Essay/Term paper: Opposing the death penalty

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Social Issues

Opposing The Death Penalty


Taking this course has made me ponder on many issues which I never
deemed worthy of my thoughts. I always considered the death penalty one of
those things which I never had to concern myself with. First of all I'm not
planning to commit any vial crimes, and I don't think anyone I care about has
those plans either. Secondly, I've never been conscious or concerned with the
likes of criminals. When we began speaking on the subject, I thought we were
only going to talk about the institution of racism in capital punishment, and
was quite unaware of the feeling this subject would arouse in me. Needless to
say, I have formed some opinions on the issue which confused even me.
I always considered myself pro-capital punishment. I was of the mind
that if someone killed me, I would like my death avenged, but pondering on the
issue of cultural differences has made me doubt my prior convictions. First of
all, I am against the use of the lethal injection. I understand that it is
cleaner, but if the law wants to inflict death as a punishment, it must
understand that death is not a pretty thing. Criminals are painlessly put to
sleep, and die in the same manner that Dr. Kavorkian's patients choose.
Personally, if I was faced with the option of living the remainder of my life in
isolation, perpetually haunted by pain and images of terror, I would absolutely
chose to die by lethal injection. There is no true punishment in this method,
except the fear of going to hell, which I strongly doubt is of much concern to
most convicts on death row.
Assuming that the judicial processes which convict these individuals
are legitimate, the only common bond within this group is that they are all
mortal, and hold no respect for human life. These delinquents are on death row,
because they have committed a crime of such ghastly proportions, that society
has deemed them unfit to live. They deliberately and nonchalantly depraved
another human of their life. They emphatically partook in reprehensible malice
of inhuman dimensions, never bothered by their conscience. They are sick and
vile individuals who do not acknowledge social conventions such as religion and
the law. They have broken the law, and in leaving it they removed themselves
from the protection of the law. The 8th Amendment should no longer apply to
these sick dements who deserve none of my compassion. Yet, the bleeding hearts
continue to defend them and oppose capital punishment because it is too cruel.
In an article in the Chicago Tribune, the Roman Catholic church vented its
opposition to capital punishment by affirming that "human life is sacred" and
that "a truly just and humane society" is compelled "to protect and enhance" all
human lives at every degree of development, "the bishop concluded in the
statement that execution are "an inappropriate response on moral and practical
grounds." But what this argument refuses to acknowledge is that these
individuals ceased to be human when they renounced their humanity through murder.
They do not recognize morality or the principles of humanity. They have chosen
to go against the laws of every religion and society known to civilization.
They have belittled themselves to the stature of animals, and as so, renounce
their conscience. Many of them, like those who belong to gangs in LA, don't
even consider death a punishment. Dying is a part of life, and "you can be a
king or a street sweeper, but everybody dances with the Grim Reaper." (Robert
Alton Harris-gassed April 21, 1992) These individuals are so warped, that the
death penalty would be among the most pleasant punishments they could receive.
They have very little they care about, if they cared they wouldn't have put
themselves in this situation, and they are departing this life for the next.
Very few of them believe in religion, so they have no hell to fear. More than
anything they are being freed from their present dismal situation. The death
sentence would only serve as punishment for moral, religious (Christians, Jews,
Muslims...not Buddhist of Hindus) individuals who respect human life and have
something to live for; in reality, these are not the people on death row. I
therefore believe capital punishment too lenient a penalty for these fiend, but
at least when they were fried they felt a few minutes of pain to recompense for
their victim's suffering.
Please forgive my vindictive reaction, but a dear relative of mine was
raped and murdered by one of these beasts; he is still at large. Needless to
say, I believe a harsher form of punishment should be placed on their lives. I
have therefore devised a more austere discipline which, conveyed in the form of
fear, would severely downsize heinous crimes, and would also be cheaper.
Instead of simply killing them why don't we just maim them to the point where
they are no longer a threat to society. First you amputate their legs from the
knee down, so they can no longer walk. Then you cut off their arms so they can
no longer shoot, strangle, hit or stab anyone. Then you cut out their tongues
so they no longer speak their ideas of hate. Then you burn their faces till
they are so ugly to look at that they are ashamed to be alive. Then you
castrate them to make sure they can no longer partake in pleasure. In this
disheveled state you throw them out to the streets so they can see and hear the
pain, agony and injustice that they so freely bestowed on their victims. They
will truly suffer for their crimes. They will be the new example for future
criminals. No longer will the villain be worshipped by the mass media, or by
the youngsters on the streets. The gangster will then cease to exist, and only
the mentally retarded will perpetuate their heinous crimes.
Isn't it sad that our situation has become so grave that we must
actually look to these alternatives to solve the problem. I think everyone
knows that the only way to help ourselves to a better life is through education,
but politicians continue to withdraw funding for schools. We are going about
the solution in the wrong way. If we teach people to value themselves and
accept others, and therefore dissolve economic and class differences, we will
truly begin to put an end to crime. Till then we will have to accept our
reality.