Arguments Against the Death Penalty USA
The Arguments Against the Death Penalty (USA) Since the beginning of recorded history, the death penalty has been used as a punishment for serious crimes. Executions are still carried out today in many countries worldwide such as Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia - and the USA. Since the re-instatement of the death penalty in 1976, the USA has put a total of seven hundred and ninety three people to death by methods ranging from lethal injection to the gas chamber. The death penalty is legal in thirty-nine American states, however this raises much controversy. The use of capital punishment in 21st century USA - a democratic developed nation - raises many moral, ethical and philosophical issues. In a perfect world, there would be no need for the death penalty. ... The murder rate is particularly high in the USA due to the high incidence of gun crime. ... There are serious questions regarding the morality of the death penalty. ... The death penalty promotes killing as a way to solve problems setting a bad example to an already troubled society. ... Many pro-death penalty protesters argue that criminals should be given a punishment to fit the evil crimes they commit. ... The death penalty is a state-sanctioned murder. ... This goes against all religions and every religious group in America regards the death penalty as immoral. Killing never has, and never will solve problems - so why is America the last Western country to still widely use the death penalty? Surveys have shown that 44% of Americans would prefer life imprisonment without possibility of parole to be the maximum sentence rather than the death penalty. I believe that the death penalty should be abolished as it is inconsistent with American society, which promotes democratic values. One of the main theoretical purposes of the death penalty is to act as a deterrent, preventing others from committing crimes. However, Criminologists and other experts agree with the numerous studies that have failed to prove that the death penalty has any more deterrent value than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. ... The use of the death penalty is proven to have little effect in lowering the crime rate, rendering it useless as a deterrent. If the death penalty was a deterrent, it should prevent incarcerated people from killing again and reduce homicide amongst prisoners.