Answer

The Death Penalty

The death penalty, also known as capital punishment has been in existence since time immemorial. It is the state-sanctioned practice of killing an individual as the ultimate punishment for a wrong that has been done. The death penalty has been the subject of debate for several decades. The arguments brought forth in this paper are in support of capital punishment.

The death penalty is often granted for the crime of first degree murder with aggravating circumstances. It is not provided for under the federal laws. States have passed laws imposing the death penalty under certain special circumstances. I support the death penalty because it is a sure way of preventing future murders. It is a modality of securing deterrence. Essentially, when murders are served with the life sentence and later executed, this will serve as a warning to other potential murderers (Savitz, 1958). They will think twice about killing someone for fear of the loss of their own life.

The death penalty is also effective for first degree murder with aggravating circumstances since it provides retribution (Byrd, 1989). In the Holy Bible, Leviticus 24:17 states that; if any man takes the life of another he must himself be put to death (The Bible, NIV, 1978). This is an ancient concept that should remain true up to today. The death penalty ensures retribution by restoring equilibrium. This should particularly be the case with respect the offence of first degree murder with aggravating circumstances. In the case of the State of Ohio v Michael Madison for instance, it was apparent that Michael Madison had not just committed the premeditated murder of one person but of 13 people (State of Ohio v Michael Madison, 2016). He did not just murder them but he tortured them first. Such an individual should himself be killed as a form of retribution.

The death penalty is also effective because apart from deterring other potential murders from committing the crime as illustrated above, it also prevents the very killer from killing again. Whereas in the aforementioned Michael Madison case the assailant was intimating that he will never do it again, the punishment of death ensures that he never actually does it again. This is especially so in light of the fact that prison murders have been on the rise.

The death penalty is often granted for the crime of first degree murder with aggravating circumstances. The death penalty is effective because it secures deterrence and provides retribution.