The Death Penalty | Teen Ink

The Death Penalty

March 29, 2019
By Anonymous

The death penalty law shouldn’t be established due to the numerous complications associated with it. There are just way more problems involved in the death penalty than it is worth. For example, there can be many unjust sentences that have to with disabilities or even race. The death penalty is also unreasonable statistically, and it is illogical to pay so much money for a system that doesn’t even really work. Plus, why kill to show murderers that murder is wrong? In addition to all of this, we presently live in a society that has so many alternative solutions to situations like this and we, as a nation, are above the death penalty. If we were to kill murderers, then wouldn’t we then also be classified as murderers? What with unfair sentencing, a conflicting message, and the fact that we now have more effective answers, there is unmistakably way too much energy involved with the death penalty than it is really worth, and it simply doesn’t make sense to pass this law.

We have been making unfair sentences when it comes to the death penalty, for example, against those with mental disabilities and those of different race. An article by the ACLU, confirms,” Virtually all are poor, a significant number are mentally disabled, more than 40 percent are African American, and a disproportionate number are Native American, Latino, and Asian.” We believe in equal rights and opportunities for all, and this entirely contradicts that belief, on a number of levels. There have been many unjust trials and the people under those conditions must feel betrayed by how they have been cast aside, rejected, and left to die alone. They have been cheated and can’t really argue in their defense. Another article, Amnesty International, informs,” Some countries execute people who were under 18 years old when the crime was committed, others use the death penalty against people with mental and intellectual disabilities and several others apply the death penalty after unfair trials…” Clearly, there are many problems that are hugely unfair to the victims who experience these awful circumstances.

Not only is it unfair to the victim, but it is unfair to the taxpayers. The article, Law Teacher, agrees that” The death penalty is a great burden to taxpayers financially because the actual cost of carrying out capital punishment is approximated to be 2-5 times higher than leaving the offender in prison for as many years as possible.” So why would we ever choose to pay so much more, when life in prison is clearly a worse punishment and therefore a more effective deterrent? The ultimate goal should always be to prevent more lives from being taken, not revenge on the murderer. Killing the murderer will not bring back the victim, and it doesn’t erase any damage that was done. The death penalty also portrays the wrong message to murderers. The article, Balanced Politics, explains,” It sends the wrong message: why kill people who kill people to show killing is wrong?” It simply doesn't make sense, no matter how you look at it. Not only this but we, as a society, are better than that. We don’t have to kill people for punishment.

Our nation is above executions. We live in an advanced society that has various other ways that are much better to deal with murderers, but we aren’t using these resources! Most ways to kill prisoners are extremely cruel and inhumane. The article, Law Teacher, elaborates,” Most methods used to administer the punishment are very cruel: hanging the culprit, use of electric chairs and even detaining the victim in a gas chamber.” These methods are the same kind of methods that were used in World War 1 and World War 2, which were over 70 years ago! We are much more civilized than we were then, and it is preposterous that we are still using the same barbaric methods to execute people! Or that we are even still killing people! Another article, Amnesty International, agrees that” the death penalty breaches human rights, in particular, the right to life and the right to live free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Both rights are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948.” So, by legalizing the death penalty, we would also then be breaking the law.

Although some may argue that “The constitution allows for the application of the death penalty” (List Land), it also violates many laws. The ACLU, specifies,” In 1972, in Furman v. Georgia, the Supreme Court invalidated hundreds of death sentences, declaring that then existing state laws were applied in an "arbitrary and capricious" manner and, thus, violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, and the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantees of equal protection of the laws and due process.” So, while the death penalty is allowed by one law, it also, in turn, breaks two others, which clearly overrules it. Plus, it also violates the "cruel and unusual" clause in the Bill of Rights, so that is three laws against one. It just doesn’t make sense that because it is passed by one law, that makes it okay, especially since there are also three other laws that prohibit it.

In conclusion, the death penalty law shouldn’t be established due to the numerous complications associated with it and the various problems that arise whenever it is used. Between unfair or biased sentencing, unnecessary taxes, a wrong message, the fact that we have better solutions, and that it goes against many laws, we can come to the conclusion that the death penalty law should not be passed.


The author's comments:

I'm a 7th grader, but I'm in a language arts class that's about two years ahead or so. We had to do this as an assignment a few months back and I decided to share it with you.


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