Capital Punishment

10 Pages 2479 Words

it would seem
that the state could save a great deal by finding alternatives to the death penalty and
abolishing capital punishment. capital punishment is a luxury that is simply unaffordable.
~~~~~~~~Some may feel the need for capital punishment because they fear that anything
less is not punishment enough, or that a prisoner may be granted parole and recommit a
crime. But special consideration must be taken when dealing with the death penalty
because it is probably the only criminal sentence that is completely irreversible and
irreparable. If an alleged murderer is sentenced to death, executed, and then is proven
undoubtedly not guilty, nothing can be done to make up for such an affliction. However,
if the same person were given a life sentence, the years that they lost in prison could not
be returned to them, but they could still live the remainder of their life, unlike if they
were executed. The only way to be certain that innocent people will not be executed by
the government is to develop an unerring justice system, but it is impossible to develop a
system that is fool-proof. Misinterpretation of evidence, false testimony, mistaken
identification, and racial and socioeconomic prejudices are capable of effecting the
verdict or sentence (Innocence). These are issues that will not be resolved no matter
how seemingly perfect a justice system may seem. A recent investigation shows that,
between 1900 and 1991, over 400 people on death row were proven not guilty of the
crime for which they were originally given the death sentence (Innocence). The thought
of risking even one innocent life is hideous, but the fact that more than 400 innocent
people were given the death sentence is intolerable. The death sentence should be put
aside until evidence is given as to the infallibility of human reasoning.
~~~~~~~~Eradicating the death penalty would also help the U.S. to promote serenity in
foreign politics. Many...