Essay: Arguments against the Death Penalty
Essay: Arguments against the Death Penalty
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The idea of putting another human to death is hard to completely fathom. The physical mechanics involved in
the act of execution are easy to grasp, but the emotions involved in carrying out a death sentence on another
person, regardless of how much they deserve it, is beyond my own understanding. However, this act is
sometimes necessary and it is our responsibility as a society to see that it is done. Opponents of capital
punishment have basically four arguments.
The first is that there is a possibility of error. However, the chance that there might be an error is separate from
the issue of whether the death penalty can be justified or not. If an error does occur, and an innocent person is
executed, then the problem lies in the court system, not in the death penalty. Furthermore, most activities in
our world, in which humans are involved, possess a possibility of injury or death. Construction, sports,
driving, and air travel all offer the possibility of accidental death even though the highest levels of precautions
are taken. These activities continue to take place, and continue to occasionally take human lives, because we
have all decided, as a society, that the advantages outweigh the unintended loss. We have also decided that the
advantages of having dangerous murderers removed from our society outweigh the losses of the offender.
The second argument against capital punishment is that it is unfair in its administration. Statistics show that
the poor and minorities are more likely to receive the death penalty. Once again, this is a separate issue. It
can’t be disputed sadly, the rich are more likely to get off with a lesser sentence, and this bias is wrong.
However, this is yet another problem of our current court system. The racial and economic bias is not a valid
argument against the death penalty. It is an argument against the courts and their unfair system of sentencing.
The third argument is actually a rebuttal to a claim made by some supporters of the death penalty. The claim is
that the threat of capital punishment reduces violent crimes. Opponents of the death penalty do not agree and
have a valid argument when they say, “The claims that capital punishment reduces violent crime is
inconclusive and certainly not proven.”
The fourth argument is that the length of stay on death row, with its endless appeals, delays, technicalities, and
retrials, keep a person waiting for death for years on end. It is both cruel and costly. This is the least credible
argument against capital punishment. The main cause of such inefficiencies is the appeals process, which
allows capital cases to bounce back and forth between state and federal courts for years on end. If supporting
a death row inmate for the rest their life costs less than putting them to death, and ending their financial
burden on society, then the problem lies in the court system, not in the death penalty. As for the additional
argument, that making a prisoner wait for years to be executed is cruel, then would not waiting for death in
prison for the rest of your life be just as cruel, as in the case of life imprisonment without parole.
Many Americans will tell you why they are in favor of the death penalty. It is what they deserve. It prevents
them from ever murdering again. It removes the burden from taxpayers. We all live in a society with the same
basic rights and guarantees. We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with equal
opportunities. This is the basis for our society. It is the foundation on which everything else is built upon.
When someone willfully and flagrantly attacks this foundation by murdering another, robbing them of all they
are, and all they will ever be, then that person can no longer be a part of this society. The only method that
completely separates cold blooded murderers from our society is the death penalty.
As the 20th century comes to a close, it is evident that our justice system is in need of reform. This reform will
shape the future of our country, and we cannot jump to quick solutions such as the elimination of the death
penalty. As of now, the majority of American supports the death penalty as an effective solution of
punishment.
“An eye for an eye,” is what some Americans would say concerning the death penalty. Supporters of the
death penalty ask the question, “Why should I, an honest hardworking taxpayer, have to pay to support a
murderer for the rest of their natural life? Why not execute them and save society the cost of their keep?”
Many Americans believe that the death penalty is wrong. However, it seems obvious to some Americans that
the death penalty is a just and proper way to handle convicted murderers.
