Only being utilized in the United States, the electric chair method is defined as an instrument of execution by electrocution, yet its appearance resembles an ordinary chair. Nevertheless, there has been an incessant debate about this method as it the speediness or pain one may experience is unknown. Being the most prevalent method in the world, lethal injection is used in countries such as China, Guatemala, Philippines, Thailand, and the United States itself. This method is conducted by inserting chemicals into the human body while being strapped onto a table. The hanging method is only implemented in states such as Delaware, New Hampshire, Was and used in other countries such as Singapore, Japan, Pakistan, Jordan etc. If this is properly conducted, it can be considered humane. This is carried out by breaking the neck, and the time taken for death varies depending on the free-fall distance. Intoxicating one with poisonous gas, or otherwise known as the lethal gas method is currently used in six states, including California and Arizona.
Statistics show that fifty-five to sixty percent of the American population prefers the latter system to capital punishment, which includes compulsory life imprisonment or the inmate having to work in prison for life and contributing the earned money to help the family which they may have harmed.
There are many reasons why people are against capital punishment, such as the belief that this would be Playing God, the decrease of value of human life, the lack of Deterrence, cost, cruelty, lack of jury convictions, uselessness, contradicting Christian beliefs as well as the uncertainty that the punishment would be received by the right people.
Some people believe that it is not just to terminate one’s life before their death time as it will be considered “playing God”. Such people often believe that human beings were sent onto Earth by God for a specific purpose and by killing them prematurely, we are going against God’s wishes.
Others may feel that capital punishment this would be decreasing the value of human life and is often based on the need for revenge rather than to punish the person for the wrongdoings. As George W. Bush once said in his presidential debate
“I don’t think you should support the death penalty to seek revenge. I don’t think that’s right. I think the reason to support the death penalty is because it saves other people’s lives.”
These people believe that every life is precious, and holds a certain value, despite any sins that one may have committed, and hence, one should not be executed for their mistakes. This is also reinforced by the fourteenth amendment which expresses that all human beings should receive equal protection under the law. However, this then leads on to another debate.
Many believe that punishing people does not necessarily deter the problem. Although some feel that capital punishment would reduce crime rates, there are others who feel conversely. They believe that capital punishment has not been seen to be effective since some statistics have shown that the murder rates have appeared to increase rather than to decrease. According to Times Magazine, there are 2,000,000 people beaten in the United States, some being knifed, others being shot or assaulted. This shows that the justice system is not working.
There is another group of people in the society who believe that capital punishment would mean spending more of the government or state’s money. Many feel the contrary, however, it has been proven that execution is actually more expensive than life imprisonment, and hence, by executing human beings, additional money that could be used in other forms is being spent.
The majority thinks that capital punishment is cruel, and hence should never be applied to human beings. This is also supported by the eighth amendment, which states that no “cruel and unusual punishments” should be inflicted. This is also supported by William Brennan, the former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, who said “I adhere to my view that the death penalty is in all circumstances cruel and unusual punishment protected by the eighth and fourteenth amendments”. Therefore, it can be said that capital punishment violates the eighth amendment.
Some Christians believe that by sentencing the guilty to death without letting them change over a new leaf, they would be directly be sent to hell, and as a result those found guilty should be given a second chance.
As human beings, everyone makes mistakes, and this goes likewise for punishing one convicted of a crime. There are times when mistakes are made, and those who are executed are found to innocent when they were charged guilty. In such cases, people who were executed would not be able to restore their life, and hence, many believe that capital punishment is not the right method to punish them for their wrongdoings. For this reason, there has also been a lack of jury convictions. There are cases where juries are unwilling to play their roles as they are afraid of charging an innocent guilty, and hence, if they were indeed criminals, they would end up being set lose on the street to harm people.
Some other Christians may believe that Jesus changed or abolished the law and abolished the death penalty when he saved a prostitute from being stoned by saying, “Let he among you who is without sin, cast the first stone” (John chapter eight verse seven), and also when he stated “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew chapter seven verse one).
Another view that most people may bear is the thought that capital punishment is futile. People who support this view feel that killing one does not allow his victim to restore his life, and this would only mean another additional death, and this brings in the question whether it is humane to execute a person, and whether by executing them for their wrongdoings leads us to behaving like murders.
In addition, states that have abolished capital punishment have better record on homicide rates. A survey was conducted by the New York Times in 2000, proving that ten of the twelve states without the use of capital punishment have homicide rates below national average, whereas half of the states with the death penalty have homicide rates above. During the last twenty years, the homicide rates in the states with the death penalty has been forty-eight to one hundred and one percent higher than in the states with the death penalty.
Despite statistics showing fifty-five to sixty percent of the American population’s preference to the latter system, sixty to eighty percent of the Americans also continue to support capital punishment. This can be backed up by religious beliefs, justice, deterrence and the costs involved.
The holy bible which many people read daily as part of their religion is known for its conflicting opinions on the death sentence. While quotes from the bible may show its anti-capital punishment views, it also shows quotes in favor of capital punishment. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”, this quote is undoubtedly a famous quote used for centuries, and has been significantly implied into Christian principles, as well as for debating about capital punishment itself. This quote extends itself to a long history regarding Jesus going through a public execution of being nailed onto a cross, a form of capital punishment. Therefore, people believe that others should be able to receive similar punishments.
Another more recent quote from the bible is from the new testimony, Romans chapter thirteen verses one to four states “Let every person be subjected to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment… If you do wrong, be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoers”. This quote has been taken to consideration by Christians, and implies that the authority to punish murderers comes from God, which helps Christians believe that capital punishment is accepted as a form of punishment for wrongdoers.
Other quotes from the bible include
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew chapters five verses seventeen to nineteen)
This conflicts the quote that Jesus died on the cross and directly abolished capital punishment, but rather that capital punishment should continue to be carried out in the society.
The bible also requires the death sentence for a wide variety of crimes, including practicing evil sorcery, adultery, homosexual behavior, doing work on Saturday and murder. It even calls for some criminals (e.g. prostitutes who are the daughter of priests) to be tortured to death by being burned alive.
Society has high interest in preventing murder and hence, some believe that the one action to prevent this would be the death penalty. Statistics show that states with high crime rates would increase if they ban the use of the death penalty. As Edward Koch once said, “It is by exacting the highest penalty for the taking of human life that we affirm the highest value of human life.”When a person in society takes a life, the balance in justice is disturbed and it can only be restored when the criminal is put to death. By executing one who committed an offensive or heinous crime, others believe that this would be restoring the balance of the unequal justice that has resulted from the death of the victim. They believe that by killing the criminal or murderer for his offense, one will be able to obtain total justice for the victim. In other words, killing convicted murderers will satisfy the need for justice and or vengeance.
One major question to take into consideration when dealing with the capital punishment is, Does capital punishment an effective deterrence for heinous crimes? With some statistics showing that capital punishment does not deter crimes, other statistics show that it does, causing conflicting arguments. Research by Isaac Ehrlich in 1973 shows that with every inmate executed, 7 lives can be protected because others were deterred from committing murder. Human beings fear death more than anything else in the world, and hence, the belief is that no human being would want to take another’s life if there were a harsh punishment such as capital punishment for the crime committed, and would deter others and allow them to think twice about the actions for the consequences. On top of this, if the murderer were to be brave or courageous enough to commit a crime, why wouldn’t he or she be strong enough to withhold the consequences? Hence, people believe that brutal murders must be killed to prevent them from murdering again, whether to be in jail or to be in society.
Many also say that there has been no proof that any innocent person has actually been executed since increased safeguards and appeals were added the death penalty system in the 1970s. They believe that even if such executions have occurred, chances are very slim. Imprisoning innocent people is also wrong, but it is impossible to empty the prisons because of that minimal risk. Due to the thorough systems of appeals through numerous states and federal courts, they believe that the execution of an innocent individual today is almost impossible. Before the capital sentences are carried out, the governor or other executive official will review the sentence to insure that it is a just one, a determination that undoubtedly considers the evidence of the condemned defendant’s guilt. Although the victim and the victim’s family cannot be restored to the status which preceded the murder, many believe that justice is fulfilled because an execution brings closure to the murder’s crime and ensures that his actions are put to an end. Furthermore, the world we are living in is imperfect, and nothing that is worth having comes without a risk. If we were to give up on anything that had just minimal risks, then what could exactly can we continue with? For example, as human beings everyone risks the chance of getting into a plane crash when boarding the plane, however planes still continue to do its job up till today. Should it be banned?
In conclusion, capital punishment has caused a lot of conflicting views, and when the decision of whether it should be legalized is involved, the safety of the society should be taken into consideration seriously. As Al Gore said in his presidential debate,
“I support the death penalty. I think that it has to be administered not only fairly, with attention to things like DNA evidence, which I think should be used in all capital cases, but also with very careful attention. If the wrong guy is put to death, then that’s a double tragedy. Not only has an innocent person been executed but the real perpetrator of the crime has not been held accountable for it, and in some cases may be still at large. But I support the death penalty in the most heinous cases.”
If capital punishment is used appropriately and justly and significantly decreases crime rates in the United States, then it should not be abolished. However, if it fails to play a role in society, it should not be continued in the society. Capital punishment should only be granted to those who commit the most heinous crimes and should only be for the sake of protection for the society.
