Capital Punishment

            The death penalty is a necessity for the criminal-filled world we live in. There are currently thirty-five states, including Illinois, which obtain capital punishment. Of course not all states actively use the death penalty even though they have not abolished it. Someone who takes another’s life should not be saved from their own death because the victim was not given mercy by them. It is true; a murderer would have to spend their entire life ‘rotting’ in prison reflecting and imagining back to what they did, and how they regret it. However, they would also have an eternity in hell to regret their decision. I believe capital punishment, in general, is right. In this idea, I am not choosing death over life, but I believe that since the murderer broke the law they should not be given another chance. As the old saying goes, "You only get one chance to make a first impression."

            First of all, the idea of punishment by death started thousands of years ago. The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for twenty-five different crimes. The death penalty was also part of the Fourteenth Century B.C.'s Hittite Code; in the Seventh Century B.C.'s Draconian Code of Athens, which made death the only punishment for all crimes; and in the Fifth Century B.C.'s Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets (History of the Death Penalty). This long history of the death penalty means that all societies throughout times felt necessary to punish people severely for severe crimes. Why would anyone put themselves in danger of the death penalty if the law is clearly stated? It sets an example to show society that there are extreme consequences to criminal actions. The death penalty has been around for so long and I do not see why some states feel they need to bend the laws for murderers. I see the states who have abolished capital punishment, weak.

            Again, methods for the death penalty were very different a long time ago. In the earliest stages, crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement were used. In later centuries, methods like boiling, burning at the stake, beheading, and drawing and quartering were used. Today, capital punishment is a lot more humane than in previous centuries. The typical methods used today are lethal injection and electrocution, and sometimes the military still uses the firing squad (History of the Death Penalty). I believe that since the methods have become more reasonable and considerable that more people should believe in capital punishment as well. Few argue that people who believe in capital punishment are barbaric and inhumane. However, technology is advancing every year and in the future there might even be an even easier and less 'barbaric' way to take someones life.

            To continue, most people believe that the death penalty goes against the bibles beliefs and the beliefs of God. Actually, it is stated in the Old Testament that God is the One who instituted capital punishment: “Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man” from Genesis 9:6 (gotquestions.org). A lot of religious people disagree with capital punishment but I believe that if this was a well known verse more people would understand that capital punishment is not going against their God, it more or less believes in His thoughts and what He believes is right. I would assume more people would change their opinion about the death penalty with this fact alone. However, a lot of people believe it is just morally wrong or goes against their morals. I would have to say if you or a loved one was raped or murdered, I would hope that you would never want that person to ever be released out of prison, and the only way to ensure that is the death penalty. Prisoners are being released on the account to 'good behavior' all the time. Sometimes even reducing sentences by half. The only way to prevent this from happening is by using capital punishment. 

            Also, it is said that keeping a person alive in prison for their entire life is more expensive to tax payers than it is to kill them by lethal injection or electrocution. Most people believe vice versa. Some who would oppose my belief would say that execution actually costs almost two million dollars per inmate versus the five hundred thousand dollars per inmate for life in prison. However, that is factually incorrect because life without parole prisoner’s face, on average, 30 or 40 years in prison while the annual cost of incarceration is forty thousand to fifty thousand dollars a year for each prisoner. There is no question that the up front costs of the death penalty are significantly higher than life without parole cases. There also appears to be no question that, over time, life without parole cases are much more expensive (from 1.2 to 3.6 million dollars) than death penalty cases. Opponents ludicrously claim that the death penalty costs, over time, three to ten times more than life without parole. So in the end, the death penalty is the least expensive option. What blows my mind is people who do not believe in putting someone to death who killed someone else, wants to pay more for them to remain living.

            As of now, the death penalty is controlled by state governments, and currently there are thirty-five states that approve of capital punishment. Most states would agree the crime of first degree murder accompanied by aggravated factors would be more than enough to qualify an assailant to receive the death penalty.  Aggravated factors would include matters of torture, attempting to escape a felony, the murderer was given something of value for the crime, and many more depending on the state laws. Different states, however, have different qualifications. In Montana, if you have sexual intercourse with a person without their consent, you are also eligible for capital punishment. I do believe that a murderer and a rapist are sick people and no form of rehabilitation, psychology, or prescriptions can help them from having actions like these reoccur. I feel that once they have experienced the taste of murder, there is no way of going back from that, and there are no second chances. I know that if I were to have a daughter one day, and she were to be raped, I would have no feelings of remorse towards the man who did it. I would hope that he would be sentenced to death for the amount of painful memories she will always have for the rest of her life.

            On another note, Texas is one of the most well known states that have the death penalty. A prisoner could be sentenced to death row, and be in prison for decades without being killed. So, if a person feels morally against the death penalty, you could know that even though they have been sentenced to death row, it may take a very long time for them to even receive it. Given this, any person will have enough time to think about why it is reasonable for the criminal to be given the death penalty. Right now, Texas has hundreds of murderers, rapists, and convicts on death row and they all have been there for quite some time (Texas Department of Criminal Justice). However, I am sure they have the intentions of getting around to all of them at some point.

            Moreover, the death penalty is thought to have many holes in its system. Some may believe that more African American people will be punished by death, rather than white people on trial. There are graphs showing African American people who kill white men are more likely to acquire the death penalty and a white man who kills a African American man is less likely to get the death penalty (The Death Penalty in Black and White: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides). This may be true, but then again, these crimes could have been hate crimes. I personally believe that if you commit a crime heinous enough to receive the death penalty, color has no matter in the consequence. On the other hand, I do believe the degree of the assailants crime is the one and only thing that condemns him or her. You also have to consider the factor that it may be true that African American men may cause more murder related crimes than white men.

            To bring to a close, I suggest to all of those who do not believe in capital punishment to do your own research, and to ask yourself after learning the facts, do you still believe capital punishment is wrong? You might end up contradicting yourself. My research claims that capital punishment is beneficial to our society. In more detail, it is taking perpetrators off the street and never letting them go back. God was the One who essentially created the death penalty and capital punishment has been successful for centuries and centuries, I would not expect it to end anytime soon. It lets our country know that there are consequences for deceitful actions and that second chances are not an option. It sets an example to others who think they can get away with something, and it may actually prevent murders from happening in the future. Anyone can conduct a giant list of pros and cons to capital punishment, but I will always believe that capital punishment is for the good of humanity.