Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment     1

The Capital Punishment Debate

PHI200 Informal Logic

Ken Mosser, Instructor
March 19, 2010

                                                                                                        Capital Punishment     2
The Capital Punishment Debate
Part I

Should capital punishment be abolished? The contemplation of capital punishment is never a pleasant experience. The fact that the American judicial system has to resort to such tactics tells a story of mankind as a whole. Are there truly people who deserve this type of punishment? Are we as humans fit to decide who is put to death? It is true that the nature of humans is to cling to the biblical epoch of “an eye for an eye” or the characteristic, “If you do this to me, I must in turn do this to you.” The world perception of whether capital punishment is just in all cultural situations is not clear. Is it better to put someone to death for the most heinous of crimes and let it end quickly for them or is it better to incarcerate the criminal indefinitely, with them wasting away for the rest of their lives behind bars, while the taxpayers pay for their room and board. What of forgiveness? Should we as humans find forgiveness in these matters? In this, perhaps it is better to leave the forgiveness to our God after all; there is a difference between religion and justice. It is simply easier to temper what one believes is justice with one’s religious teachings. Given the crimes that are punishable by death, we must think about the victims. When a heinous crime such as murder is committed, it is not only committed against the victim but also their loved ones, peers and community as well. Many people are deeply affected by this crime that is why it is punishable by death. As to whether capital punishment is an effective closure for the loved ones and community of the victims, one can only go on a case-by-case bases.
In considering capital punishment, one must remember that... [continues]

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