Why Capital Punishment Should Be Illegal Essay Example

the wrong message.

The general public is allowed to attend executions. But it is probably a frightening experience to watch. “The message it is sending to people is that why kill people who kill people to show killing is wrong” (Messerli n. p). It is showing that killing a person is okay because they deserve to die for what they did. The 8th Amendment of the U. S Constitution prevents the use of cruel and unusual punishment (Messerli n. p). Many would interpret the death penalty as violating this restriction. If capital punishment is going against the U.

S Constitution why are people making the exception to kill criminals? When people put a criminal to death they are technically committing murder. But people make it seem like it is okay because they feel they are doing the right thing. Another reason is that life in prison is a worse punishment than being sentenced to death. Criminals may see that the death sentence is an easy way out for them. They would probably want to die than have to sit in jail for life reminiscing about the horrible crimes they committed and the guilt they feel. It would be torturous. In jail criminals are confined to a cage and live in an internal environment of rape and violence where they are treated as animals “(Messerli n. p). People think that being sentenced to death is more painful than a life in jail. But being put to death the pain is over in an instant. Life in jail the criminals have to think about what they have done which is more painful than being sentenced to death. The death

penalty goes against God and several religious beliefs. God should be the only one who can make or destroy life. Some religions forbid death penalty.

For example Catholic, Presbyterian, Quaker, Amish, and Mennonite religions are all against capital punishment and forbid it (“Reasons to be Against the Death Penalty”). By giving criminals the death penalty, people are taking away their life that God created. Just because people think they deserve to die it is still a sin against God. The death penalty also goes against the Ten Commandments. The sixth commandment says thou shall not kill. Clearly people are going against that commandment by putting a criminal to death (Phillip n. p). No matter what putting someone to death is a serious sin and nothing makes it okay.

Another reason to get rid of the death penalty is that it does not even deter crime. Why have a capital punishment system that does not change the crime rate. “Scientific studies have consistently failed to demonstrate that executions deter people from committing crime any more than long prison sentences” (“The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty” n. p). Other states where the death penalty is illegal their crime rates are lower. “For example the murder rate in the US is 6 times that of Britain and 5 times that of Australia.

Neither country has the death penalty as a form of punishment. Texas has twice the murder rate of Wisconsin, also a state that illegalized the death penalty” (“Reasons to be Against the Death Penalty”n. p). The last reason why the death penalty should be illegal is that there are innocent people on death row. If an innocent

person is wrongly executed people cannot fix that mistake. “Since the reinstatement of the death penalty, at least 139 men and women have been released nationally” (“The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty” n. ). For some criminals on death row it is too late for them a lot of innocent people have been executed. For 7 death row inmates executed, 1 inmate has been found to be wrongfully convicted (“Reasons to be Against the Death Penalty”n. p). If a person’s loved one is on death row and they get put to death, and later on the government finds out that the person was innocent and should not have died. There is nothing that they could do to bring that person back. It is a mistake they would have to live with for the rest of their life.

If the death penalty was illegal people would not be taking the risk that innocent people could be wrongfully put to death. People could save innocent people’s lives if this was illegal. The government can never create a death row system that insures that innocent people will not get put to death. In conclusion capital punishment is causing a lot of problems for people. It raises taxes for people who live in a place where the death penalty is legal. Places where it is legal could save a lot of money if it was illegalized. It goes against the U.

S Constitution, and there should not be an exception for it. It sends the wrong message why kill people who kill people to show people that killing is wrong. It goes against God and several religious beliefs, the

death penalty is not a crime deterrent and that innocent people on death row are wrongfully executed. The government cannot create a system that avoids all of these problems. Even though people may think these criminals deserve to die for what they did, it’s a worse punishment to sit in jail for life. This is why it should be illegal to give criminals the death sentence.

Works Cited Page "Death Penalty Focus. " http://www. deathpenalty. org/section. php? id=13. N. p. , 31 Mar. 2009. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Messerli, Joe. "Should the death penalty be banned as a form of punishment? " www. balancedpolitics. org. N. p. , 12 Oct. 2010. Web. 21 Jan. 2011. . The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. N. p. , 16 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. . Phillip, David. "Capital Punishment. " www. nytimes. com. N. p. , 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 21 Jan. 2011. . "Reasons to be Against the Death Penalty. " antideathpenalty. N. p. , 16 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. .