While I have always trusted in the justice system to uphold the law and ensure the safety of the American people from violations of social norms, the astounding rates of individuals being falsely convicted of crimes has significantly shaken the foundation on which my beliefs were built.
What are your Assumptions
When I say that I oppose the death penalty, I am assuming that the death penalty does not increase the safety of society nor does it do anything to restore a sense of security to the individuals impacted by the crime. Further I am assuming that there are alternative avenues that do not involve taking a life that would provide the same end result as capital punishment.
What are the Arguments that Support your Point-of-View
Opponents of the death penalty point to the capture and imprisonment of the criminal as removing the threat of the individual from society. Therefore it is believed that the death penalty is not a necessary means to ensure safety and instead may send the message that meeting violence with violence is an acceptable course of action. The greatest evidence that supports my position is that of the large reversal rate of sentences in the criminal...
In fact some studies have found that in capital cases this is as high as 50%. Further there are arguments that the economic strain of a death penalty case far outweighs that of life in prison due to the numerous appeals and legal proceedings that are involved.
Other Points-of-View
Other points-of-view on the death penalty believe that it can serve as a deterrent for those who commit capital offenses. This would then ensure that society in general is safer as more criminals are deterred from engaging in such acts. Some have also argued that the death penalty provides the emotional compensation to the families of the victim and serves to provide them with a sense of closure.
Conclusion
After examining all aspects of this issue, my conclusion is that while the justice system requires a process by which individuals can be held accountable for socially unacceptable behaviors that the death penalty is not a sound way of doing this. Our country is based upon the concept of
human rights and while one can argue that an individual in custody no longer has rights, if they are later determined to be innocent these rights should be restored. The evidence regarding the falability of the justice system is enough to convince me that we cannot take lives in a situation where we cannot ensure with all certainty that the individual in fact is guilty of the
crime that they are charged with.
Consequences
The
consequences of not engaging in the death penalty are that the justice system needs to provide alternatives that continue to ensure the safety of the American citizens as well as responding to heinous acts in a manner that provides resolution and closure to the victim's families. Further, regardless of whether the capital punishment is endorsed or not this issue brings to light the need to find better ways to determine the innocence or guilt of an individual prior to their conviction and imprisonment.
