I’ve always wondered why there is so much controversy surrounding the death penalty. While it’s a punishment that has been banned in several countries, everyone can agree with me that it’s a form of punishment that is reserved for the worst of the worst criminals in society. There was even a time when there were public executions just to deter future criminals who dared to venture into that path.
But then, as the world evolved and we grew civilized, people started questioning the ethics of the death penalty. Like, if they’re killed for what they did to other people and society, is it all that bad? Isn’t that the idea of getting an eye for an eye?
But then, we have to be bigger than the criminals, we can’t afford to stoop to their level. So, even if someone kills a hundred people and rapes fifty more, we can simply chuck them in prisons where they’ll be fed and taken care of solely off the taxes paid for by the families of their victims and the rest of the society.
So, my question is, are we overdoing it? Should the death penalty still be a thing? Or should we just scrap it altogether? Many are of the opinion that even the judges and prosecutors are humans like the criminals and have no right to sentence them to death, they see the death penalty as a legal way to murder people, only that it’s just backed by the law. And then, the executioner is only a serial killer with a legitimate paycheck.
The truth is… these are some of the things that we’d never really get an answer to because we’d keep on wondering. No matter the point one person brings, there’ll be a counterargument that tells you why it won’t hold. For some people, the death penalty doesn’t have to be ethical, but it’s a necessary evil to rid ourselves of the evil ones who corrupt it.
We all know how the prison system can be, it’s always filled with lots of bullying, harassment, and sexual assaults that are left unchecked by the system. None of these things are ethical, yet more and more criminals are being sent there every day. It’s as if you’re sending them to be bullied, raped and harassed. But then, we can’t say that because these things aren’t ethical then we should allow them to roam free.
But then, one scenario can’t really be compared to the other. You can’t even compare a criminal serving a life sentence to one who got the death penalty, that’s to show you that they’re on entirely different levels. So far, I guess the only fear people have based on the ethics of the death penalty is that if it’s revoked, the highest punishment in any land will be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. It means that the person will be a prisoner with no legal way to get out ever again. But still, there are still prison breaks…
So, I guess there is no clear answer to this idea of the death penalty. In some parts of the world, it’s been abolished and in others, it’s still a go-to for extreme crimes. Thankfully, it’s no longer as rampant as it used to be and the authorities keep finding more humane ways to get the job done. But, can anything be humane about taking a life?
So, my dear friends, what do you think of the death penalty?
Hmm
This question is quite difficult. We all have heard about prison breaks so many times. A hardened criminal can get out and even become worse. Why not kill them? I’m sorry but there are times when some of them have to be killed. Did you hear about the story of Shina Rambo? If he wasn’t killed, don’t you think he’d find his way out of prison and even terrorize the country more?
Yeah... I heard of Shina Rambo. Was he killed though? I heard that he was sent to prison and later released during Obasanjo's tenure. He went on to become a pastor. Not sure though...
I think death penalty is not the worst punishment but some people deserve more punishment then death. I think in the current time nobody cares about ethics. Only fear can take the control and balance things. I believe that criminal should be tortured cruelly based on their crime and make them suffer till their death. Remember that doing crime is not accident, it's a choice and people should need to think 1000 times before making the choice to do any crime.
As in ehn... if people are really scared of the consequences their actions will bring, they'll think twice about engaging in it. That's a fact.