The Ineffectiveness of Capital Punishment

The Effectiveness of the Capital Punishment

January 23, 2012

The Ineffectiveness of Capital Punishment

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind- Mahatma Ghandi"

The issue of capital punishment has been a long standing controversy in our society. It is a popular debate with inhabitants on both sides. Some argue that it is effective and that murderers deserve what's coming to them. Another argument is that it would be cheaper on taxes if we didn't have inmates living on death row. To them, these are valid arguments for their position but, in my opinion, the disadvantages far outweigh the few advantages that any person might be able to come up with. Therefore, my argument is that the death penalty is not an effective form of punishment.

Background on Capital Punishment

It seems to me that in order to form an opinion on a topic one needs to be somewhat versed on said topic. The first step is having a clear definition of the topic being argued. Capital Punishment is defined by The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy as "[the] punishment by death for a crime; death penalty." The next question one might ask is: What are the different forms of capital punishment that are used? The death penalty has been around for quite a long time. Way back when, there were many different acceptable methods of eradicating the bad seeds. These methods included: being trampled by animals, crucified, buried alive or literally fed to sharks (List of methods, 2011).

The most popular form of capital punishment today is lethal injection. However, gas, hanging and even electrocution or firing squad is used in some states on rare occasion (Snell, 2011). Thirdly, it might be beneficial to know where this form of punishment is considered justified. As of 2010, 36 states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons all invoked the death penalty in what were deemed capital crimes. Michigan is not included among these states. Now that we have the ins and outs of capital punishment it's time for me to present my argument. There are many different reasons to support the claim that capital punishment is not an effective method of punishment.

Religious Point of View

The first reason that could be presented is that of a religious point of view. This argument is perceptibly the most expected objection to capital punishment. While there is no unified or official connection to religion and the death penalty, I feel it's safe to say that if you're against the death penalty you're probably associated to a religious faith such as Christianity. Appropriate examples of opposition would, of course, come from The Bible.

In John 8:3-11, The Bible talks about a woman who has committed a crime. The scribes and Pharisees are going to stone her to death. Jesus (That's right, the big guy himself!) happens to be present at this little shin dig and is quoted as saying: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her (John 8:7)" Opposition to the death penalty due to religious view doesn't come in a clearer form. However, opposing capital punishment doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't effective.

In keeping with my thesis, I would turn to Matthew 5:38-39: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." The rest of the chapter goes onto to talk about how hate breeds hate and how that doesn't fix anything. Jesus is also quoted as saying "...love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.." Jesus, in his infinite wisdom, could see the simple fact that two wrongs don't make a right. This could be applied to the ineffectiveness of our current system and in doing so; it backs up my thesis that the death penalty is not an effective form of punishment.

Political Point of View

The second reason could be that of a political essence. There are a couple of different ways you could approach this reason. First, the eighth amendment to The United States Constitution reads: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." Being restrained while 2000+ volts course through your body or chemicals induce paralysis and cardiac arrest seems to me to be rather cruel.

Secondly, we could look at wrongful conviction rates. Since 1989 there have been over 280 exonerations in the United States. In 2010, there were 18 inmates alone that