The Death Penalty

As one of the most horrendous forms of punishments, the death penalty has been deemed as a necessary deterrent for perilous crimes; however, it has also been regarded as a crime in itself and is a debated issue among many. Using the death penalty as a punishment is inhumane and it should be illegal. While being applied inconsistently and carrying the risk of wrongful convictions, the death penalty is responsible for thousands of deaths and should be considered legalized premeditated murder.

First of all, the death penalty should be illegal due to the risk of wrongful convictions. Wrongful convictions are caused by the high possibility of errors, inability to present all evidence and facts, and altered perceptions. Throughout history, manipulated evidence and distorted facts have been accepted in a court of law. In addition, simply made errors, incorrect documentation, and misleading information can cause evidence and events to be quickly withdrawn from the court case. One several occasions, a high profile case will become a battle of the attorneys, questioning their performances instead of the true matter at hand. In these cases, the outcome has led to the guilty judgment of the innocent.

Furthermore, the death penalty is inconsistently applied. Since the sentencing is decided upon each case separately, some murderers spend minimal time incarcerated while others are executed. An example of this would be the comparison of the Yates case with the case of the man who murdered a burglar. In the Yates case, Yates confessed to drowning all five of her young children in a bathtub one at a time. She was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. However, she has only served her time in a minimum security state mental hospital. This crime was very violent and excessively cruel, yet she was not given the death penalty. On the other hand, a man who shot and killed a burglar was sentenced to death for committing a murder that was neither premeditated nor intentional and out of self-defense. The justifications of these two crimes are not parallel, and happen more commonly than one might think. Overall, the application of the death penalty is inconsistent and contradictory.

Finally, the execution of a person is legalized premeditated murder. Premeditated murder is when a person plans the act of murder before he/she commits the act. This compares to the death penalty because the execution is planned and practiced before it occurs. Those who are condemned to death have to wait to receive their punishment on a pre-determined date. They are given their last rites, have a choice of their last meal, and a choice of four different ways to die. Among all else, witnesses are invited to watch the punishment as if it was a sporting event. In other words, the death penalty is a premeditated event that invites the public to participate in a legal murder.

Overall, the death penalty is not a suitable punishment for anyone. There are several