Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is the death penalty given by the government of a country, to people who have committed hideous crimes like homicide, rape, etc. Capital punishment has been a way of punishing people since time immemorial. Although there are some countries that have abolished death penalty from their law, there are still many which still practice the act of killing a person for crime. Capital punishment is prevalent in the US, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Some of the ways of executing criminals are hanging, shooting, electrocution and giving lethal injections.

People have different opinions on the issue of capital punishment given to a convict. While some think that the death penalty is necessary for those who have committed a terrible crime, there are others who consider it as an immoral act that goes against the values of humanity.

Proponents of Capital Punishment cite the pros of capital punishment. These include:
1. Deterrence -

• A person who has committed a crime like killing or raping another person should be given death penalty, which is as severe punishment as the act. It is said that when a criminal is given a capital punishment, it dissuades others in the society from committing such serious crimes. They would refrain from such crimes due to fear of losing their lives. This would definitely help in reducing crime rate in society.

2. Utilitarianism/ Fair Justice('An eye for an eye') -

• Some believe that instead of announcing life imprisonment for incorrigible convicts, where they would have to live a futile life behind closed bars, it is better to kill them. It is said that imprisoning someone is more expensive than executing him. Rather than spending on a person who may again commit terrifying crime, it is better to put him to death. In addition, Capital punishment is equated as revenge for pain and suffering that the criminal inflicted on the victim. Sentencing such a criminal can give relief to the family members of the victim that their loved one has obtained justice.

However, opponents to Capital Punishment posit the cons which include:

1. It debases us to the same level as that of the criminal -

• If we execute a person, what then is the difference between us and the criminal who has committed the horrifying crime of killing another individual?
  

2. Misappropriate Conviction -

• There is also a chance that an individual is innocent and is wrongly charged for a crime he has never committed. In several cases, a person is exonerated of his crime and proved innocent only after he has been executed. Also, the conviction process is not always just. Often, poor people have to succumb to death penalty as they cannot afford good lawyers to defend their positions.

Hence, the perennial questions remain. Do we really possess the prerogative to take the life of our fellow human beings? If so, who decides? Why and how are they endowed with this arbitrary right?