Death as punishment for crime dates back to ancient civilization. In practice, Capital Punishment is often thought of and socially accepted as an imperative method in the prevention, control, and ridding of serious offenses and offenders. Historically, it has been used as a means to control, as opposed to protect a body politic; a proven slippery sloped policy that has crushed dissent, religion, and skin color in worldwide human to human atrocities. Yet even if death is used in so called “just” circumstances, does it effect rates of violent crime? Statistically in fact it does not. Moreover, Capital punishment is not an effective means in controlling violent crime because it does not address fundamental societal flaws which create the very environments where these crimes occur, exposing a moral double standard between civil society and government.
This claim is not aimed to shift responsibility from the perpetrator of a crime to the state, because their is no doubt a personal choice involved in the decision to commit an act of violence. Yet, some commit crimes because of the environments they live and work in; where cultures of violence have been created, forcing those to kill or be killed. But it remains important not to blame or make victim out of the actors involved. Capital punishment will not tear through the ties of a country, city, or communities way of living or dying. Many states that implement the death penalty as the ultimate level of justice are flawed in their philosophy. If it is wrong for a person to kill a person, then how can it be right for a executioner to kill a person deemed guilty of committing a violent crime. No matter how monstrous a crime may be this philosophy creates a, “We can do it but you can’t” rule, a double standard that not only adds another level in disregarding the beauty of not just human life, but life as a whole; The notion that human ego and revenge are more sacred then the tangible human themselves. If a person is driven enough to commit a violent crime, they will do it regardless of the repercussions.
It is like someone who likes to jump put of planes. They are so enamored by flying through the air that their descion to follow through with the act is not contingent on the outcome of the worst case scenario. What if the chute doesn’t open? what if i get caught? Both answers presumably are “well, I could die”. It is an inconceivable atrocity that humans kill each other. The reasons are extensive and could obviously be expounded upon in a separate essay all together. Yet, when relationships, motives, thoughts, perceptions are considered a non factor, a more objective window appears, where the essence of a situation can be closely conceived on a matter of fact basis. If we value human life, how can the death penalty prevent crime? Isn’t the point of punishment to protect societies, establishments, a people, from harm. If our superiors deem state sanctioned killing to be a justified action as a combatant to human on human atrocity….how then can we expect the people to reserve an apprehensiveness when committing a violent crime. The problem lays, not in the violent act itself but the standard set by the state and a symbol of overriding state authority, to presume a certain omnipresence or power, objecting a subservient citizenry. The death penalty doesn’t deter violent crime it sanctions and controls it. A better way to combat the resurgence of violent crimes in society is to promote a new way of thinking, living, and being. there must be a new for humans to harness a common connection, where right trumps wrong and good overcomes and converts bad.
A common pro death penalty objection is that it is too expensive to house criminals guilty of violent crimes. Furthermore, it is said that the taxpayer should not be burdened with the living expenses of a violent monster. Meanwhile, there are millions to billions of dollars being wasted on government expedience, unjust wars, and prison sentences all over the world. So oversight and systematic reform, not money are the fundamental issues at hand. In addition to this, there still remains the issue of accuracy in the sentencing of alleged criminals to death. Even one mishap in the handling of a case that puts an innocent human to death, is a system that should not be in operation as potential punishment. There have been hundreds of death row inmates exonerated after the arrival of new evidence or DNA testing. In parts of the world where more harsh and strict laws are implemented for things tolerated in the west, astounding amounts of people are unjustly put to death in lieu of Utopian craving leaders. While it may be culture and history to do act or punish a certain way, how to we advance as people if we don’t revise “old” ways of thought. Not only is the death penalty ineffective in deterring violent crime statistically and philosophically, it represents a false sense of closure and revenge, that contradicts the natural beauty of life and the sanctity of human beings.