Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment

Should we as reasoning law abiding citizens have the legal right to take another’s life? This debate has been a matter of controversy for many many years. In taking a look at those who are in favor of capital punishment and those who oppose it has re-affirmed my belief of what I believe is true and right.

Millions of people stand for the principal “an eye for an eye”. If one is to commit murder, their own life should be taken in return as punishment well deserved. From a biblical standpoint, in the Old Testament, God showed little mercy for those who did not obey him and his commands. Those practicing evil sorcery, adultery, homosexual behavior, doing work on Sunday and those who committed the act of murder were put to death by being burned alive. The latter, many would still agree with and hold this belief to be justified even in current day society regardless of their religious preference. Perhaps we have even lighted up a bit. Many people also feel that killing convicted murderers would satisfy our need for justice or vengeance. Some crimes are so heinous that executing the criminal is the only reasonable response. Those in favor of the death penalty warrant this ultimate punishment with many different factors.

Many people warrant the death penalty by stating that this will deter criminals from killing. In respect to the human life “It is by exacting the highest penalty for the taking of human life that we affirm the highest value of human life.” (Edward Koch). Others warrant this by stating that the cost from taxpaying citizens would be greatly reduced because incarceration is no longer needed. For a cold blooded killer, capital punishment is the only true justice.

Execution permanently removes the worst criminals from society and is safer for prison guards, fellow inmates and the rest of us than long term or permanent incarceration. It is self evident that dead criminals cannot commit any further crimes either in prison or after escaping from it.

Many forms of execution have taken place over the years. The most popular forms in modern day times are these:

Electric Chair: The prisoner is literally cooked internally, and death may require multiple shocks.

Gas Chamber: Death is caused by exposure to cyanide gas, produced when sodium cyanide is dropped into sulfuric acid. The suffering caused is deliberate and plain to see: writhing, vomiting, shaking and gasping for breath for many seconds.

Lethal Injection: The condemned is strapped to a table and injected with sodium thiopentone, losing consciousness in 10 to 15 seconds. This is followed by pancuronium bromide, which blocks respiration, and finally potassium chloride to stop the heart.

The firing squad and hanging have also been