The Death Penalty

[gnr61]

Capital punishment is a barbaric institution with absolutely no justification. This thread is littered with the already effectively countered cost arguments, and people claiming that if what a person does is "really really bad and they are a threat to society" that it is our obligation to kill that person on the basis that it will remove said threat to society and serve as a deterrant of violent crime.

First point: Killing someone does not deter crime, but merely institutionalizes it in the form of governmental practice.

Killing someone does not remove the threat from society any more than does life in prison, which is--given statistics--a much more cost-effective option.

Second Point: I want to start off by saying that these issues are not inherent with the death penalty per se, but rather problems that have developed as a result of its poor execution.

Statistics imply massive problems with the death penalty in regard to its distribution based on race (statistics have already been given) and minorites are with disturbing frequency the brunt of this practice.

The practice of capital punishment has become incredibly expensive through the process of appeals and maintenance of criminals during their time on death row. Tax payers money is being wasted on an institution that does not benefit society in ANY way, but only exists to satisfy the vengeful wishes of a victim's loved ones.

Final statements: The death penalty simply cannot be justified as anything except a violent, brutal method of meeting a victim's family's desire for revenge. The emotions of loved ones is an empathizable story indeed, but not one that can legally or morally justify the eye for an eye philosophy that cannot exist in a truly equal society.