Introduction
The death penalty is a general discussion topic in modern society and is complicated. Federal and state courts progressively approve death penalty statutes, enabling executions to proceed rapidly. An example of such tendency in the cultural field would be the quote from Brendan F. Behan: “I was court-martial in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence” (Book Of Famous Quotes, n.d., par. 1). Assailants jeopardize this safety and well-being, and thus, society can only assure murderers will not repeat lethal crimes by executing them. Hence the death penalty should become a widespread practice.
Arguments in Favor of the Death Penalty
The first argument supporting the statement above is that society must support behaviors that achieve the best balance between good and evil; the death penalty is one such activity. However, it is impossible to provide evidence to support this assertion since, by nature, those discouraged by the death sentence do not commit murder (Hantao, 2018). Thus, common sense teaches individuals that if individuals are aware that they will die if they do a particular act, they will be hesitant to commit that act.
Another proposed argument is that if would-be murderers were discouraged by the death sentence and people eliminated it, such an action would forfeit the lives of countless innocent victims whose crimes may have been prevented. Such a statement is supported by both researchers and religions, such as Christianity. Indeed, society should wager that capital punishment deters safeguarding the lives of innocents rather than wager that it does not deter (Hantao, 2018). Specifically, if the death sentence is not a deterrent and one continues to use it, the government will have to sacrifice the lives of criminals guilty of the crime. Thus, according to the Bible, it should not be protecting the lives of murderers while putting the lives of innocents in danger (DeYoung & Clark, 2022). Furthermore, the overall philosophy of what strength is in Christianity evidently supports the proposed thesis of protecting the weak by eliminating murderers. “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute” demonstrates these principles (DeYoung & Clark, 2022, 82:3). Consequently, in case significant dangers are to be undertaken, such as the possibility of getting the death penalty, they should be done by the culpable, not the innocent who may become the victims of murderers.
The last argument suggests that justice requires the execution of individuals guilty of horrific murders. For instance, “Stand up firmly for justice, as a witness to God, whether it be against rich or poor” is one of the known rules proclaimed by Islam, which supports the above-described statement (Ali, 2021, 4:135). Such a position should be profoundly analyzed due to its close relation to religious and social truths. Fundamentally, justice is ensuring everybody is treated fairly; the such moral rule was initially proposed by various religions, including Islam (Ali, 2021). It is unfair when a criminal intentionally and unjustly inflicts more damage on others than they can bear. According to the Holy Quran, justice implies that society inflicts on criminals damages comparable to those imposed on innocents (Ali, 2021). Subsequently, the death sentence secures justice for everyone by imposing death on those who intentionally inflict death on others.
After analyzing the main presented arguments, it is also necessary to supplement them with additional information and facts. Regardless of how unfair, some justice is preferable to none, regardless of how equal, according to Torah (Block & Weiss, 2021). This imperative that justice is delivered is not lessened by allegations that only black and impoverished individuals are executed. Any wrongful implementation of the death sentence justifies expanding its use, not abolition. An example of this would be the following excerpt from the holy book mentioned above: “You shall do no injustice in court” (Block & Weiss, 2021, p. 35). If a company engages in hiring discrimination, one should demand that positions be removed from the deservingly hired rather than eliminate all vacancies. Similarly, assuming that the current criminal justice system applies the death sentence unequally, denying certain offenders their rightful punishment is possible. “You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor” from Torah supports that principle (Block & Weiss, 2021, p.35). As a result, to guarantee justice and equity, one must aim to enhance the trial system so that all those deserving of the death sentence get it.
The proposition that society has a moral duty to defend a person’s existence is what people who stand against the death sentence usually propose. Because society has a moral duty to preserve the safety and well-being of its people, capital punishment is often supported, though there are exceptions (Hantao, 2018). Given people’s importance in life and their need to avoid suffering and agony wherever feasible, the government is obligated to reject the death sentence. However, it should favor a less severe option if this alternative will achieve the same aim.
Another factor for the arguments supporting death sentences is the data that reflects the number of murders in those states where the described lethal measure is used. Statistical analyses comparing the murder statistics of states with and without the death sentence have found that the murder rate is related to the existence of the death penalty (Baumgartner et al., 2017). There are many murders perpetrated in states with the death sentence. Unless it could be proven that capital punishment, and the convict of murder alone, deters murder, people are required not to impose it when other options are available. Moreover, the death sentence is not required to protect the public from killers who may attack again. Specifically, the death penalty is not required to guarantee that offenders “get what they deserve” (Baumgartner et al., 2017, p. 5). It is only necessary that the most heinous offenses get the worst penalty that moral beliefs will allow.
However, a serious concern has to be considered in the case of death sentences. Although it is evident that the maximum sentence is required to accomplish particular societal gains, it imposes serious costs on society. First, capital punishment is a waste of life; numerous individuals condemned to death might be rehabilitated and lead socially useful lives (Baumgartner et al., 2017). Additionally, juries have committed errors, resulting in the execution of innocent individuals whose indiscretions might have been rectified, and their lives would not have been wasted. If these individuals had been permitted to live, they would have contributed positively to society, though the execution of the death sentence nullifies whatever positive contributions they would have made (Baumgartner et al., 2017). From this, one may conclude that the usage of the death sentence should be precise. Otherwise, innocent people may be at risk.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the death penalty is a moral, social, and governmental obligation of modern society to save innocent lives. Not the crime in question decides who is sentenced to trial for murder and who is not. Thus, the court system should be reorganized so that people who deserve the death penalty would get it instantly, while those who struggle with their appeal would get a chance to prove their innocence. Such discussions and ongoing research are significant since the topic has severe implications for contemporary society’s moral, financial, and spiritual aspects.
References
Ali, M. (2021). The Holy Quran: Correct translation of the Holy Quran in English. Amazon Books.
Baumgartner, F., Davidson, M., Johnson, K., Krishnamurthy, A., & Wilson, C. (2017). Deadly Justice: A statistical portrait of the death penalty (1st ed.). Oxford University Press.
Block, B., & Weiss, A. (2021). The social justice Torah commentary (Revised ed., Vol. 2). Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Book Of Famous Quotes. (n.d.). Famous quotations network – quotes, idioms and proverbs on every topic. Web.
DeYoung, K., & Clark, D. (2022). The biggest story Bible storybook. Crossway.
Hantao, H. (2018). Death penalty: An unethical punishment. American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(1).