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Pros of the Death Penalty
The death penalty has controversial debates in regard to the ethical values behind the sentence. Due to the debate, the question of the pros and cons is based on the ethical beliefs of an individual. From an ethical perspective, the pros of the death penalty are considered to be the main drivers of the proponents of the sentence.
It is morally considered to be fair to punish the capital offenders with an equal sentence. Death penalty is regarded as the ultimate punishment for the ultimate crime committed by the people who are convicted. Proponents of death penalty believe it is the fairest punishment of the people who have equally killed. According to Clark Prosecutor (1), over 37% of those who support the death penalty base their support o the need to treat the convicts in the same way they committed their crime. The main thought of the supporters of the sentence is the margin of the crime committed by the convicts. The mythical eye for an eye principle is used to apply to convicts of capital crimes, for instance, the crime of murder is regarded to be a crime that should be replicated in equal measure on the convicts life (Katsh 23). This is perfectly done by sentencing them to death, an act that they also subjected to others.
It is ethically considered that adoption of death penalty further acts as a commitment of the justice system to the protection of human life. In a controversial act of death penalty to capital crime offenders, the justice system illustrates its commitment to the elimination of those who do not respect human life. In what can be argued as a disrespect of the human life, the act of sentencing a person to death penalty is in real fact, a respect of human life. This view is subjected to different understandings and perceptions by different people based on their perspective of life. As indicated by Clark Prosecutor (1), the gallop research showed different elements of influence of the public opinion.
Another advantage of the death penalty is that it is considered ethical to use all means possible to keep the public safe. The public feel that the death penalty makes the public safer by killing the wrong doers who are considered guilty of capital offenses. To the proponents, this is achieved by eliminating the hardcore criminals through the hangman’s rope. This means that the proponents of the death penalty are motivated by their own safety other than the reformation of the convicted criminal. However, from ethical considerations, capital penalty does not make the public safer, but bring the feeling of safety since it is the ultimate way of ensuring that they do not find their way back to the public domain.
In the same ethical reasoning of keeping the public safe, it is felt that the sentencing of capital criminals to death penalty acts as a deterrent action to would be criminals. Clark Prosecutor (1) illustrates that from the gallop research, 11% of the supporters of death penalty in 2013, did so because it is a deterrent act. According to Bohm (8), the conviction of the sentenced capital criminals acts as a warning g to the existing criminals to avoid crime. Since the convicted criminals cannot learn the lesson as they are already dead, their death becomes the permanent lesson to the current and would be criminals to keep off crime. Moreover, the existence of death penalty makes the population feel that the justice system is in control over the criminal acts in the society.