The Death Penalty

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The Death Penalty: Utilize It Don’t Destroy It


It is more reasonable to utilize the death penalty than to abolish it. The death penalty should not be abolished because it deters people from committing murder and because the death penalty gives peace of mind to the victims and their families and puts an end to the crime.



It is more reasonable to utilize the death penalty than to abolish it. The death penalty should not be abolished because it deters people from committing murder and because the death penalty gives peace of mind to the victims and their families and puts an end to the crime.



The death penalty deters some people from committing crimes and also saves human lives. Not everyone will be deterred from committing crimes because of the death penalty. However, since the death penalty is the highest penalty for crimes it will evoke the most fear in a human being. This fear will save human life. As legal expert Ernest van den Haag explains,
“The threat of 50 lashes deters more than the threat of 5: a $1000 fine deters more than a $10 fine; 10 years in prison deters more than 1 year in prison—just as, conversely, the promise of a $1000 reward is greater than the promise of a $10 reward … .”



Most murders happen in the passion of the moment, however, serial killers, burglars, gang members, and others who plan their crime in advance can and do think of the possibilities. Many criminals don’t carry weapons while committing crimes, for example, to keep from killing, as Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania recalls, “My twelve years’ experience in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office convinced me that the death penalty is a deterrent to crime. I saw many cases where professional burglars and robbers refused to carry weapons, for fear that a killing would occur and they would be charged with murder in the first degree, carrying the death penalty.”



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