The Death Penalty

The Death Penalty

The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It violates the right to life. It is irreversible and can be imposed upon the innocent. It has never been shown to deter crime more effectively than other punishments.

The death penalty is barbaric, merciless and morally wrong. No society has the right to take a life. No matter what the situation, murder is still murder; even if it is the government who is committing the crime in the name of justice. No person or government has the authority to play god. It is immoral in principle, unfair and discriminatory in practice. The methods by which executions are carried out bare close resemblance to torture. Like torture, an execution is an extreme physical and mental assault on a person already rendered helpless by government authorities. How in today's society could this be considered acceptable? Countries such as The United States thrive on their beliefs in peace and justice for all. However America is yet to abolish the death penalty in all states. America also has one of the highest rates of juvenile executions in the world. How can the United States Government profess to be the world leader in democracy in a quest for world peace and an end to terrorism when they condone the murder of their own children? Capital punishment in no way upholds the idea of justice in our society.

The death penalty is a total infringement of human rights. People have the right to live in a world where they are not suppressed by the constant threat of death. The universal declaration of human rights states that "no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." It also continues to say "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." The death penalty is a legal excuse to abuse human rights. The cruelty of the death penalty is not only apparent in the execution but in the time spent under sentence of death, during which the prisoner is constantly contemplating his or her own death at the hands of the state. This cruelty cannot be justified, no matter how cruel the crime that the prisoner has been convicted of. There is no bona fide justification for the death penalty which would outweigh the human rights