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Death Penalty

Death penalty is an irrevocable crime whichrelatives and supporters of the convict's
many people argue its effectiveness ininnocence. Whatever the reason for execution
deterring future crimes. It became a veryis, it always leaves a negative
important issue for the human rightsphysiologically affect on the individual's
associations such as, "Amnestysupporters. Think of the daughter or son of
International", which is working worldwide tosomeone executed whether he is innocent or
protect human rights and abolishing deathnot. These children are affected by the way
penalty. According the facts of "Amnestysociety punishes and might become potential
International", today 111 countries haveenemies to the system. Life-time imprisonment
abolished the death penalty in law orwithout parole seems like a much better
practice. That leaves 84 other countriesalternative. As long as, there is no place
which retain or use death penalty (Amnestyfor mistakes in the decision, supporters
International). There are also "victim'sstill argue that the death penalty is the
rights" organizations, which support the usebest  alternative.
death penalty. It became an important debate
lately. Therefore, we should know theVictim's rights organizations are mostly made
consequences of abolishing death penalty suchup of people who had been affected by some
as its benefits and threats to the society,kind of crimes. It is not strange that people
its effectiveness and its role in thewho lost their loved ones will behave
international  arena.emotionally and support the death penalty.
"An eye for an eye" mentality is the basic
Individuals and organizations who oppose thereason these people support death penalty.
death penalty claim that it violates theAfter the pain, they can no longer take a
right to life as proclaimed in the Universalneutral stand and think about the issue
Declaration of Human Rights. They also claimclearly.
that it is an inhuman punishment which is
ineffective  in  deterring  future  crimes.Death penalty supporters are also bothered
because they believe life-time imprisonment
Those, who support the death penalty, claimof criminals is a waste of taxpayer's money.
that death penalty is effective in deterringThey prefer criminals to be sent to death row
future crimes and keep the society a betterthan being taken care of for a life-time
place to live in. They also believe that(Thibault).
there should be alternative punishments for
different crimes and death penalty is a kindAlthough many organizations define the death
of  punishment  some  criminals  deserve.penalty an unusual punishment, some
supporters argue that the framers of the
While opponents claim there is no solidconstitution supported death penalty and
evidence of deterrence, people who supportconstructed laws to practice it, so it is not
the death penalty argue that our society isunusual. Supreme Court Justice Antonin
not able to see the results of what is notScalia, after reviewing Callins v. Collins
happening. This is like hearing the news ofcase,  observed  that:
the shipwrecks, but not hearing any news on
the  ones  that arrived safely to the harbor.The Fifth Amendment provides that '[n]o
persons shall be held to answer for a
Practice of death penalty always carries thecapital...crime, unless on a presentment or
risk of taking innocent lives. Cooper showsindictment of a Grand Jury...nor be deprived
proof of this risk when she says, "75 peopleof life...without the due process of law.'
were released from death row after courtsThis clearly permits the death penalty to be
reversed their convictions" (Cooper). Those,imposed, and establishes beyond doubt that
who support the death penalty, believe thatthe death penalty is not one of the 'cruel
it is extremely a small risk and it isand unusual punishments' prohibited by the
decreasing as forensic science improves. TheyEighth  Amendment  (Scalia).
also believe that execution of an innocent
inmate is a even smaller chance than theOne other issue is that United States has not
releasing a criminal. This is credited to theabolished the death penalty for youths.
careful observations made before theJuveniles do not have the same moral
execution. The Jogger case is an example ofreasoning as adults so there should be an
false convictions. "...the faulty convictionsalternative way of punishing them. According
of five teenagers in 1989 would have neverto Schiraldi, this does not look good on the
come  to  light"  (Halpern).international arena as well. He states this
well, where he says: "Over the last three
Organizations such as the "Amnestyyears, aside from the United States, only
International" show the fact that, "deathPakistan, Iran and the Republic of Congo have
penalty punishes the poor" as a reason toexecuted juvenile offenders --hardly the kind
abolish it. Good judicial representationof human rights company we should be keeping"
often results in less or no penalty, but it(Schiraldi).
costs too much to be represented by a good
lawyer. This situation might result inAbolishing the death penalty is a requirement
changing a death row sentence to a life longfor joining the European Union. Republic of
imprisonment for a wealthy criminal.Turkey, who was waiting at the gates of the
According to Mary H. Cooper, "poor inmatesEuropean Union for a longtime, has taken
often do not receive adequate legal counsel"steps to abolish death penalty although it
(Cooper).has not been practiced for a long time.
Abolishing the death penalty and practice of
Victim's rights organizations argue that thehuman rights laws is becoming a more
death penalty, in fact, does not discriminateimportant issue in the international arena.
the poor. This accusation can not be an"Turkey has been praised for laws adopted in
argument against death penalty because it isAugust to abolish death penalty in peacetime"
an argument against all types of punishment.(Houston  Chronicle).
The only way to solve this issue is to
improve the justice system, which is notI believe it is not possible to end killings
easily  done.by executing murders. For a better society,
we should be more responsible for human
Fairness of death penalty is alsorights. Even though, it is a very small risk
questionable because the prosecutor maythat the executed will be innocent, I believe
choose to go for the death penalty orit is not worth it. It is also becoming a
life-time imprisonment. Some prosecutorsnecessity to abolish death penalty for the
always seek for the death penalty and otherssake of humanity in the international arena.
may never consider this penalty, thisEvery country should take further steps to
circumstance discriminates between types ofact according to United Nations' Universal
prosecution. There is also evidence thatDeclaration of Human Rights. United States
"prosecutors seek for death penalty moreshould not be in the same class of countries
frequently when the victim is black than whenwho practice death penalty and be an example
the  victim  is  white"  (Cooper).as it is in other issues. Death penalty
should be abolished at all so that it will no
Another threat of the death penalty tomore be an alternative to kill for vengeance.
society is the effect of the execution on



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