By Abby Antoniou, Freelance Writer
https://forcechange.com/4574/abolish-the-death-penalty-now/
The death penalty has existed one way or another since the beginning of history, making its introduction with the commonly heard “eye for an eye” theology. In modern times, the death penalty is carried out in 31 of the 50 United States, under that same “eye for an eye” theology that arose in “Hammurabi’s Code” in 2400 BCE, well over 4000 years prior to today. If nothing else, it is outdated. To many, it means justice for an innocent life lost and it is a just response to such a heinous crime. However, many feel that taking someone’s life should be unconstitutional in any regard, since the the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that, amongst other things, cruel or unusual punishment is prohibited. The Supreme Court ruled differently in Gregg v. Georgia, essentially allowing the death penalty.
Clearly, whether the death penalty is constitutional or not is debatable, but there have been many instances where the accused have been sentenced to death only to be proven innocent. Regardless of whether one feels it is constitutional or unconstitutional, the reasoning that capital punishment is justice is odd in a sense—under this theology, any wrongdoer must receive a punishment equal to the crime committed; murder is the only crime punishable in this respect. When one is arrested for assault they are not assaulted in return. When one is arrested for stealing they are not stolen from. These will result in differing sentences, but their crimes will result in the same thing: incarceration.
Not to mention the emotional damage inflicted upon those who carry out these “humane” murders. Those carrying out the capital punishment, as well as those watching, are subjected to an intense and warrying trauma that has the capability to reap intense psychological effects. Perhaps the convicted deserves to die, but that is not for the government to decide, especially with the damage it inflicts on those who must experience/carry out these “eye for an eye” punishments.
The U.S. is always speaking out on the way other countries violate the human rights of their people by wrongly utilizing capital punishment—the Philippines punishing drug use by death and China having 46 (only recently going down from 55, and 68 before that) crimes punishable by death, including tax evasion—for example. It is hypocritical to publicly frown upon clear violations of human rights in foreign countries but to condone it in our own. In the past 25 years or so, the majority of executions took place in China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. One of these things is not like the others, or is it? The U.S. is considered to be highly developed, yet falls into this category alongside countries with governments that fail to protect the human rights of their people. If the U.S. is going to truly consider itself a developed and civilized country, the death penalty must be outlawed in all 50 states.
Clearly, whether the death penalty is constitutional or not is debatable, but there have been many instances where the accused have been sentenced to death only to be proven innocent. Regardless of whether one feels it is constitutional or unconstitutional, the reasoning that capital punishment is justice is odd in a sense—under this theology, any wrongdoer must receive a punishment equal to the crime committed; murder is the only crime punishable in this respect. When one is arrested for assault they are not assaulted in return. When one is arrested for stealing they are not stolen from. These will result in differing sentences, but their crimes will result in the same thing: incarceration.
Not to mention the emotional damage inflicted upon those who carry out these “humane” murders. Those carrying out the capital punishment, as well as those watching, are subjected to an intense and warrying trauma that has the capability to reap intense psychological effects. Perhaps the convicted deserves to die, but that is not for the government to decide, especially with the damage it inflicts on those who must experience/carry out these “eye for an eye” punishments.
The U.S. is always speaking out on the way other countries violate the human rights of their people by wrongly utilizing capital punishment—the Philippines punishing drug use by death and China having 46 (only recently going down from 55, and 68 before that) crimes punishable by death, including tax evasion—for example. It is hypocritical to publicly frown upon clear violations of human rights in foreign countries but to condone it in our own. In the past 25 years or so, the majority of executions took place in China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. One of these things is not like the others, or is it? The U.S. is considered to be highly developed, yet falls into this category alongside countries with governments that fail to protect the human rights of their people. If the U.S. is going to truly consider itself a developed and civilized country, the death penalty must be outlawed in all 50 states.