Captial Punishment Essay

Victoria Bosquez
Charles Claunch
GOVT 2306

Capital Punishment

Capital punishment should be enforced by our state-level government in Texas, because it protects society, has potential to essentially save taxpayer money, and most importantly, it is an excellent crime deterrent.
Along with 83% of Texans, I am a strong advocate for capital punishment. I believe that when the punishment is the same or nearly the same, as the crime being committed, we will begin to see a downfall in the rate of crime. In Hammurabi’s Code, one of the most popular and well known phrases to essentially summarize the entire collection of the 282 laws is “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” I believe this is an excellent example of how to deteriorate crime in the state of Texas. If the punishment for stealing a loaf of bread is that you get your hand cut off, how many loaves of bread do you think will be stolen? I believe the same idea applies with the death penalty. If you kill someone, and the punishment is your inevitable death, how many people would still be willing to kill? I feel that people would be less likely to take the life of another human being, if their own was at stake as the consequence
Dr. Ernest Van Den Haag describes the crime deterrent aspect of capital punishment as follows, “Common sense, lately bolstered by statistics, tells us that the death penalty will deter murder... People fear nothing more than death. Therefore, nothing will deter a criminal more than the fear of death... life in prison is less feared. Murderers clearly prefer it to execution -- otherwise, they would not try to be sentenced to life in prison instead of death... Therefore, a life sentence must be less deterrent than a death sentence. And we must execute murderers as long as it is merely possible that their execution protects citizens from future murder." I agree with this implication that criminals are not afraid to be sentenced to life in prison, or they would not commit such severe crimes. Taxpayer’s money is going to fund prisons to feed serial killers, rapists, and child molesters and give them leisure’s such as free healthcare, cable television, recreational activities, and free higher education. Leisure’s that many hard working, law abiding American citizens cannot even afford to enjoy themselves, yet they are funding for criminals to acquire. Prisoners also enjoy other small leisure’s such as conjugal visits from their spouses, communication with the outside world, and tobacco products. How is this lifestyle an appropriate punishment for taking the life of another human being? It is not. It more-so seems to me like a free ride and a carefree way to live. They do not ever have to worry where their next meal is coming from, or how they’re going to pay their bills and buy necessities for their families, because they are just given it. It has become very common in today’s society to simply write off capital punishment as inhumane and barbaric. Many people believe that it is a violation of our eighth amendment right that protects all citizens from cruel and unusual punishment.

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