How
would you feel if a loved one were killed? Would you want retribution, or would
sending the killer to prison be enough? This question has been asked many
times, but people are not in agreement about the ultimate punishment. We all
know that it is wrong to take a human life, but if our government does the
killing, is it still a crime? Some people say that the government does not have
the right to end someone’s life, but the following reasons will show why capital
punishment should be preserved.
The
first reason for allowing the death penalty is for the sake of punishment
itself. Most people agree that criminals who commit serious crimes should be
separated from society. The punishment will depend on the degree of the crime.
Capital punishment, the most severe form of punishment, ends criminals’ lives.
It seems reasonable that this severe punishment be reserved for those who
commit the most serious crimes.
The
second reason to preserve capital punishment is financial. The government does
not have to spend a lot of money on criminals. Next to capital punishment, the
most severe punishment is a life sentence in prison, where the government has
to take care of criminals until they die naturally. These criminals do not
work, but they receive free housing and food. It is unfair to use tax dollars
for such a purpose.
The
last reason for continuing the use of the death penalty is based on the purpose
of government. If the government has legitimate power to make, judge, and carry
out the laws, it should also have the power to decide if criminals should die.
Capital punishment is like any other sentence. If one believes that the
government has the right to charge a fine or put criminals into jail, then the
government must also have the same power to decide the fate of a prisoner’s
life.
The
opponents of capital punishment might say that nobody has the right to decide
who should die, including the government. However, when the government sends
soldiers into war, in some way, it is deciding those soldiers’ fate; some will
live and some will be killed. As long as the government has the right to send
its citizens to a battlefield, it has a right to put criminals to death.
There
are many good reasons to preserve capital punishment. Certainly not every
criminal should be put to death. Capital punishment ought to be viewed as the
harshest form of punishment. If no punishment can reform a murderer, then
capital punishment is the best thing that can be done for that person and for
society.
(439 words)
Reference:
Keith S. Folse, Elena Vestri Solomon, April
Muchmore-vokoun. (2002). Great Essays, An Introduction to Writing Essays,
Second Edition. Boston: Heinle, Cengage Learning.
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