Death Penalty Deters

Sydney Walden
 

In 1996 a thirteen-year-old, Jonathan Hall, was raped and murdered by his neighbor, James Arthur "Buck" Murray.  James Murray had spent most of his life in jail, and he had a lengthy prison record. Jonathan’s dead body was found in an icy pond by his house, and according to evidence, the boy was still alive when the killer threw him into the water. Though Murray was sent to jail, he was not sentenced to the death penalty. If there was a chance that this man could be released from jail, there is a strong possibility that he could kill again. Murray is an example of how the death penalty should be allowed, because if he were sentenced to life in jail the government would have to pay fees for him being there. If he were sentenced to death though, many people wouldn’t have to worry and the money spent to support Murray in jail could be used for something valuable.

Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a prisoner for committing a heinous crime. When an inmate is on death row, he is put in a separate room from the rest of the prisoners depending on the crime he had engaged in. Capital Punishment was commonly used in medieval Europe. The social class that an individual was a part of determined whether or not he or she would get the death sentence. Serfs, peasants, and those in the working class would be executed publicly. Some things that were considered to be mortal sins were homosexuality, religious heresy, atheism, and witchcraft. The people considered to be engaging in such crimes, would be executed with an axe. Even today the death penalty is used in the military when people disobey the lawful instructions given to them, or when someone destroys another’s property in order to steal their possessions (otherwise known as looting). The different ways to execute a person have varied over time. Currently, the list adds up to about thirty-two. Among these were such grisly methods as impalement, starvation, dismemberment, asphyxiation and forced suicide. These days forty-nine percent of murderers arrested are sent to jail for only around a year. Forty-three percent of the murderers that are released early are arrested again within three years.

The death penalty should be allowed in all 50 states. Capital punishment could act as a deterrent to prevent others from committing a murder. The term “an eye for an eye,” which was said in the Old Testament, justifies killing an individual who murdered innocent people. Another argument supporting the death penalty involves the act of recidivism. If we don’t do away with the person after he kills many people, he’ll just keep going out and repeating his crimes. Some believe in the sanctity of life, and the phrase “thou shall not kill.” They believe in forgiveness, as taught in the New Testament However, their arguments are easily refuted.

In support of the death penalty, the above arguments are the most important. One argument states that the death penalty can act as a deterrent to change the minds of criminals about to harm or murder. The second argument takes the term “an eye for an eye” from the Old Testament.  This means that if a person kills another, we should be allowed to put him on death row to show that if he or she does this to someone, we’re going to do it back to him as punishment.

The third argument takes the prevention of recidivism into thought. Recidivism in crime is when a person keeps repeating a certain pattern of habits. If a criminal was released from jail after committing homicide, there is a chance he will just keep killing. If sentenced to the death penalty, he won’t be able to kill innocent people anymore. This will prevent tragedy for families who lost their son or close relative.

Those who oppose the death penalty might agree with the injunction “Thou shall not kill” or the sanctity of life, which comes from the Old Testament. They believe that if a person were to murder another, it would still be wrong to sentence him to the death penalty, as we would be taking a life. Another argument against the death penalty is forgiveness. This view, which was taken from the New Testament, basically means that every individual should be forgiven for doing something wrong, whether it is murder or theft. Death penalty opponents also believe that if the criminals were kept in jail for a long period of time, they would no longer kill or they might think twice about their actions.

Yes, the sanctity of life is something that should be considered and we shouldn’t take a life without an important reason. However, by killing, the murderer has already broken that rule. Yes, forgiveness as taught by Christ, is profoundly important. However, if a killer were to be freed from prison, he would most likely revert to his or her old ways. Yes, murderers kept in jail for a set amount of time might possibly stop their old crimes. However, while in jail the killers might also murder prison-mates or guards.

Clearly then, the death penalty should be allowed in all fifty states. Capital punishment could act as a deterrent, as well as a prevention of recidivism. Although the Ten Commandments say, “thou shall not kill”, the Old Testament tells us we can seek vengeance; “an eye for an eye” means that an individual has the right to vengeance. Yes, Christ taught forgiveness in the New Testament, and it is something that should be considered. However, forgiveness cannot be granted to those who have taken a life, as the crime is too severe. By legalizing capital punishment, society would not have to worry about children or relatives being killed. Never again would a person like James Murray murder an innocent individual like Jonathan.

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