Analyzing Adam Smith's Views On The Death Penalty

Honors English 2
Research Paper
Death Penalty
“We Need Capital Punishment” “Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent.” These words were spoken by Adam Smith and talk about his view on the death penalty. Although some believe that it violates that eighth amendment, the death penalty is valuable in today’s society because it preserves law and order as well as deters crime and is cost efficient. The death penalty is a valuable tool in our society also because it is retribution or “an eye for an eye” for the victim’s family. It helps honor the victim as well as helps console the grieving family of the victim. It also ensures that the perpetrators of these terrible crimes never have another opportunity to cause more death and tragedy
And some argue that states with the death penalty have a higher crime rates than states that don’t have the death penalty. However, every state is different in that each state has differences in population, number of cities and crime rates. For example, urbanized states are more likely to have higher crime rates. Also, states that have the death penalty are obliged to have it because of their higher crime rates and not the other way around. Let’s look at some facts. In fact, in 1960, there were 56 executions and 9,140 murders. In 1964, fifteen executions and 9,250 and in 1969 there were no executions. There was a temporary suspension on capital punishment from 1972 to 1976. During this time there were no executions and 20,510 murders. In 1980 there were 23,040 murders with only two executions since 1976. Between 1965 and 1980 the annual murders was from 9,960 to 23,040, which is a 131 percent increase. This is strong evidence that execution is a deterrent of murder. Furthermore, in the state of Texas, has the highest execution rate of any other state. Specifically, the murder rate in 1991 was 15.3 per 100,000 people. By 1999, the rate had fallen to 6.1, a 60 percent drop. In Harris County, Texas, which has the most aggressive death penalty prosecutions, as a result of the resumption of executions in 1982, the murders per year dropped from 701 to 241. That’s a 72
Not only is more cost efficient then life without parole, but it also as a deterrent effect on murder. And there is statistical proof that backs that theory. The death penalty does not violate the eighth amendment as its not cruel or unusual punishment. The death penalty is a better choice than life without parole because it prevents violent murderers from killing again. It also prevents parole boards and criminal rights activists from giving them the chance to repeat their murders. And if that’s not enough proof, let’s look at it in more simple terms. No executed murderer has ever killed