++ [ originally posted by HWIENIAWSKI ] ++
Here is something I wrote.....
Don’t Kill The Death Penalty!
The death penalty, legalized in the US in 1976 (R. Halperin), has been the focus of hundreds of papers, articles, and speeches. As it has slowly become more widespread, the already fierce debate over it has become increasingly controversial. Yet, as an institution, the death penalty has not yet reached its peak effectiveness. When it does, its benefits will be apparent to even the most stubborn critics. But even now, imperfect as it is, the death penalty is an effective and just institution.
Death is widely acknowledged, as the ultimate sanction-it is irrevocable. While this is one of the reasons that the death penalty has so many detractors, it is also one of the death penalty’s greatest strengths. A criminal that is dead can never commit another crime. An executed murderer will never kill again. It is the final measure for the worst criminals.
Who can say that the death penalty is not a deterrent? People quote statistics to that effect, but the statistics are easily misinterpreted, and are often presented in a biased way. For example, to quote David Bruck in a 1985 essay: “The state [Florida] went through almost all of 1983 without executing anyone: Its rate of intentional homicide declined by almost 17 percent. Last year [1984] Florida executed eight people-the most of any state, and the sixth highest total for any year since…. Elsewhere in the United States last year, the homicide rate continued to decline. But in Florida, it actually rose 5.1 percent.” While may seem valid judging on first impression. After all, where is the connection between the murder rate going up and the and the death penalty being established? The chances are that these two facts aren’t related-it defies common sense, and there are so many other factors that could cause the murder rate to rise. It could even be pure coincidence! And since there is no clear proof that the death penalty either deters murderers or not, it seems that we must rely on common sense. And what do you think would work best at keeping a 16-year-old boy from getting a ticket (i.e. breaking the speed limit) in his new car-the threat of not being allowed to drive for a month, or having his car permanently taken away from him?
There are many arguments against the death penalty, but few of them are strong or stand up to thorough analysis.
The assertion that the death penalty is immoral is one of the most common, and yet one of the weakest arguments used. The most common premise for this argument is God’s commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill”. However, this argument is refuted both by the fact that in the original Hebrew, the commandment is “Thou Shalt Not Murder”, not Thou shalt not kill, and even so, it wouldn’t be valid-there is no proof that there is a god, therefore it is logically invalid.
“There could be mistakes-innocent people could be executed.” This is a strong argument, but not against the death penalty-it is the court’s job to convict and sentence the right man-not the death penalty’s. That is like arguing that a judge’s decision in a competition is right or wrong, which is impossible. It is the judge who made the decision, there for it is the judge who is right or wrong.
“The death penalty is a huge drain of valuable state resources, with hundreds of sentenced inmates on the death row. There are people advocating the construction of expensive buildings specially for those on the death row.” But think about this-is it really the death penalty’s fault that so much money is being poured into it? Again, the answer is no. It is the systems fault-it is the systems fault that murderers and rapists aren’t dealt with promptly. Were the process more streamlined, then this problem would virtually disappear.
“The United States is the only major democracy to have a death penalty” The US gives more freedom to its citizens than just about any other country, ever. Therefore, the consequences for breaking its laws should be harsher. After all, “To him much is given, much is expected.”
In closing, after weighing these arguments, it seems that while the death penalty is neither perfectly administered nor utilized to greatest positive effect, it is still a just and moral institution. And while the judicial system may never be perfect, it can be made increasingly efficient, rendering the just laws of the United States increasingly effective.
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