Capital Punishment Electrocution . . . gas chamber . . . lethal injection . . .
field shooting . . . all are forms of the death penalty used across the United
States. Some believe that when one person takes the life of another, that
person’s life should be taken as well. They should pay for what they did. But
honestly . . . is capital punishment used to make the murderer pay for what he
did? Or is it simply revenge? Capital punishment is wrong. In my opinion, it is
barbaric. It is revenge, and it teaches revenge as well. Do two wrongs make a
right? Do two murders instead of one make everything okay? We need to
distinguish the difference between our emotions and what is right. I will
admit—if someone killed someone I loved, I would probably want that person to
die. But I would be irrationally thinking, too blinded by grief and emotion to
tell the difference between right and wrong. The death penalty gives criminals a
way out. If the punishment for murder was life imprisonment, I would think that
most criminals would rather die than face the rest of their lives in jail. I
think all murderers should sit and rot in jail where they can think about what
they’ve done, and know that Hell is in their future. I think God will find his
avenge, and who are we to decide when a person should die whether guilty or
innocent? That’s not our decision. Plus, exactly how long does a prisoner wait
on death row? Moning 2 Some people wait more than 20 years! Some experts say
Congress would have eliminated the death penalty long ago, had there been more
cases. As it is, they feel that going through the entire “law-removal”
process would be a waste of time. Capital punishment conflicts with the 8th
amendment: “No cruel and unusual punishment.” It is cruel to murder! Whether
it is a punishment or not, it is cruel! It also clearly clashes with the 5th
commandment in the bible, “Thou shalt not kill.” It does not say, “Thou
shalt not kill unless you are given permission” . . . “unless you’re
getting revenge,” etc. There is always that nagging little fact that we may
never be sure whether or not a “criminal” is guilty. In over one hundred
cases it was found that the “murderer was innocent, after their punishment was
taken out! The death penalty is a very controversial issue, one which nearly
everyone has an opinion. The one question everyone needs to answer for
themselves is “Is it revenge… or is it a punishment?” There is a thin line
between one’s emotions and what’s right. Maybe there is no correct answer to
whether the death penalty is justice or murder, but it continues to be an issue
that is widely disputed.