nada and the USA Argumentative Persuasive EssaysThe Death Penalty in Canada and the USAThe death penalty, also referred to as capital punishment, has beenabolished in Canada since 1976, but still exist in a few American States. Thelast execution in Canada took place in 1962. I disagree with the death penalty for several reasons. My first reason isthat I find it extremely inhumane to take someone’s life in order to demonstratethe power of the law. Another reason for my disapproval of the death penalty, isthe amount of money that it takes to put someone to death, as it would cost thesame to keep an inmate in jail for life, as it would to put that same inmate todeath.
My third and final reason, is the guilty conscience that is placed oneveryone involved: the jury who convicted the accused to death; the witnesses tothe execution; and the jail warden who must give out the execution; and theperson who pulls the switch or induces the poison. Early societies were based on a simple code of law: “an eye for an eyeand a tooth for a tooth”. Today, now that our society has become more advanced,we do not function by this ancient code of punishment. For example, we do notrape the rapist’s daughter; we do not kidnap the kidnapper’s children; but ifthe death penalty were permitted, we would ” kill the killer”.
So why, aseducated citizens, would we want to lower ourselves to this level? Do we feelthat we need to show the power of the police force by killing the killers? Thedeath penalty is extremely barbaric and is often botched in order to let theaccused suffer for several minutes. Society by now must realize that two wrongscertainly do not make a right. You do not show society anything, by killing thekillers, except your ignorance for human life and well being. Some thought has been that if you do “kill the killer”, it will deterothers from committing such a terrible crime. However, murder rates in Canadahave remained the same and there is no significant difference when comparisonsare made of those States who still have the death penalty. A widely publicizedexecution might reduce homicides, but only for a brief period.
Therefore, I donot feel that Canada should permit such a deplorable undertaking of a human life. I know they must be punished, but there is a better way. Prior to putting someone to death, the accused’s lawyer will attemptseveral appeals to the courts in order to lengthen the amount of time he has tolive; and dependent on a technicality, or a sympathetic jury, the accused may besentenced to life imprisonment. These appeals take up an abundance of court timeand cost the public millions of dollars. With the cost of these appeals, itwould cost the same amount to keep the same inmate in jail for a life term.
Would it not be better for the inmate to perhaps obtain an education or be giventhe chance to rehabilitate, rather than strapped to a chair and killed ??? Ipersonally would rather see the inmate suffer in prison and have nothing to lookforward to rather than letting the government put him out of his misery bykilling him. To sentence someone to death takes one trial but to actually getsome one in the chair to kill them could take a dozen of trials. The questionmust be asked why do we bother with this lengthy and costly process when wecould sentence people to life in prison, at the same cost. The killing of a human being is very traumatizing to all. Whenever thecourts issue someone to death, the innocent everyday people who are involvedmust be affected. Just imagine how these normal human beings, like you and I,must feel after witnessing a gruesome killing of another human being.
Thesepeople will never forget the face on the person that they saw being gassed,electrocuted, or poisoned. The prison wardens who must carry out the killing ofthe sentenced inmate must deal with the emotional problems that performing thisact will accompany. Also the jury must convict the accused and then sentencethis person, whom they have never seen in their life, to death. These twelve menand women are put in a position to decide if this person should spend the nexttwenty-five years in prison or should he be sentenced to death. Would you liketo be put into this situation? I know I sure wouldn’t.
Another issue is what if a person has been convicted and sentenced todeath, and two minutes after the execution, new evidence comes out of nowherethat proves he is innocent of all charges. How do you pay back this poorperson’s family? A long liable suit would follow, but I’m sure all the money inthe world would not bring back their family member. What are the police officersgoing to do? They thought that they had the right person for the crime and now,with new evidence, they were proven wrong. The death penalty is so final, andit cannot bring a life back, no matter what the circumstances are. In conclusion, I feel that the death penalty should remain abolishedin Canada and should also be abolished in the United States as well. The deathpenalty is a barbaric and inhumane form of punishment.
Capital punishment has avery costly and lengthy appeals process attached to it, and is not veryeconomically smart. Also carrying out the killing of someone leaves extremelydeep emotional scars that do not go away overnight. People who witness thekilling are probably scarred for life, plagued with nightmares and they willnever forget the face on the accused as he was receiving his punishment. Bytaking someone’s life, you too have become a “killer”; no matter what thecircumstances.
I simply believe it is not right.
