The Positive Effect of Capital Punishment in Modern America
Ronnie Kuester
Dr. Borgmeyer
Eng. Comp. II
30 Sept. 2010
The Positive Effect of Capital Punishment in Modern America “I don’t think you should support the death penalty to seek revenge. I don’t think that’s right. I think the reason to support the death penalty is because it saves other people’s lives” (Bush). Capital punishment is one of the most controversial topics in the American society and is also one of the topics most people feel very emotional about. Everyone feels that their views are correct because there are many pros and cons to either side. Although some people believe the risk of executing the innocent is too great, the use of capital punishment has greatly impacted our society in a positive way because of its deterring effect, economic benefits, and the prevailing of justice. The deterrent effect is definitely one of the biggest benefits to having capital punishment. When people have the knowledge that they could be executed for killing someone else it often turns them away from committing the murder. Tanner from Fort-Worth Star Telegram thinks that the deterrent effect has shown to prevent between three and eighteen murders(Wood 601). Most people in modern America have heard of the death penalty, yet they still commit the crimes that are punishable by death. Since people know about it and still do it, they are basically accepting the sentence, unless they are mentally ill and in which cause do not get sentenced to death. Naci Mocan’s study, from the University of Colorado, suggest that, “Statistical studies like his are among a dozen papers since 2001 that show capital punishment has deterrent effects”(Wood 602). Abolitionists argue that the deterrent effect is only estimates and are not actually proven to deter murders. However, knowing, through many studies, that three to eighteen innocent people could be saved by executing each convicted killer greatly outweighs the benefits to letting the murderer off the hook. Although, the
Dr. Borgmeyer
Eng. Comp. II
30 Sept. 2010
The Positive Effect of Capital Punishment in Modern America “I don’t think you should support the death penalty to seek revenge. I don’t think that’s right. I think the reason to support the death penalty is because it saves other people’s lives” (Bush). Capital punishment is one of the most controversial topics in the American society and is also one of the topics most people feel very emotional about. Everyone feels that their views are correct because there are many pros and cons to either side. Although some people believe the risk of executing the innocent is too great, the use of capital punishment has greatly impacted our society in a positive way because of its deterring effect, economic benefits, and the prevailing of justice. The deterrent effect is definitely one of the biggest benefits to having capital punishment. When people have the knowledge that they could be executed for killing someone else it often turns them away from committing the murder. Tanner from Fort-Worth Star Telegram thinks that the deterrent effect has shown to prevent between three and eighteen murders(Wood 601). Most people in modern America have heard of the death penalty, yet they still commit the crimes that are punishable by death. Since people know about it and still do it, they are basically accepting the sentence, unless they are mentally ill and in which cause do not get sentenced to death. Naci Mocan’s study, from the University of Colorado, suggest that, “Statistical studies like his are among a dozen papers since 2001 that show capital punishment has deterrent effects”(Wood 602). Abolitionists argue that the deterrent effect is only estimates and are not actually proven to deter murders. However, knowing, through many studies, that three to eighteen innocent people could be saved by executing each convicted killer greatly outweighs the benefits to letting the murderer off the hook. Although, the
Cited: Bush, George W. “Presidential Debate” Washington University Athletic Complex. University of St. Louis. 17 Oct. 2000. Speech. "Descriptions of Execution Methods." Deathpenaltyinfor.org. Death Penalty Information Center. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. . Foucault, Michel. "Chapter 1." 1979. Discipline and Punishment. Trans. Alan Sheridan. 3-18. Print. King James Version Bible. Genesis 9:6. 2004. Robinson, Bruce A. "Capital Punishment - the Death Penalty." ReligiousTolerance.org by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 04 Aug. 2007. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. . Wood, Nancy V. Perspectives on Argument. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.(601-613).