Why I Oppose Capital Punishment…
With the capture of Suspect #2 there have been many opinions as to how the government should punish the 19-year-old. Some filled with anger wished the police slowly killed him, while first blowing off his limbs so that he could be in extreme pain. Others feel the government should “throw the book” at him and seek the death penalty. Although potentially in the minority for my opinion I do not wish the government seeks the death penalty in this case. In fact, I oppose capital punishment.
The U.S. ranks 5th in the number of executions performed last year. China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia rank ahead. When I was younger I conformed to the opinion that capital punishment was necessary in some cases. It was necessary to enact “justice” for whatever crime the perpetrator enacted. I thought that it was only fair that someone be killed if they had done the same. As I grew older and more carefully analyzed the subject my support began to waver.
I wondered how could I favor the death penalty yet be adamantly against abortion. Religiously I don’t think Jesus ever favored violence. I don’t ever remember reading his approval of killing someone. I think only God is the ultimate judge of punishment, which will occur in the afterlife. I had to though distinguish if I solely held this position because of my religious beliefs. After all there is a separation of church and state. My religious beliefs, or anyone else’s for that matter, should not dictate law in the U.S.
Many terrorists, both international and domestic, seek fame and glory. They thrive in the fact the media will endlessly show their faces to the masses (as I’ve noted many times before I will NOT publicize any of their names or faces on this social platform). They ultimately seek martyrdom. They believe their death will inspire more radicalism. Why should we do what they want? Why should we give anyone who commits atrocities the “easy way out?” How exactly are they punished if they are put to death? For example, lethal injection is supposedly the “most humane” manner to kill someone. So after a few minutes of pain the criminal is dead and so is their punishment. Why should the criminal be afforded a brief sense of punishment for a crime that will have a permanent affect on the victim’s family? Capital punishment only provides a brief sense of “revenge.” Life imprisonment is true punishment. Living the rest of their pathetic lives in a small jail cell is real punishment. Having to relive their trespasses and be haunted by the memory of those they killed is the true punishment.
One would be surprised to learn that in fact it is more expensive to seek the death penalty than to seek life imprisonment. Death penalty cases oftentimes drag on for many years. The prosecuting, legal fees accumulate to a great sum. I only state this for the record. I don’t necessarily think the economics of the situation should be taken into consideration for criminal punishment cases. If a death penalty case is prosecuted for years it only stalls the sense of closure and “justice” for the victim’s family. They have to constantly relive the horrific tragedy over and over.
Why put the grieving family through all of that? Prosecuting attorneys should seek life imprisonment, which should be the norm in these crimes, and should seek an expedient ruling in the trial. The faster the trial has concluded the quicker the family can begin the process of closure and they can finally begin to try to move on with their lives.
I know my opinion may very well be in the minority.
I know my opinion is very much in contrast to many conservative and Republican lawmakers.
The thing is it’s my opinion. I don’t ever dictate my opinion based on what others think. I refuse to pander to any political party or individual. My authenticity may very well prevent any potential and future election prospects. That’s okay with me. I’d rather be true to my beliefs and morals than a puppet to anyone.
If you don’t agree with me that’s okay. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I seek only a fair and respectful debate. That’s really the goal of this blog. If only our politicians shared a similar passion for debate. Far too many of them think of only protecting their benefits and reelection prospects.
As I have said many times. Most politicians are Masters in the Art of Doing Nothing.
What is your opinion on the death penalty?
Email: realtalkdebate2012@gmail.com
Twitter: @adrakontaidis & @talkrealdebate
2 responses to “Why I Oppose Capital Punishment…”
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This is one time when you and I are going to be on different sides of the fence. Oddly enough, the evolution of my opinion is the polar opposite of yours. When I was young, I was opposed to capital punishment. As i grew older, I accepted it as appropriate in some cases.
Having said that, I think our system leaves too much chance for prosecutorial malfeasance. There is simply too much pressure to convict in emotionally charged cases. There is also the racial component that often worms its way into a trial and conviction. Those things need to be addressed and prevented.
I also believe that the numbers and types of crimes that warrant capital punishment are too broad. In my mind, unless someone actually dies, capital punishment should be off the table. That takes treason and kidnapping out of consideration unless a death is involved. Likewise, crimes of passion or crimes where a death was incidental to the criminal action should warrant life in prison, not death.
Despite all that, some crimes are so heinous that life in prison is too lenient of a punishment. Situations where the intent from the beginning was to kill someone, especially if children are involved, is one of those. I also consider mass killings in that vein.
To your argument, for me, the difference between abortion and capital punishment is clear. The baby didn’t do anything to deserve to die.
Like it or not, while legal systems purport to exist solely to mete out justice, that is simply not true. At some level, for some crimes, there is an element of societal revenge. We hide that thought behind a veil of civilization. But if you doubt that it exists, ask the father of a little five year old girl who was raped and murdered whether he wants the perpetrator executed only to protect society. If you catch him in a moment of honesty, he’ll look you in the eye and say, “No, I want him to die a slow, painful death to pay for what he did to my sweet little baby.” He has the right to feel that way, and so does society. As civilized people, we should constrain ourselves from the slow and painful aspect of that thought, but that doesn’t mean society has to eliminate capital punishment when the crime demands it.
Thank you for bringing that up. I completely forgot to mention that over 140 inmates have been released from death row because they were proven innocent. It is likely that innocent people have been killed. I can definitely understand your opinion for capital punishment for criminals who inflict mass murders. It’s easy for me to have this position, being I’ve never been directly affected by any of these tragedies. I’m sure like that hypothetical father I’d want the criminal to suffer. I think it’s normal to want “revenge.” I think it isn’t healthy when you have these drawn out death penalty cases that sometimes last over a decade for the family.
I to find it interesting how our opinion changed at similar times. I don’t know how I will feel about this subject a decade from now.
As always thank you for your comment and your continuing support. 🙂
I’ve got some catching up to do with reading “Chara’s Promise.” Although I’m not done yet already looking forward to a sequel. 🙂
Kind of cool to know a published author 🙂