took me a while, but here it is....definition/persuasive essay

Capital Punishment: Fair or Unfair?

"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” This is found in the Old Testament on Genesis 9:6. It is the first commandment of the Bible that has a common legal character. According to this quote, one who murders destroys the “image of God” in a fellow man and therefore commits an indirect attack on God himself. This is the religious view of the death penalty. But what is the death penalty? Who gets to decide if it’s right or wrong? The death penalty should be avoided at all costs. It is unfair and it really isn’t punishing a person. Some countries have abolished the death penalty as they see it unfair. Killing a convict is just doing him a favor. He won’t pay for his crime at all. There is also the convict’s family. What about them? Before convicting someone to the death penalty, think of their families. The death penalty is unfair and should be avoided at all costs.
Many people might ask themselves what is the death penalty and why is it applied? Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the lawful imposition of death as punishment for a capital crime. The word “capital” comes from the Latin “capitalis” which means “regarding the head”. Because of this, a capital crime was originally punished by cutting the head of the convict. To this day, the death penalty is applied in four of the most populous countries in the world, such as People’s Republic of China, India, United States, and Indonesia. The death penalty is usually practiced when a criminal is convicted of murder, espionage, or treason. In some countries, rape, adultery and incest are also punished by the death penalty. In China, human trafficking and serious corruption are punished by death as well.
Some countries have abolished the death penalty as they consider it unfair punishment. Venezuela abolished the death penalty in 1863, San Marino in 1865, and Portugal in 1867. The United Kingdom abolished it in 1998. France abolished it in 1981, Canada in 1976 and Australia in 1985. Here in the United States, some states have banned the death penalty. Michigan was the first state to do so in 1846. Currently, 15 states and the District of Columbia ban capital punishment.
Is it right to use the death penalty as punishment? There are some pros and cons to this. Some see it as immoral while others see it as only encouraging violence. Some feel that allowing the government the power of life and death is wrong. Only God, they feel, should have this power, since, as Catholic sister Camille D’Arienzo said, “…all life, not only innocent life, is sacred.” One the most recent arguments is that the death penalty is poorly administered and mainly affects both minorities and the poor since often they cannot afford legal help. Sergeant Dutta states “Killing a criminal will prevent him from committing another crime- but so will putting him behind bars forever”. This is the opinion of those against the death penalty. Those in favor of the death penalty also have something to say. Those in favor say that capital punishment is a just and appropriate punishment for those who commit the most heinous of crimes. It ensures that the murderer will not kill again and provides closure to the family and friends of the victim. Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe columnist, says that the death penalty “sends a powerful moral message.” He says that the message is “that the life he took was so precious, and the crime he committed so horrific, that he forfeits his own right to remain alive.” No matter what those in favor of the death penalty say, it isn’t the solution. Death penalty is applied to “scare” those who are thinking of committing a crime and yet crimes still occur. If criminals were scared of the death penalty, there wouldn’t be any murders occurring and yet they still are. While some argue that killing a murderer brings “comfort” to the family and friends of the victim but what about the murderer’s family? Most likely the victim’s family will say that they do not wish anyone the pain they are going through for losing their beloved one. Yet, they agree on killing the murderer. What will his family feel? Won’t they feel the same as the family of the victim? What happened to the victim’s family not wishing their pain on anyone else? For surely the murderer’s family will suffer just like the victim’s family. Like my mother says “para una madre, no hay un hijo malo”, which means “for a mother, there isn’t a bad son.” The murderer’s family will suffer just as bad as the victim’s family. This is a very controversial topic and will continue to be controversial maybe until man ceases to exist.
By killing a criminal, he will not pay for his crime at all. You’ll be doing him a favor. If he is put in prison for life, he will have all the time in the world to think about what he did. If he raped someone, it will most likely be “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Other convicts will probably rape him and make him really pay for his crime. Most likely he will be picked on by others and will hate prison making him regret his decision of committing that crime and truly will be sorry. By killing him, he will experience none of these situations and it will not solve anything. It might ignite even more violence. The convict’s friends might take retaliation on the families of officers or on the officers themselves. It will end up being worse than just putting him in jail. In jail he will have a chance to rehabilitate and change for the good or just dig himself into a deeper hole. That’s his choice. The best thing we can do as a people is to give them that chance and it is up to them if they will take it or leave it.
The death penalty has been a controversial issue for ages. Some are with it and some are against it. The death penalty is unfair and unjust. A criminal will not suffer if he is put to death. He will not experience any of the pain of being in prison and will not learn his lesson. By killing him, he will avoid the horror of prison immediately. The death of this criminal could also spark more violence and hate. Those seeking revenge for their fallen friend might go on a killing spree and God knows what will happen. The death penalty has been an unjust punishment and will continue to be so until it is completely abolished. It seems impossible for now, but maybe one day, just maybe, the world will come to their senses and get rid of capital punishment.