The Debate over the merits of capital punishment has endured for years, and
continues to be an extremely indecisive and complicated issue. Adversaries of
capital punishment point to the Marshalls and the Millgards, while proponents point
to the Dahmers and Gacys. Society must be kept safe from the monstrous barbaric
acts of these individuals and other killers, by taking away their lives to function and
perform in our society. At the same time, we must insure that innocent people such
as Marshall and Millgard are never convicted or sentenced to death for a crime that
they did not commit.
Many contend that the use of capital punishment as a form of deterrence does not
work, as there are no fewer murders on a per- capita basis in countries or states
that do have it, then those that do not. In order for capital punishment to work as a
deterrence, certain events must be present in the criminal's mind prior to committing
the offence. The criminal must be aware that others have been punished in the past
for the offence that he or she is planning, and that what happened to another
individual who committed this offence, can also happen to me.
ut individuals who commit any types of crime ranging from auto theft to 1st-Degree
Murder, never take into account the consequences of their actions. Deterrence to
crime, is rooted in the individuals themselves. Every human has a personal set of
conduct. How much they will and will not tolerate. How far they will and will not go.
...