In 1981, Ricky Ray Rector asked the prison guards not to remove the dishes from his last supper, because he would want his dessert when he returned. Not comprehending the full extent of his punishment, Ricky was executed by lethal injection. Would you execute a convict who cannot establish the difference between reality and fantasy? We all want to be treated equally—despite our unique essence—so we migrate to a land that provokes monotonous justice. We leave behind “an eye for an eye” judicial system, only to find exceptions made toward minorities when it comes to the same crimes. Due to the discrepancies between written laws and its actions; and an opinionated declaration of the afterlife; capital punishment should be illegal in United States.
It should be unacceptable that while the law states otherwise, its actions are carried out differently. The Eighth Amendment states that cruel and unusual punishments should not be inflicted. Its definition is clear, but its connotation allows each state to define its own level of “cruelty”. No burning, no stoning, no gas, no minor, no retarded, why are criminals classified for the same crime committed? Capital punishment is in fact killing an individual—regardless of their malicious deeds. Is it not hypocrisy to possess a method that is: you murder him; therefore we are going to murder you? Some crimes committed are so inhumane that our first emotion is rage and disgust that this monster is still allowed to live. “The death penalty, in other words, is predicated on the idea that the primary goal of justice is revenge. But revenge is not law; it is derived from emotion rather than principle, and justice is by definition a principle blind to emotion” (Manville). The fear that a convict will commit the same crime again once out on parole (which was proved in some cases) is the main reason why capital punishment still has voters. The solution is: no parole. If one is sentenced for life, life is neither 10 years nor is it 20 years, life is until one dies. Life without parole, education, or special treatments is the answer not only in making sure that the wrong individual convicted is not mistakenly murdered, but also the criminal is not released to harm again.
The concept that a criminal should be killed to suffer is based on an opinionated belief that life after death would in fact offer them the punishment they rightly deserve.
If one of the purposes of punishment is to punish wrongdoing individuals, where is the punishment in permanently removing them? Sure they won’t be slaughtering again, but where is the justice in that? Not every American believes in the afterlife, and if America’s first amendment is freedom of religion, why is only one belief being practice? No qualms that certain people deserved to be permanently removed—but it is not up to them to play ‘God’. Life is not theirs to give nor is it theirs to take—because that’s exactly what criminals are doing. Capital punishment supporters say it’s for the best, by killing one, they’ll be saving five, that ‘the end justifies the means’. If this is the case than half of its population should be either locked up or killed, no exceptions!
A country that states and carries and bases some of its laws on opinions rather than facts need to revise its governmental structure. Crimes should neither be excusable nor go unpunished. If the same crime is committed, then the punishment needs to be the same throughout each state. Capital punishment is ineffective because life after death is unknown and criminals are not afraid of dying, otherwise the rates would decrease. Crimes will always surround us since it has been doing so before Christ. The money used for death row criminals needs to be spent educating prospects criminals about moral conduct. Convicts’ sentences for life need to mentally and socially suffer for ‘life’ living with the knowledge that they took another life—now that’s punishment. Nothing sinks better into the depth of darkness in our mind than guilt and regret.
Tagged: alone, capital punishment, death row, rants
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5 Comments
Good commentary Sugar, although we disagree a little.
I would say that criminals ARE afraid of dying— there is very clear evidence that when a town or county or state allows it’s citizens to be armed, that violent crime goes down. It’s the big city areas that ban concealed weapons which have the highest crime stats.
Here is my take on the whole death penalty debate: What is cruel and unusual? To deny someone their liberty for the rest of their life? Afterlife or not, you’ve still removed the LIFE of the inmate. Yet people have no problem taking their pets to the vet to be put to sleep when their quality of life is suffereing.
One other factor (in some cases) is the lingering fear of the crime victim. There is no closure for the victims, particularly when when we have goofy lawmakers granting convicts furloughs and pardons.
It’s a good debate, so thanks for posting!
My statement is an opinion, just like to say criminals are afraid of dying because if they were, why would they commit a crime for which the punishment is death?
The big cities have higher crimes because there are more people. When you look at crime rate and compare them, you have to factor the population first, then the crime rate. Most statistic shows that murder are highest in small towns than larger cities base on its population deduction. The countries that abolished capital punishment, Canada for an example have a lower murder rate than U.S. what do that say?
The question what is cruel and unusual, is my whole point. It’s to point that a country that base itself on ‘right’ and ‘equality’ needs to stop making diversity or realize that we are all different. They can’t say one thing, then do another. Cruel and unusual is really differ from each individual because it’s base on what each person experienced or grew up with. What is cruel to one person might not seem cruel to another. Is anyone of them wrong? No! It’s an opinion.
“One other factor (in some cases) is the lingering fear of the crime victim. There is no closure for the victims, particularly when when we have goofy lawmakers granting convicts furloughs and pardons.”
I believe regardless of what happens to the convict, the victim will always have lingering fear; it comes with the territory of having your world shifted upside down. I am not sure that every victim will agree that they need the convict dead in order to receive closure, because again that depends on each person’s believe and experience. I mean I kwon people that bad things happened to them not once but three times, by three different people.
I hope that one day we will have real lawmakers who need to stop granting convicts for pardons when they committed murder or some other form of hideous crime.
Wow, fun debate, good article. Course, it’s a tricky topic, everyone’s bound to have an opinion on CP. I agree with Sugar, crime in cities is usually due to higher population + the fact that usually lower income families can only afford to live in cities, and lower income people are more likely to commit crimes for several reasons – poverty, literacy, education, local/home violence etc. etc.
Course, you go out into the burbs and you have different crimes with higher rates like domestic abuse, drug abuse etc. etc. Meth is huge in the country…don’t ask me why.
As for the actual topic of CP you raise interesting questions about whether or not death is more cruel then life in prison. I actually believe life in prison is far more cruel then death…and that’s one of the main reasons I’m totally against CP. Too easy. Jail is a dreary, miserable, dangerous world and I’d be very happy to watch killers and rapists rot in. But it’s also not a very progressive opinion is it?
If I were to be progressive and modern I’d have to say therapy, counseling, rehabilitation, education etc. etc. Murders, rapists and kidnappers all have mental issues (obv) and why not try and ‘correct the problem’ and learn to detect these problems in people in order to stop their suffering and the suffering of others? I think I’m off topic now.
Having said that, the article is well written, I had a little difficulty following some parts but that’s probably because it was written with a little more of an academic edge then I’m used to. I really like the line
‘provokes monotonous justice’. I’m not sure I get it, but I just like those three words in a row.
I’ll smartinate one day, don’t you worry.
Also, I didn’t know that CP was in part based on the idea that society was banking on an afterlife where God was going to take care of things…ineresting….
Thanks for the comment. Yeah CP is a hard topic, just like religion but it’s always interesting to see reasons why people are against it or for it.
“Also, I didn’t know that CP was in part based on the idea that society was banking on an afterlife where God was going to take care of things…interesting….”
After many research, I did find that the reason for CP was to punish the person… who says dying is a punishment?
I wrote it for the purpose of countries that base itself on ‘equal’ rights then decides to make adjustments for the same crime.
Lol this essay was actually a formal argument essay writing for school. I wanted to see different point of views.
‘provokes monotonous justice’
That line means equal, unchanging or same justice.