"Why do we kill people who kill people to show killing people is wrong?"
By: Emma Calcagni
Imagine waiting to hear a verdict that determines whether you will spend the rest of your life confined to a six by eight, brick and steel cell or be sentenced to death. Neither choice is ideal, but only one of them is ethical. There are many moral conflicts discussed in law but this is one of the most controversial. French Philosopher Albert Camus said this, “Capital punishment is the most premeditated of murders”. It is hypocritical to condemn murder by outlawing it but also use it as a punishment. Capital Punishment is an egregious act of violence that should be illegal in the United States.
One of the main debates surrounding capital punishment pertains to its morality. Is it moral to kill someone even if they have done irrevocable damage to other people? Is it moral to kill someone is there is a chance they may be innocent? The capital punishment ethics guide says that, “Regardless of the moral status of capital punishment, some argue that all ways of executing people cause so much suffering to the condemned person that they amount to torture and are wrong.” There are multiple ways in which capital punishment is enforced; firing squad, gas chamber, electrocution and hanging are still legal in some states. The most common method however, is lethal injection. Not only does this require a doctor to administer but some research also shows it can cause pain to the person being executed. It is unethical to kill people, especially if it will cause them pain and could be considered torture.
There are cases when people are taken off death row or exonerated because they were proven innocent. According to Newsweek, “Since 1973, 144 people on death row have been exonerated. As a percentage of all death sentences, that’s just 1.6 percent.” That may seem like a small number but that’s 144 people who could have been wrongfully killed. Newsweek also said, “the innocence rate is 4.1 percent, more than twice the rate of exoneration, the study suggests what most people assumed but dreaded: An untold number of innocent people have been executed.” Even though people are exonerated, there are still a large number of innocent people killed. There is only one solution, to stop allowing capital punishment.
Capital punishment should be illegal because it goes against the moral fibers of our country and the fundamentals we are taught about compassion and forgiveness. As a country we strive to be a leader amongst other nations, yet we resort to barbarism. When completed, the damage done through capital punishment is irreversible. We need to decide, whether it is ever okay to take away someone’s life, because once it’s done, it’s final.
By: Emma Calcagni
Imagine waiting to hear a verdict that determines whether you will spend the rest of your life confined to a six by eight, brick and steel cell or be sentenced to death. Neither choice is ideal, but only one of them is ethical. There are many moral conflicts discussed in law but this is one of the most controversial. French Philosopher Albert Camus said this, “Capital punishment is the most premeditated of murders”. It is hypocritical to condemn murder by outlawing it but also use it as a punishment. Capital Punishment is an egregious act of violence that should be illegal in the United States.
One of the main debates surrounding capital punishment pertains to its morality. Is it moral to kill someone even if they have done irrevocable damage to other people? Is it moral to kill someone is there is a chance they may be innocent? The capital punishment ethics guide says that, “Regardless of the moral status of capital punishment, some argue that all ways of executing people cause so much suffering to the condemned person that they amount to torture and are wrong.” There are multiple ways in which capital punishment is enforced; firing squad, gas chamber, electrocution and hanging are still legal in some states. The most common method however, is lethal injection. Not only does this require a doctor to administer but some research also shows it can cause pain to the person being executed. It is unethical to kill people, especially if it will cause them pain and could be considered torture.
There are cases when people are taken off death row or exonerated because they were proven innocent. According to Newsweek, “Since 1973, 144 people on death row have been exonerated. As a percentage of all death sentences, that’s just 1.6 percent.” That may seem like a small number but that’s 144 people who could have been wrongfully killed. Newsweek also said, “the innocence rate is 4.1 percent, more than twice the rate of exoneration, the study suggests what most people assumed but dreaded: An untold number of innocent people have been executed.” Even though people are exonerated, there are still a large number of innocent people killed. There is only one solution, to stop allowing capital punishment.
Capital punishment should be illegal because it goes against the moral fibers of our country and the fundamentals we are taught about compassion and forgiveness. As a country we strive to be a leader amongst other nations, yet we resort to barbarism. When completed, the damage done through capital punishment is irreversible. We need to decide, whether it is ever okay to take away someone’s life, because once it’s done, it’s final.