It never ceases to amaze me how as a society we can be so wrapped up in our causes and beliefs that we forget the big picture. Of course there are two sides to every story and every issue and I will not be right to some or wrong to others in my opinions and beliefs but we must think these things out.
I do not know of anyone who wants for someone to have a life of crime. I wish the world could be crime free as well. We have to all agree on the fact that this is not going to happen. There will always be criminals as long as there are people living. What defines a criminal worthy of the death penalty?
We are certainly not wanting to advocate the death penalty for someone who shoplifts or drives a vehicle in excess of the speed limit. There are some though that would argue that murder, rape, and even other harsh crimes should not be punishable by death. This is where I start to disagree. Even though there have been cases where DNA evidence has freed someone convicted of a crime I do not feel that it is a reason to abolish the death penalty.
We could relax the laws and let all evidence be tested that is in custody for all inmates on a death row and then we would be done with it. People who are arrested now can have their DNA evidence in court if it falls in line with the rules of evidence. Sure, it would take years to do the old testing; so what, it takes years fro all appeals to be exhausted in most states anyway.
The first thing to remember when that man or woman is convicted of a crime worthy of the death penalty is the victim and the victims family. A majority of death penalty cases involve murder as at least part of the crime. Was it fair that the victims life was cut short? Was it fair that their family has to go on living without the victim in their life anymore? I should think not. That would be utter nonsense on the face. Everyone deserves the right to live and I dont think anyone could ever come up with an argument against that. What do we do with the person or persons responsible for ending someones life?
The second thing to remember is the fact that we as taxpayers must pay for the upkeep of this convicted individual. If this person is convicted to death, guess when they will be eligible for parole. You got it, when they die. We will have to house them in a prison for the rest of their life giving them a place to stay, food, and clothing. We will even provide them with health care which quite possibly could be better than the health care of people in our own families. What does it cost this inmate? Time. More than likely time to try and think of a way of proving his innocense.
Will this person be rehabilitated with a nice long stint in prison? Maybe it would, but; maybe it would not rehabilitate them. Would you want to take a chance on some of these people living in your neighborhood? How about letting them stay in your house if they are released with your family. Is that something you could consider? I dare say I would never think of it.
Another thing to consider is the number of inmates that are on a death row or have been convicted of crimes that could warrant the death penalty. With the population of the world increasing and land available for housing decreasing where would we find to build enough suitable prisons for these individuals? At this point I urge you to think of all the people that complain at the thought of a correction facility placed in their neighborhoods for criminals who are a lot more likely to be rehabilitated.
I know there are many arguments for rescinding the death penalty and I do not write them off for being any less important than those I write here supporting my belief in the death penalty. This is a tough decision that cannot be taken lightly. Being noted that I am in favor of the death penalty for crimes that fit the requirement then my nest question is about the cruel and unusual punishment aspect of the penalty.
Is it cruel and unusual punishment? I dont think so. The lady shot to death while sleeping in her house when the burglar broke in, the child kidnaped, brutally beaten and tortured to death, the man slaughtered while trying to protect his family from the addict who was high on drugs; these are people who suffered cruel and unusual punishment. These are all part of a family that will suffer cruel and unusual punishment for the rest of their lives.
