An Eye for an Eye The Death Penalty - 1553 Words

The death penalty has been present, in one way or another, for virtually as long as human civilization has existed. The reasons why are apparent; it is intrinsically logical to human beings that a person who takes the life of another should also be killed. This philosophy is exemplified in the famous Biblical passage, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. However, in light of recent research into ethics, criminology and the justice system, the time has come for us to re-examine our ageless paradigm of revenge. Capital punishment is a custom in which prisoners are executed in accordance with judicial practice when they are convicted of committing a â€Å"capital crime.† Capital crimes are crimes considered so atrocious that they should†¦show more content†¦According to a 1987 study published in the Stanford Law Review, at least 23 non-culpable individuals have been executed from 1900 to 1987, which is more than one innocent execution every four years. These miscarriages of justice are often due to evidence that was not discovered or made available until after the execution. Although recent scientific improvements, such as forensic DNA evidence, have enabled investigators to more accurately pinpoint guilt in a suspect, no current amount of scientific or technological advancement can completely guarantee that errors will never be made. In an issue such as the death penalty, where the stakes are so high – human life – any margin of error, no matter how minuscule, is unacceptable. Perhaps most importantly, one must consider the basic ethical question of hypocrisy. We must ask ourselves, What type of message are we as a nation sending to the rest of the world and to our own citizens when we kill people who kill people to show that it is wrong to kill people? By executing murderers, we are merely lowering ourselves to their level in order to express our primitive desire for retribution. Our society can never be called moral or democratic if we begin sacrificing individuals, without their consent, to the greater good. Since capital punishment is supposedly intended to protect and avenge innocent lives, it has failed its purpose if, as it undoubtedly has and will, it causes even a few blameless people to be killed. TheShow MoreRelatedDeath Penalty: Eye for an Eye1280 Words   |  6 PagesAn Eye for an Eye For many years there has been a constant debate between supporters and non-supporters of the death penalty. Many people argue that the death penalty is as much a murder as the crime committed by the offender. Others may say that it provides closure and justice. I am a strong supporter of the death penalty. There are many others like myself. The world is full of the most dangerous and ruthless criminals that should be put to death. There are many pros that the death penalty hasRead MoreIs the Death Penalty Ethical? Essay examples974 Words   |  4 Pagespeople were executed and this doesnt even include the unreported deaths. Decades ago, death penalty cases were not even to be reported in many times. For many years, people have been rationalize themselves for death penalty as an eye for an eye(2010).This eye for an eye statement is no longer giving any excuses for killing humans. The controversial idea of whether humans are rational enough to decide someones life or death has been questioned. Humans absolutely dont have any right to judgeRead More The Death Penalty Is Archaic and Immoral Essays559 Words   |  3 Pages The death penalty is simply a modernized version of the Holy Bible’s â€Å"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot†. Some argue that death is a necessary retribution for murderous cases - but is it effective morally? Revenge only glorifies violence, which is most definitely not the message the world strives to display. The death penalty is a negative form of punishment and insinuates a harsh reflection of society economically, politically, and socially. Read MoreThe Death Penalty Is More Expensive Than Housing1610 Words   |  7 Pages The death penalty is a hot button issue in contemporary American politics. There are many sides and stances that need to be addressed in order to truly understand the issue. The three main arguments for or against the death penalty tend to be focused around three main areas: fiscal issues, moral issues, and crime prevention issues. Many Americans are concerned about the cost of capital punishment, specifically; the cost of the death penalty per inmate, per year. Is it actually cheaper for theRead MoreThe Death Penalty and Punishment for Crimes795 Words   |  3 Pagesagain, it helps. Execution and the death penalty have been used in most societies since the beginning of history. Penalties back then included boiling to death, flaying, slow slicing, crucification, impalement, crushing, stoning, decapitation, etc. The death penalty was used for reasons today that would go under cruel and unusual punishment. Today in the United States, execution is used mainly for murder, espionage, and treason. In some states in the US, death by firing squad is still used. (â€Å"CriminalRead MoreThe Death Penalty: Pros and Cons Essay1045 Words   |  5 PagesThe Death Penalty. Immoral or moral; just or unjust? These are just a few of the questions people ask themselves when debating the Death Penalty which is arguably the mo st controversial topic of the United States today. Every time these words come up, we start yelling out our opinions on what we feel is right. Pro death penalty people shout deterrence across the room while the anti death penalty supporters shout about potentially killing an innocent man; some argue that is just and the murders deserveRead MorePersuasive Essay Pro Death Penalty858 Words   |  4 PagesProfessor O Putting people to death, judged to have committed certain extremely heinous crimes, is a practice that’s been around for along time. In the later half of the twentieth century, it has become a controversial issue. As a supporter of the death penalty, I consider this to be a good thing for my country and its citizens. Capital punishment deters crime. Statistics prove consisted application of the death penalty deter crime. No executed murdered has ever killed again. For many years, CriminologistsRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is The Only Good Enough Punishment1065 Words   |  5 Pagesgiven the death penalty for murder are neither innocent nor victims. There’s nothing moral about how a criminal murders an innocent victim. These kinds of individuals should be removed from society permanently. The death penalty is the only good enough punishment for taking a human life unlawfully and is the only moral action (Van den Haag 1983). Our laws based ultimately on ancient Jewish laws which is the basis of all western morality and is in which the death penalty was practiced. The death penaltyRead MoreAbolishing The Death Penalty Is Justified910 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Death Penalty According to the Webster’s Dictionary, death means the end of life (Dictionary, 80) and penalty means punishment for any crime or offense (Dictionary, 223). Therefore, by definition the death penalty means the end of a life due to punishment for a crime or offense. The death penalty is started with the Code of King Hammurabi’s in the eighteenth century B.C. This code consisted of 282 laws that stressed justice as clearly stated in the opening of the code, An eye for an eye, andRead MoreThe Inhumanity of Death Penalty892 Words   |  4 Pagesthose criminal. A very serious crime is considered to get the death penalty. This punishment is a symbol of violation and across the line of humanity in Indonesia, a country that follows the Pancasila, one of whose principles is just and civilized humanity. Thus, death penalties based on retaliation are no longer appropriate (Winarta and McDonald, 2011). Death penaltyis also not effective to stop the criminality. Therefore death penalty should be banned as a form of punishment in Indonesia. In his