The population that should be informed about capital punishment and its benefits are those people who oppose the death penalty for whatever reason. It is important to educate them on the benefits of capital punishment and how it is safer than sentencing someone to life in prison without parole. Also, it is important to convince the people who have not taken a position in the debate either because they think it is immoral or have some other reason that prevents them from reaching a conclusion.
There are preconceptions and biases that people who oppose the death penalty may hold. One of the main arguments made by opponents is that if a person, who may have been convicted of a crime and had the death penalty imposed, is later determined to have been innocent the execution cannot be undone. Many people believe that sentencing a criminal to life in prison without parole is more moral. Others will also argue religious reasons as to why capital punishment is unnecessary and immoral. The inhumanity of capital punishment and its effect on society are cited as additional reasons why the death penalty should not be used.
The point to be made to readers is that there are sound reasons why capital punishment is an appropriate method of punishment. Murder, the usual reason to enforce capital punishment, is arguably the most serious crime that can be committed, and the only way it can be taken seriously is with an equal penalty. With numerous examples of escaped convicts, life without parole is not the answer. The only true way to protect society from these murderers and to create a deterrent is capital punishment. Once a convicted murderer is executed, there is no chance that he will escape prison or win an appeal on a technicality and be released to kill again (Robinson).
Most people do not realize that the Bible upholds the death penalty for a variety of crimes, including murder. Bible passages are still used to promote the retention of capital punishment for murderers (Robinson). This goes against the religious arguments that people use to oppose the death penalty. If the Bible states that the death penalty is necessary at times, then there is little basis for people to oppose it on religious grounds. Executing convicted murderers when the circumstances warrant is the only appropriate way to render justice. Some crimes are simply so atrocious that execution is the only reasonable response.
In addition, the death penalty benefits the state and the taxpayers economically. Once a convicted murderer is executed, there are no further maintenance costs to the state as opposed to the enormous cost of the housing, the health care, and the guarding of a criminal who is serving life in prison.
The death penalty serves to deter criminals from killing because it presents them with the reality of the ultimate punishment (Robinson). One of the best arguments for the death penalty is deterrence, which is one that will be focused on throughout the article. Deterrence is a negative motivational influence. Basically, criminals are less likely to commit murder because they do not want to receive the death penalty. Michael Smerconish of the Huffington Post explains, “Roy Adler and Michael Summers, both professors at Pepperdine University, have recently analyzed the relationship between the number of U.S. executions by year and the number of murders in the year thereafter for 1979-2004…When executions leveled off, the professors found, murders increased. And when executions increased, the number of people murdered dropped off. In a year-by-year analysis, Adler and Summers found that each execution was associated with 74 fewer murders the following year.” This is an astounding statistic that most anti-death penalty advocates tend to ignore. Many of the arguments by people against capital punishment are fabricated and skewed by improper statistics. The article that will be created will show accurate statistics on deterrence and how it supports the death penalty.
The case will be introduced with an overview of the reasons why capital punishment is necessary in certain cases. It will progress by discussing the most important reason, public safety. After public safety is defined, examples as to when capital punishment was not imposed and criminals escaped or were released will be referenced. Then the preconceptions and reasons why capital punishment should not exist will be stated and argued against. There will be an emphasis on religion, cost, deterrence, the effect on society, and justice. There will also be an emphasis on escaped convicts who have gone on to terrorize after their escape. This will demonstrate how life without parole is not enough to keep society safe from these criminals. The article will then include current debates on capital punishment and why capital punishment is necessary today and in the future. The article will conclude by reiterating how much safer society is when the possibility of capital punishment exists.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-smerconish/death-penalty-deters_b_72075.html>
