Capital Punishment.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Capital Punishment

Crime is an unsociable act against the laws of society that offends everything it upholds. This can range from shoplifting an item from a shop to something as extreme as murder. All crimes are divided into two groups against:

Property i.e. theft and vandalism

People i.e. rape, assault and murder

There are many reasons to why people commit crimes, it could be that they are very poor and need to commit crimes to survive or it may be that they don’t understand the difference between right and wrong because they are mentally ill. In this day and age the most related reason to crime is drugs. Addicts need more and more drugs to keep their cravings down and to keep them going. To keep the addicts going they have to buy more and more drugs. If they have no money of their own to buy the drugs the only option they have open is to steal and commit fraud. Peer Pressure is also another reason for crime. There are mobs that think its funny and tough to beat people up, others put graffiti on public property. Some people get a thrill or a rush from committing petty crimes. Others do it for revenge; if they feel hard done by they make take it out on the people they feel oppress them. Most of all the people I have listed commit crimes to feel good and powerful.

There are many methods of punishment, but it isn’t always about chastising them. Punishment can be used as deterrence against criminals to stop them from committing crimes and also to deter others not to commit crimes either. Punishment can also be a form of revenge/retribution against the criminal for the benefit of the victim(s). It makes the criminal suffer for their crimes and therefore helps the victim’s bereavement easier or justified. Punishment can also be for protection to the society against the criminal if they are dangerous. It could be in the public’s best interests and also the criminal’s if they are punished. Reformation is another form of punishment, this means that’s the criminal can change their ways and makes them less likely to commit any more crimes. There are many varieties of punishment, where many aren’t even present in our society, but work nicely in other cultures: detentions, fines, torture, privileges taken, community service, tagging, curfews, jail, execution and many more. These punishments are used appropriately in conjunction to the crime committed. Most of these punishments are used in our society except execution or capital punishment. In this essay I will talk about if I agree or disagree that capital punishment should be brought back into our society. I’ll give reasons for my answer and show that I have thought about other points of views.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Capital Punishment is when a criminal is executed for a crime. There are a lot of methods of execution nowadays. These days the only used methods consist of hanging, gassing, firing squad, the electric chair and lethal injection. Our society hasn’t used capital punishment since 1970 when it was permanently abolished after a five-year trial. Although some cultures still use capital punishment. Some people believe that it should be brought back to deter and to take revenge on any extreme criminal. Capital punishment for deterrence theorists should be brought back to deter the criminals and any other who considers committing a crime. Those who feel punishments should be harsher usually argue that it should be brought back for the reason that if someone does something erroneous then they should be given a punishment fitting for the crime committed. The argument for bringing it back is debated quite regularly. One of the arguments already mentioned is the theory of deterrence. Others say that it protects police and civilians from hostility. People against bringing capital punishment just ask why can’t they just be jailed? The argument against responds by saying that after the criminal has served their time, they will be let out into society again and will again be a threat to society and commit more crimes. Therefore if they are put to death they will not be able to commit the offence again and won’t be a threat to society again. Another argument for reinstating capital punishment is that it is age-old and can be traced before Jesus’ time, so why stop doing something that is so traditional now?

At this time our society doesn’t have a death penalty and the closest extreme punishment is the life imprisonment sentence. A closer view of our life sentence shows that it only means 25 to 30 years maximum. Some people’s point of view if the crime committed is extremely severe and they get the life sentence, they believe it isn’t enough and is the easiest way out for the criminal. People who are against have views on how much a crime is worthy enough for death. Things to be considered for death are murder, attempted murder and constant minor crimes. Societies total abhorrence for murder or equally extreme crimes has created capital punishment. Capital Punishment if it were in use in our society would show how much it doesn’t tolerate people who commit these extreme crimes. Societies abhor misdemeanour.

It is natural for humans to feel the urge for revenge. With this in mind if an extreme crime is carried out it is only natural to expect people to retaliate with revenge. Most would want the death penalty to be carried out. As our society doesn’t allow such punishment, they cannot get their revenge on the criminal and therefore the crime is passed without justification. Terrorist activities is one of the many crimes that is felt should be punished by death. Over the past 50 years terrorism has killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people needlessly. People who carry out terrorist attacks do this to put their point across on a number of things usually political and know if they do such a terrible act they will have their point heard. These people don’t use diplomatic methods as a rule. It would, however, be much easier and safer for whole communities if they did use diplomatic methods. Taking the given into account many people believe that terrorist should be barred from all cultures and to carry this out would be the death penalty. People for capital punishment to be brought back think the law should be based on the old saying “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” This basically means if you do something immoral, it should be done back to you i.e. if you kill someone then you should be killed in return. This viewpoint can be backed up by the bible and is what many people use to argue for capital punishment. It says: “If the person strikes another and kills him, he must be put to death…Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.”

Some people, although they want capital punishment to be brought back, do not agree and think that capital punishment should be for a fitting crime. The bible again says something on this. It shows that God allows capital punishment and even supports it. The bible basically proves that God wants capital punishment in our society as punishment and/or protection.

The British government ruled that only certain types of crime were punishable by the gallows in 1975.In 1965 capital punishment was suspended for 5 years as a “trial period” after much debate. After the 5-year suspension it was eradicated in 1970. One of the reasons for the eradication of capital punishment was that law condemns murder, but then murder is carried out by law to punish the people who commit it. Another reason is the role terrorism plays in our society in this day and age. Martyrs are created when a terrorist is caught and punished by death. Turning these political extremists into martyrs isn’t good as it helps their points get across. It would be better to imprison them and keep them away from society without publicity, which capital punishment creates.

Instead of the death penalty, a life sentence is a different option. If one state in the USA where the death penalty is carried out quite often, it usually costs $2.3 million to execute convicted criminals each year. Instead the cheaper version would be to imprison them for life at a mere $400 thousand. This is a huge amount of money that is saved, which could be used on many other things in that state.

It has been proven that statistically 80% of murders aren’t planned and therefore are and are a spur of the moment thing. It seems quite wrong to punish these people by death doesn’t it? Of course these people are still murderers and it doesn’t matter how they committed it. They should still be punished severely but no to the extent of death. Many people would say that killing these people would be an easy way out for them. This isn’t the aim of punishment at all. As I have said before the aims of punishment is as a deterrence, protection, reformation or retribution. Reformation is when a criminal is helped to see what they have done wrong and change the way they are. This form mostly used for young offenders who can change their ways quite easily as they are still learning. Capital punishment mocks reformation completely. The death penalty doesn’t give the prosecuted the chance to right their wrongs. We should try to understand these murderers. We should find what pressures society has put on them to commit murder and what their motives are. Reformation can only be strengthened by these studies.

Capital punishment is supposed to deter other criminals from committing crimes, which people have been punished for. Many people don’t believe that it does work as deterrence. Humans are supposed to be merciful and this is what makes them human. The taking of a human life cheapens it. Some people believe that life is sacred and no society has the right to end anyone’s. The bible has a hypocritical view on this point. It also agrees with these people’s views and tells us to be generous. If someone does something against you, forgive and forget. Jesus doesn’t condemn he forgives. This must mean that because he was God in human form, humans could also carry out such a godly act as forgiveness. This could mean that if someone commits a crime then we should forgive and punish according to what they have done. There is a very large doubt that capital punishment has any deterring effect at all. Also the eradication of capital punishment gave prisons a chance to reform their prisoners, instead of killing them.

Different people have different views on capital punishment, as it is a widely discussed topic. Some people believe it would be deterrence in our society today. But then the people against capital punishment would say there isn’t any proof at all to back this claim. Others say reformation is the way forward and that instead of eradicating them from society they should be reformed and reintroduced into it. People saying that there isn’t any assurance that it works, of course, can challenge reformation. Some of these criminals could be mentally ill and not be helped straight away as it would take longer and more money to help them. I personally think that capital punishment should be brought back into our society but not used callously against any criminal. I believe that death should only be used only in cases that are to the extreme and when society is in danger from these criminals. I also think that if capital punishment is brought back then life imprisonment should mean life imprisonment. This sentence should be carried out more often than capital punishment, so that protection, reformation, and retribution can be carried out. Deterrence doesn’t work as I have said before. This is my point of view on things and I am for capital punishment to be reintroduced into our society as an extreme sentence.

Capital Punishment.