The absence of capital punishment in the United Kingdom has marked a civilised society, other people might argue. Some of the things that happen on our streets today and in people’s homes certainly do not constitute a civilised behaviour. The same point would be argued with those countries that practice death penalty. Society and its mixed feelings towards the death penalty; capital punishment is such a harsh and uncivilised way of treating criminals, but do they look at how the criminals are acting towards ending other human beings life. They do not care about the lives they have destroyed, or, the families of their victims. The death penalty can never bring back loved ones back to their families. It seems rationally to think that if potential killers are aware that if they commit serious crimes they would be put to death for it, they are less likely to commit these crimes again.
The concept of retribution and justice should bestow to society. This is imperative for peace to be maintained and that justice is served. If criminals were allowed to get away with such a serious crime as taking a humans life fear and chaos would rule. Sentence for life in prison will not be substantial enough. The government must be trusted to protect its innocent citizens from further crimes. A vast conception concerning death penalty is that it saves society the costs of keeping inmates imprisoned for long periods. In the act of preserving due process of justice, the court appeals involved with the death penalty becomes a long, drawn out and a long expensive process. Does it save its purpose? Does executing someone for crimes such as rape, murder, adultery, homosexual behaviour, and prostitution actually prevent future occurrences? In biblical times, it was acceptable for capital punishment to be imposed on crimes such as kidnapping and witchcraft and all the crimes mentioned above. Most people today will still argue that in ancient times where capital punishment was common, the value of life was less, and societies were more barbaric hence capital punishment was more acceptable. If we look closely in laws today, a lot of biblical times, ancient laws are being practiced around the world. Although eye for an eye, execution by burned alive, and hang the criminals in the streets, no longer apply to those countries still using the capital punishment. It was a fanfare ritual back then. Now it is just an unseen deed done in prisons. It should be brought back into the open, then the deterrent factor would most definitely rise because of the publicly display executing criminals. It would send out a message to the society that anyone who commits serious crimes, can also pay for it.
Issues of innocence and racism are prevalent when the death penalty is at hand. The mental ill the poor and the racial minorities are always unfairly treated and in most cases they are sentenced to death. The defence lawyers are always incompetent and on other times because of the poor compensation paid, no competent lawyer is willing to defend the minorities and the poor. In most cases district attorney are given unrestricted discretion in deciding whether to sentence death penalty. Members of the minority groups and poor people are more likely to be targeted because of prejudice and bigotry. Many convicted murders at later stage are found to be innocent and have been pardoned. But for the innocent convicts who have been killed its difficult to pardon their corpse, because will ever bring them back to this world. On the other hand some jury members are reluctant to convict in murder trials because of the possibilities of executing innocent person. Thus, many killers go free never to be punished. The appeal process has burdensome, if not impossible procedures. The process is made to speed up cases not granting justice. Morality itself should be virtue enough to at least call for the moratorium of the death penalty in the world. Capital punishment blatantly violates the very concept of justice and is unacceptable as a form of punishment. Opposing death penalty does not mean sympathy with the convicted murders. On the contrary, murder and manslaughter both demonstrate a lack of respect for life. For this very reason, a policy of state authorized killing is immoral. Criminals no doubt need to be punished but severity of punishment should have its limits, beginning with the use of human dignity. Most people would still argue that while it is the cruellest punishment, it is the best way to penalize heartless, cold-blooded killers.
The death penalty is not administered for revenge but for the safety of the society. The man with the lifeblood of another upon his hands is a menace to the life of every innocent citizen and must be permanently removed from the society for the sake of the society. Capital punishment is used around the world and in some countries for order in today’s society. Lets come and join hands together people of the world to defeat crime. It will not certainly take us over. We can no longer sit back and watch the criminals released and kill again. We can no longer sit and let our lives be terrorised. No longer must we live our lives in fear. We must come together and draw the line on crime. We must make the world safe so that our children and we may once again live in a world without fear of being senselessly killed or lose our loved ones. Finally, man is not a divine being. He does not have a right to inflict mortally punishment in the name of society’s welfare, when there are suitable substitute that require few resources.
