Capital Punishment - Yes or No? T3P4

Capital punishment is the practice of executing someone as punishment for a specific crime after a proper legal trial. It can only be used by a state, so when non-state organisations speak of having 'executed' a person they have actually committed a murder. It is usually only used as a punishment for particularly serious types of murder, but in some countries treason, types of fraud, adultery and rape are capital crimes. Currently, it is still in practice in around 58 countries over the world. I feel that this ties in to what we currently are learning about, a theme in the Merchant of Venice, Justice or Mercy.

Firstly, the reason behind Capital Punishment is justice. The argument behind it is "All guilty people should be punished in proportion to their crime." Each criminal should get what their crime deserves and in the case of a murderer what their crime deserves is death. Often, Capital Punishment is backed with the argument "an eye for an eye". However, as fellow humans, we have to consider whether Capital Punishment is indeed the best point.

Capital punishment does not allow for rehabilitation, it does not give a person a second chance to re-enter society with deterrence from their crime but instead ends that person's chance of ever re-entering society.

I feel that instead of capital punishment, other punishments can be dealt out. For example, extended jail terms could be given.

It is undeniable that those who are executed cannot commit further crimes, however, I and many others believe that this is insufficient justification taking human life.

To conclude this post, I want to restate that I believe that Capital Punishment should be abolished.