Presently, the death penalty is not something new that our society faces. It existed throughout all history of humankind. It is a process when a person’s life is taken as a punishment for certain serious crimes. Capital punishment was used in many states in the past and the law excused it. Unfortunately, not much has changed since that time and it remains a legal penalty in 32 states. Of course, there are many controversial opinions on this issue. A large number of people support the death penalty, while many others are against it. I think that nowadays in the civilized world, there should be no more death penalty.
A modern society should not tolerate such a punishment as the death sentence. There exist many other kinds of punishment, and I believe that they could be used instead of it. First of all, killing is a crime and is immoral. It is not a way out of society’s problems to put a person to death for some crimes. People should have a humane attitude toward others. To some extent, the death penalty is regarded to be unfair. There are a few chances for rich people to avoid it and get not such a strict punishment when poor people are more likely to receive the death sentence. Sometimes they cannot afford a good lawyer to protect them. Consequently, it goes against the constitutional rights of an accused person, because all people should have equal rights.
There also exists the possibility of an error in the investigation, and the wrong person can be accused. Anyone can make mistakes, and the innocent can pay for it. Such unpleasant cases happen very rarely, but such a probability still exists. That is why the government should understand that the death penalty can bring not only justice but on the contrary, it can lead to a miscarriage of justice. If an innocent person is executed, there will be no turning back.
What is more, people who are against the death penalty believe that it is a state-sponsored killing. The cost of capital punishment is considered to be more expensive than expenses spent on the case for life imprisonment. Therefore, it is just cost-ineffective. Many people on death row wait for execution and to some extent, it is cruel towards them.
A common thought among many people is that capital punishment reduces the number of crimes, and it is the only proper penalty for committing any serious crimes. However, there is only a small possibility that the fear of being sentenced to death does not allow other criminals to commit a crime. If a person is afraid of the death sentence, it does not mean that future crimes are avoided. Therefore, the statement of decreasing illegal activities was not proved and there is no evidence that capital punishment is more effective in comparison with life imprisonment. If a serial killer starts to kill, this person is not afraid of death and the existence of capital punishment does not influence his actions. Therefore, no one can say for sure that the death sentence acts as a deterrent and prevents other crimes.
To sum up, some people support the death penalty because they believe that it may help to save the innocent and make life safer. However, we should think over this problem because it is non-constitutional. The abolition of the death penalty is a matter of respect for human rights. As we live in the 21st century, I believe that the great changes concerning this issue should be introduced. I hope that in the not-too-distant future, society will take a momentous decision regarding the death penalty.
About the author: Noah Hill is a master in English philology and literature at California University. Noah is currently working as one of the best writers at best place to buy a dissertation He also studies feminine psychology.