Why Capital Punishment is Not Justified

             Although it is an issue that I find myself torn on, if I have to support one position, I would have to say that ultimately I do not agree with capital punishment. There have been instances where I have supported the decision of the death penalty in relation to certain cases. I have learned of some heinous crimes in which I feel capital punishment was justified or even should have been applied. However, the personal reasons that I am against capital punishment are strong enough to way my decision against it.
             One of the reasons that cause me to side against capital punishment is the issue of innocent people being put to death. Eric M. Freedman raises the point in his essay that "Capital punishment inevitably will be inflicted on the innocent." Prisoners have been released off of death row that was found guilty in court, sentenced to death, and then found innocent. There are a number of executions that have been found to be unjustified after the fact, and I'm sure numerous more that have and will go unfound. Capital punishment is the most permanent form of punishment we have. There is no room for error. If a mistake is made, it can never be rectified once someone is put to death. Humans are faulty by nature. Judges, jury panels, detectives, police, and the smartest lawyers are all fallible. When an innocent life is taken this is irreversible and unforgivable.
             A second reason why I am against capital punishment is not backed up in any publication. It is something drawn from my personal morals. People killing people is wrong. It does enrage me when I hear of horrific crimes committed against innocent people. At the moment I hear of it I find myself wishing that the person who committed this crime receives the same if not worse punishment. This I think is a natural human reaction driven by emotion. However, the result of one death that invokes such emotion in people should not be another. I conclusively feel that it should not be d...

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Why Capital Punishment is Not Justified. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 03:01, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/65376.html