Persuave Essay

I often wonder whether the death penalty serves as a justified or valid form of punishment. Following the Troy Davis case I'm not so sure the death penalty is used in a manner it should be. This was a case of uncertainty; there were still doubts whether or not he committed this crime. I strongly feel if someone is found guilty and there punishment is death all basis should be covered, rule nothing out. If a lie detector test wasn't given, give it, what's the harm in ensuring the person you have found guilty has actually committed the crime. No one deserves to die for a crime he or she didn't commit. Living in Georgia, seeing all the protestors impacted my life in way I didn't think was possible. I never thought about the death penalty before and what it should stand for. The death penalty is suppose to honor human dignity by treating the defendant as a free moral actor able to control his or her destiny. The crimes of rape, child molestation, torture, kidnapping, murder, and hate crimes are grounds for capital punishment (death). Proponents of the death penalty say it is an important tool for preserving law and order, deters crime, and costs less than life imprisonment. They argue that retribution or "an eye for an eye" honors the victim, helps console grieving families, and ensures that the perpetrators of heinous crimes never have an opportunity to cause future tragedy. Opponents of capital punishment say it has no deterrent effect on crime, wrongly gives governments the power to take human life, and perpetuates social injustices by disproportionately targeting people of color (racist) and people who cannot afford good attorneys (classist). They say lifetime jail sentences are a more severe and less expensive punishment than death. I agree with both proponent and opponent, if a person committed a crime and all evidence shows the defendant is guilty then by all means let the punishment fit the crime. Ultimately, the question I am struggling with about the death penalty has nothing to do with whether those convicted of a violent crime deserve to die, but should the Government be the one killing those they have sentenced to death. No human should take another human life, what makes him or her better than the one they have sentenced. The only difference in the two is one has a job that allows it. Prison is a place in which people are physically confined, and usually, deprived of a range of personal freedom. So why do inmates have more freedom then they should. They have access to computers, telephones, television, radios, they get paid for working, are allowed to get married, and have conjugal visits. What type of prison system are we running? The Prison system isn't what it used to be. Many have compared it to being in college, with the only exception being the inmates can't leave when they want. Since the beginning of time, the death penalty has been established as a punishment for crimes. It is actually