Death Penalty Pros and Cons
Whether the death penalty is a correct mean of punishment or not is still a hot matter of debate all around the world. It is supposed to be the most severe type of punishment, and while we have many who are against its use, there are also quite a few who support it. Both sides have their valid arguments, so here we’re going to have a look at some of the capital punishment pros and cons.
Nearly a third of the countries in the world have banned the death penalty. Though around 140 countries around the world have completely abolished the death penalty, 56 others still use it as a mean of punishment in severe cases. China is the leading country as far as capital punishment is concerned, where every year thousands of people are put to death. While some countries use this method of punishment only in extreme cases like murder or terrorism, there are some nations that even use the death penalty for robbery, drug trafficking, rape, etc. Well, let’s get down to the death penalty pros and cons now, shall we!
Arguments in Favor of the Death Penalty
The main argument that most experts have is that keeping the death penalty as an open option deters a lot of crimes and criminals. They feel that without such a system in place, the rate of crime rises steeply. Another point that is made is that convicts who are a danger to society should not ever have the chance of being released or escaping, so as to pose a danger to society again. Last but not the least is that, it is widely believed that if a person takes another’s life in any way, then the price that he should pay is with his own life itself, and that only is true justice.
Arguments against the Death Penalty
The most valid argument against the death penalty is wrongful convictions. There are many cases in which a crime that has been committed cannot be a hundred percent verified. Still in those cases, the accused is put to death. Many countries do not even give the accused a fair trial or representation, something that most people argue against. Now another interesting debate is that even though many countries believe that capital punishment is the best deterrence for crime, statistics prove that crime rates are actually higher in those nations where the death penalty is used more widely. So it is believed that capital punishment in fact is not the solution after all. And lastly, it is actually more expensive to put a person to death, than actually jail him for life. This is because, over the years the case goes on, appeals are made at different levels, after which finally the execution is carried out. All this incurs a lot of cost, and experts believe that everything goes wasted, whereas the accused would have been better off just being locked up for life.
The countries who are the leaders in executions of the past few years are China, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, United States, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Bangladesh. Now if one goes deeper into each country’s statistics, it will be seen that the crime rates in these countries is not necessarily lower than those many other countries that have actually banned capital punishment. So now you know why the debate on the death penalty pros and cons is such a heated one, over the decades. Though one thing can be said, executions in present times are much more humane than the barbaric methods that were used in the olden days. Not that this reason is any justification. But the debate will continue…
