’s interest in legalizing death penalty, taking into account that death penalty is a source of catharsis for victims, and it is a valid tool that can help to eradicate crime and negativity from society, The central idea of this stance is the analysis of murders where people lose lives in while short term punishments can allow criminals to be back to their earlier practices. Research has highlighted that death penalty is a positive stance in criminal justice system, taking into account if a criminal is granted life imprisonment for committing murder or rape, it will only add into the burden of government because the survival of criminal in prison is doing no harm to the criminal. On the other hand, death penalty is an approach that will punish the criminal for his actions, taking into account that it will be an example for others not to opt those habits again. (Sarat, & A, 2018). There is a clear contrasting picture between the actual schedule of inmates in terms of imprisonment and the stance of death penalty that will not only share the burden of state, in fact, it will also create an example for others to follow the right path. This aspect ultimately paves the way for another spectrum according to which, death penalty plays a major role in reducing the crime rate.
It is important to note that historical accounts have affirmed that death penalty has reduced crime rates to a greater number. Death penalty is a tool that can empower society by challenging crimes and opting for the strategies that can act as a shield against crimes. The advocates of death penalty believe, death penalty is not only about hanging criminals, but there also are several other clean and humane ways to punish crime by sentencing to death, and there is nothing wrong in adhering to morals within the society. In a nutshell, death penalty is viewed as a stance that can allow society to enact to morals and values because rebellious attitude is always one of the social hurdles that has paved the way for other social issues. (Deffendoll, 2019).
As death penalty is a coin with two opposing pictures on both sides, it can be asserted that many of the theorists have inferred certain cons associated with death penalty. One of the significant cons associated with death penalty is questioning the stance that is not crime deterrent. It is highlighted that death penalty is a tool that has threatened the baseline of society because not all the criminals are having criminal motives behind their actions. There are a lot of criminals who commit crimes under some emotional, social or psychological hampering. There are a lot of cases in which death penalty is questioned because the criminal is not appropriate to be questioned because of illness. (Clarke, et, al. 2018). The same phenomenon reveals that there are a lot of cases in which an apparent criminal is not actually a criminal; in fact, he is a dummy criminal. It refers to the fact that there are many people who use power to manipulate case and engage an innocent entity in the crime, referring to death penalty. Usually, there are evident errors at the end of juries and judges taking into account that it can lead to devastation because death penalty cannot be undone and there is no way out to address the taken life of an individual.
Research has highlighted that although it is asserted that expense for inmate in prison causes a lot of economic deprivation and economic burden, in fact, death penalty causes more economic consequences. It is asserted that drugs and lethal injections that are used to punish a criminal are more expensive than the assumed cost. It is important to note that that the electronic chair, gas or injection that is used to impart death penalty is not easy to go in fact they are much expensive; sometimes they had to be imported. (Deffendoll, 2019). Taking into account a humanitarian approach, it is inferred that death penalty is a precursor of depression and feelings of guilt. There are a number of problems that arise as a result of death penalty in the family of the victim, taking into account that the familial relationship gets stained by the title of "hanged member." It is highlighted that many of the people who are responsible bringing death penalty for others fell a victim to depression; people spend a tormented life fighting with guilt. It is asserted that death penalty is not humane, in accordance with a utilitarian approach, it is inferred that it is not morally good to take someone’s life just for the sake of human decisions, an entity itself doomed to commit mistakes. It is asserted that death penalty is a hampering to actual human conduct. (Sarat, & A, 2018).
Conclusion
Taking into account the pros and cons, I think death penalty should be banned because there are many other types of punishment that can be used. It is important to note that the essence of manipulation is so strong that it is hard to trace actual criminal so it is not morally fine to sentence someone to death. Taking into account the humanitarian approach, it is important to note that none of the human in this world has the right to snatch another human being’s life. Only that person is eligible to infer death sentence who has himself not committed a crime or is equally understood to the basics of crime, knowing actual criminal. Despite this justification, it is important to note that death penalty hardly occupy space in actual conduct f world is considered as “own place”. There are several other punishments that can be given to a criminals but death penalty is error that can never be mitigated because crime and criminal has a long history taking into account such modes of justice should be implied that can keep the institutions of society in coordination, adhering to values such as peace and harmony.
Work Cited
Clarke, J. W. (2018). The lineaments of Wrath: Race, violent crime and American culture. Routledge.
Deffendoll, Sara. "Book Review: American Exceptionalism in Crime and Punishment." (2019): 0093854818823034.
Sarat, A. (2018). When the state kills: Capital punishment and the American condition. Princeton University Press.
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