"Dead Man Walking!" This sound rings through each and every death row inmate numerous times a day. Capital punishment is one of the most controversial topics among Americans today.
In the past, people have invariably felt that if they had been wronged in some way, it was his or her right to take vengeance on the person that had wronged them. This mentality still exists, even today, but in a lesser form because the law has now outlined a person's rights and developed punishments that conform to those rights, yet we allow for retribution for their crime. However, some feel that those laws and punishments are too lax and that criminals of today take advantage of them.
To kill or not to kill. This is an extremely controversial question in today's society. Since we all have our own opinions on this topic, the question always raised is "Is it morally right." I personally think that the death penalty must be abolished.
There are many reasons that society uses when imposing "punishment". Deterrence is defined, as "the punishment should fit the crime". Under this concept, the individual committing the crime and society are prevented from committing this action again. In the case of death penalty, an individual kills another human and he is "punished" for it by death. Punishment is supposed to be a temporary penalization for a wrongful action. Death is far from temporary. One is to learn from one's mistakes. How can the person learn if they are paying for their mistake with their life? By imposing death penalty the individual does not learn from their mistakes and neither does the society. .
The society is confused as to what is "right". Some people think that restitution is granted when one is sentenced to death penalty. However, if a loved one is murdered and his family feels justice in having the murderer done the same, is it not considered equally demented? Forgiving and forgetting are entirely out of the question, but one should consider the concept of regret and remorse.
