How can anyone call capital punishment civilised?

Question

Capital punishment will always be open to abuse through political expediency, corruption, racism and poor judgements.

To take someone's life is a terrible thing.

In a civilised society, no one has the right to decide who should live or die.

In most western countries, this is a principle that crosses political divides.

Why is it still practised in the USA?

Answer 1

You have received many answers that are wrong on the facts and some that rely on revenge alone. I hope that some of the people who answered and others will take a few minutes to check out the facts. The sources for these are all listed below.

The death penalty costs much more than life in prison.

The death penalty risks executing innocent people (123 already exonerated) and DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides. It is not a guarantee against the execution of innocent people.

No reputable study has shown the death penalty to be a deterrent. In fact, homicide rates are higher in states with the death penalty. IMany people confuse incapacitation (preventing a criminal from reoffending) with deterrence.

Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states. It means what it says. Supermax prisons are terrible places to spend the rest of your life. Life without parole incapacitates criminals.

The death penalty can be very hard on families of murder victims. Many murder victim family members across the country argue that the drawn- out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.

Several murder victim family members who supported the death penalty asked the New Jersey Death Penalty Commission to replace the death penalty with life without parole. They testified that death sentences caused them more pain due to the endless appeals and constant press coverage. The commission found that abolishing the death penalty was in the interest of murder victim family members

The death penalty does not apply to the worst of the worst. It applies to defendants with the worst lawyers.

48% of Americans prefer life without parole and 47% prefer the death penalty.

Answer 2

To Susan S's excellent answer, I'd like to add just a couple of things.

California and Florida (Jeb Bush no less, so leave off the bleeding heart accusations) have recently imposed moratoriums on executions because lethal injections go so wrong so often. When this process was introduced, it was touted as a 'humane' method of execution, the reality is severely different.

That so many U.S. Americans will shrug and say who cares just shows the dehumanizing effect capital punishment has on the general populace. It's not a deterrent, never has been, never will be. It teaches us that revenge is what matters and that killing someone you don't like is appropriate.

Lest anyone doubt that this is what happens, consider that serial killings used to be simply mourned. We just saw something truly horrific and the common response was that more people should have been packing weapons.

That's lynch-mob mentality. And a long way from civilized thinking.

Answer 3

How can anyone say that incarceration is civilized?
Prison as a form of punishment will always be open to abuse through expediency, corruption of prison guards, racism, and poor judgments.

To take someone's freedom is a terrible thing.

In a civilized society, no one has the right to decide who shall be free and who shall not.

Why is imprisonment still practiced anywhere in the world?

Answer 4

To Susan S's surprising answer, i might want to need to operate very few issues. California and Florida (Jeb Bush no a lot less, so go away off the bleeding heart accusations) have those days imposed moratoriums on executions because deadly injections flow so incorrect so regularly. even as this procedure grow to be presented, it grow to be touted as a 'humane' attitude to execution, the reality is significantly diverse. That such loads of U.S. human beings will shrug and say who cares in simple terms exhibits the dehumanizing effect capital punishment has on the final inhabitants. that's no longer a deterrent, under no circumstances has been, under no circumstances will be. It teaches us that revenge is what concerns and that killing someone you don't love is proper. Lest all people doubt that that's what takes position, evaluate that serial killings grow to be once in simple terms mourned. We in simple terms said something extremely negative and the common reaction grow to be that more advantageous human beings might want to were packing guns. that is lynch-mob mentality. And some distance from civilized wondering.

Answer 5

This is a tough question.

Your right in the fact that there abuses in the criminal justice system. There are prejudices and other motives that corrupt the way our system works, and it is a great tragedy when someone has to suffer needlessly because of them

On the other hand, for those who are guilty of their crimes, most of them who receive the death penalty have done horrific crimes. The depravity of some of the acts committed by those people is deserving of capital punishment. Someone who rapes, murders, etc. without conscious cannot be redeemed by an earthly intervention (maybe heavenly).

Also, I believe there has to be some kind of ultimate punishment. If you do something wrong and the worst you will get is a slap on the wrist, what is to keep you from doing it again? Also, why should tax-payers have to pay to keep these individuals alive indefinitely?

Answer 6

Civilized? No, perhaps not. Necessary? Yes.

''To take someone's life is a terrible thing.''
Yes it is, and that is exactly why Capital punishment is used, to prevent it from reoccurring.

''In a civilized society, no one has the right to decide who should live or die.''
That is false. We have given that right to our criminal justice system. It is only those outside of our justice system who have no right to kill.

''In most western countries, this is a principle that crosses political divides.''
It is my observation that ALL people will never UNANIMOUSLY agree on ANYTHING.

''Why is it still practiced in the USA?''
Because, we the people (voters) elected people whose political platforms included supporting the death penalty. In short, because we wanted it!

Answer 7

DNA has taken away racism, poor judgment, political expediency, corruption, and other abuses that have helped to convict the innocent.

With the inclusion of DNA to match a perpetrator to a crime, the use of Capitol punishment for the crime of premeditated murder is more accepted amongst the citizens of the US.

Capitol punishment is an effective tool to use against capitol crime, provided the period between sentencing and execution are minimized !

I won't attempt to answer your morale dilemma's over this punishment, except to say, I believe it to be a useful tool for crime prevention in the US !

Answer 8

(Prosecution of ANY felonies or misdemeanors) will always be open to abuse through political expediency, corruption, racism and poor judgements.

Capital crimes don't have a monopoly on injustices or lack of due process.

"To take someone's life is a terrible thing."
Yeah, you're right.
Picture this:
Imagine the person you love the most, be it mother, father, wife, husband, brother, sister, son or daughter. Imagine that person begging for his/her life as a sadistic killer repeatedly stabs them and waits for them to exsanguinate, all the while knowing that they will never see you or anyone that they love ever again, as the pain and fear of death inexorably closes in on them.
Imagine the glee of the killer as the life passes out of the eyes of the one YOU love.

Yeah, you're right. Taking the life of the killer would be a terrible thing.


"In a civilised society, no one has the right to decide who should live or die."

Actually, rule of law necessarily dictates that enforcers of law have the right to take life. Indeed it is their responsibility to protect the law abiding citizenry.

"Why is it still practised in the USA?"
Because it needs to be. Unfortunately, it's not practiced nearly often as it should be.

Answer 9

People that usually get capitol punishment are murderers...Therefore they deserve it...Hammurabi's code: eye for an eye. If someone kills someone, then they deserve to die also. I support capitol punishment and think that if it was enforced more often then society would be better and there would be less crime because people would know their fate. It would also lower taxes because it costs taxpayers $25,000 a year per person in jail (and if you don't believe me then you can research this on the governments website). Why should citizens have to pay for peoples ignorance?

Answer 10

What I think is barbaric is letting child rapists or terrorists live after what they did. I think a civilized society doesn't do that and it brings just punishment to people who deserve it. The death penalty isn't evil or disgusting, is retribution and fair.