What are some valid arguements for and against the death penalty, logically speaking?
For: It deters criminals. When someone takes a life, the balance of justice is disturbed. Unless that balance is restored, society succumbs to a rule of violence. Only the taking of the murderer’s life restores the balance and allows society to show convincingly that murder is an intolerable crime which will be punished in kind. Retribution has its basis in religious values, which have historically maintained that it is proper to take an “eye for an eye” and a life for a life. Against: The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It violates the right to life. It is irrevocable and can be inflicted on the innocent. It has never been shown to deter crime more effectively than other punishments. The death penalty is not a deterrent because most people who commit murders either do not expect to be caught or do not carefully weigh the differences between a possible execution and life in prison before they act. Retribution is another word for revenge. Although
There are many valid, logical arguments out there, but these are the ones I personally rely on, because I am opposed to the death penalty except in ONE circumstance. SUPPORT: –IF a person in prison commits another murder IN prison, THEN I would support the death penalty because otherwise, wardens have no hope of trying to prevent murders within the prison walls. Threatening a life prisoner with more prison time isn’t much of a deterrent. OPPOSED: –often imposed in error (Illinois learned that 13 of the 26 men they had on Death Row COULD NOT have done the crimes, according to modern DNA analysis, for example) –the rich can buy their way out of it (in pre-trial negotiations, O.J. Simpson got a GUARANTEE that he would not receive the death penalty if he were found guilty — only his wealth let him hire enough legal talent to manage that) –it’s racially discriminatory; people who kill whites are far more likely to get the death penalty than people who kill blacks –it harms society by
