Take a second to think to yourself about how many people you have met . life? Maybe a few hundred, thousand, hundred thousand? It would be impossible to count. Now think about the world’s population which is billions of people, eight billion to be exact. With that many people there are many different types of people. Some evil, some good and some in between. Most of the evil is locked away in prisons but some are fighting for their life on death row. The topic of the death penalty is one that will always cause controversy. But is it in fact as bad as it seems?

For a criminal to be placed on death row they have to be a very dangerous and heartless individual. Almost all of the current prisoners on death row are being convicted of murder, even some convicted of multiple murders. The death penalty kills these criminals as there punishment but the irony of this sticks out like a sore thumb. How can you punish a killer by killing them? Many people feel that the death penalty is not a good form of punishment. One of the many reasons people feel that the death penalty is not a good form of punishment is because it is hypocritical. People facing the death penalty are very cold blooded individuals. People such as John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy have been killed by the death penalty. These two serial killers murdered a combined total of 63 people. Does killing these people justify the government’s actions of killing the criminals? Now let’s scale these numbers down. Orlando Hall, a black male executed in November of 2020 was convicted of sexual assault and murder of a 16 year old girl. He was killed by death penalty. All three of these men are very evil people deserving of harsh punishments but does killing killers make sense? Some people believe that it is not right for the law to say it is not okay to do something if they do it themself. In a way, killing someone who has committed murder shows society that murder is ethically okay if it is for a good reason. But does that mean you should go around killing evil people? No. This argument leads to very harsh debates of power abuse by the government, hypocrisy and even claiming the government is evil themself for killing people.

Another reason people don’t support the death penalty is because it is too risky since it is the only form of punishment that cannot be reversed. People are wrongfully convicted of crimes more often than you think. Studies have shown that approximately 5% of criminals in American prisons are actually innocent. This means one out of every twenty criminals is innocent and wrongfully convicted in America. Since 1973 at leats 190 individuals have been wrongfully executed by the death penalty. This number is astongshingly high for such a big mistake to make. About 1,550 people have been executed since 1973 meaning that 12% of people killed by the death penalty were killed wrongfully. This shows how serious of a punishment the death penalty truly is espically when taking the life of innocent people. The government and justice system can be considered cold blooded for committing murders. Are they any better than the true criminals? That is for you to decide.

The justice system is a complicated system but the intentions of keeping society safe is behind it. Keeping everyone as safe as possible is what jail and prisons are for. Many people believe that those institutions are meant to reform and be a place for  rehabilitation for criminals. This leads to the concept of death row and the death penalty. This form of handling crime is meant for the most evil criminals who commit the worst crimes including murder, rape, abduction and much more. Some people feel that the death penalty is a good form of punishment and let me tell you why.  One of the main arguments to maintain the death penalty is because it will stop people from committing the worst crimes possible such as murder. Crimes like burglary, assault, theift are still wrong actions that deserve punishment, but crimes such as rape or murder ruin lives of many. Not only the victims but those crimes leave long lasting impacts on the victims families who have to deal with having a loved one ripped from their life. Punishing the people who commit these crimes with death can prevent other people from doing the same crime. Losing life is something that cannot be reversed since you only live once. The justice system is used as not only a punishment system but also as a tactic to strike fear into society to do the right thing. Having a punishment as severe as death can definitley lead to crimes of rape, murder or worse becoming less common.

Another reason people support the death penalty is because it allows the victim and their families to get retribution. Some victims families do not think it is fair if there loved one is killed and the killer gets to live there life inside of a cell. Also, taxes go towards the jail systems to feed them and provide them with living conditions. This means in theory that the victims family is paying for the killer to live. Having a death penalty allows victims families to feel better as they know that the person who committed the crime can never harm them or anyone else ever again. Losing a loved one to murder is scarring and can cause people to be scared to leave there homes or live there lives. Using the death penalty can comfort these victims and also secure the rest of society as it shows that there is no place in this world for people that evil.

Will the debate over the death penalty ever come to a common agreeement? Most likely not but it is fun to see the argument from both sides. Abolishing the death penalty seems the most reasonable due to the percentages of mistakes and the jail system already doing a similar justice to criminals. But keeping the death penalty also seems fair, mainly to victims families, as a justice that not only punishes but helps the healing process of loss. This controversial topic may not be the easiest thing to discuss but what do you believe is the best option?

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