Capital Punishment

Introduction

Capital punishment as it is eminent from its name refers to severe and crucial sentence announced by the court of law. Capital punishment refers to judicial sentence under which the culprit is sentenced to death for his deeds. There are several sources that argue that capital punishment is just and its implementation cannot be criticized as there are severe criminal offenses that can only be dealt with through death sentence. However, some sources critique that capital punishment is in-just and violate human rights; moreover, these sources often condemn its implementation.

The purpose of this paper is to justify that there are some criminal activities that are so brutal that only capital punishment is an optimal fit sentence announced for the culprits. It can be asserted that capital punishment is one of the severe punishments announced by the court of law. Nonetheless, there are some crimes that cannot be just forgiven as it would be injustice to the victims. Implementation of the principle referring to death penalty has been witnessed in different states of America. Nonetheless, public opinion on capital punishment has been researched more thoroughly and for a longer period than perhaps any other crime-prevention issue. There are several concerns referring to capital punishment as it has been a crucial concern throughout the United States' lawful history (Bedau, 44).

Discussion

There are strong arguments for the death penalty. Other than retribution, justly deserved penalty, deterrence is one of the most prominent arguments that people cite when they support the death penalty. It is no doubt one of the most debated issues of the society today. While those in support of the death penalty argue that it deters others from resorting to similar crimes, those who oppose it are of the opinion that it is not as effective it is promoted to be (McCarthy, 417). Support for capital punishment remained strong throughout World War II and the 1940s, only to shift again within the context of the post-war boom of the 1950s.

By the 1960s, public support for capital punishment hit an all-time low in the United States, where in 1964, a Gallup poll reported that only 42 percent of Americans supported it use, and by the end of the decade, executions had come to a virtual standstill. The sentences announced in reference to capital punishment today revolves around the concept of general deterrence - wherein a person convicted for a particular crime is sentenced ...