Should Capital Punishment Be Abolished In The United States ?
If anything can start a furious debate in the US, it is a conversation about capital punishment. While majority of people are for having capital punishment in the different states, there are some who do not approve of it. There are some feels that capital punishment is against all norms of humanity. So, the question should capital punishment be abolished in the United States can begin a heated debate in any kind of setting. |
Those who want capital punishment to be abolished from the country put forth many points that lend credence to their view. According to them, capital punishment is in violation of the 8th Amendment of the US Constitution which states that unusual and cruel punishments should not be meted out to a person accused of a crime. Instead the punishment should be objective and fixed to do away with randomness and any kind of discrimination. The anti death penalty supporters claim that any sentence meted out should take into consideration different situations and circumstances.
It has also been seen that most people who receive capital punishment often belong to the lower strata of society or are racial minorities. There is evidence to prove that capital punishment is meted out selectively in the US and hence, it is discriminatory practice. Furthermore, there is ample evidence that giving out capital punishment no way has an effect on the crime rate. In fact, state that have death penalty have more crimes compared to states that do not.
The ultimate financial onus of capital punishment is borne by the taxpayers. Compared to life sentence, criminals on death row take up more money. Finally, those against the death penalty argue that at times the law and evidence is not infallible. There could be mistakes and the wrong person could be sentenced to death. In such a case, the person’s life cannot be brought back if capital punishment is carried out. Hence, having an alternative, such as life without parole is much better.
On the other hand, those that support capital punishment also have their own reasons why it should not be abolished from the United States. They claim that capital punishment is not arbitrary as claimed by those who are against it. In the year 1979, in the case Gregg vs Georgia, the US Supreme Court had made a ruling that capital punishment was not unusual or cruel. Instead it was a 2 part procedure wherein in the first part the guilt or innocence of the accused is determined and in the second part the sentence is determined. Also, any randomness in dispensing the sentence can be overcome.
The supporters also state that capital punishment is not at all discriminatory in nature. In one court case, in 1987, the court had stated that the statistics showing proof of racial discrimination when it comes to capital punishment cannot be viewed as a violation of the 8th or the 14th amendment. In order to appeal as per the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, the appealer has to prove that the court meted out the sentence with the view of discriminating against the appealer.
Supporters also feel that by having capital punishment in place, any person thinking of committing a crime would think twice. They also claim that it is a lot cheaper to do away with people convicted for murders rather than keeping them in prison for their entire natural life. They further go on to say that while there can be mistakes in handing out capital punishment, but these mistakes are offset by the economic benefits that the society reaps as well as crime prevention. In fact, according to surveys, majority of US citizens are for capital punishment; and the society is morally obligated to punishing violent criminals and such criminals deserve nothing less than capital punishment.
Should capital punishment be abolished from the United States is a very sensitive issue. Also, those who are against capital punishment actually have logical views that are supported by evidence. Logically, capital punishment should be abolished, but politics demands that politicians and lawmakers play according to the sentiments prevailing in the society.
More Articles :
 |
Should Capital Punishment Be Abolished In The United States
Capital punishment can simply be defined as death penalty imposed in response to commission of certain crimes. Different countries bring different crimes under the banner of serious crimes warranting capital punishments. In most cases, treason and murder are crimes which warrant imposition of death sentence. Some other offences include armed robbery, air piracy, rape, kidnapping, and espionage. 
