(7.1)--Supplementarymaterial-1.pdf

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1、Should we support the death penalty?i Capital punishment is the sentence of death,or practice of execution,handed down as punishment for a criminal offence.It can only be used by a state,after a proper legal trial.The United Nations in 2008 adopted a resolution(62/149)calling for a moratorium on the

2、 use of the death penalty,however fifty-eight countries,including the United States and China,still exercise the death penalty.As such,the topic remains highly controversial.Abolitionist groups and international organizations argue that it is cruel and inhumane,while proponents claim that it is an e

3、ffective and necessary deterrent for the most heinous of crimes.Points for:1.The state has a responsibility to protect the lives of innocent citizens,and enacting the death penalty may save lives by reducing the rate of violent crime.The reasoning here is simple-fear of execution can play a powerful

4、 motivating role in convincing potential murderers not to carry out their acts.While the prospect of life in prison may be frightening,surely death is a more daunting prospect.Thus,the risk of execution can change the cost-benefit calculus in the mind of murderers-to be so that the act is no longer

5、worthwhile for them1.Numerous studies support the deterrent effect of the death penalty.A 1985 study by Stephen K.Layson at the University of North Carolina showed that a single execution deters 18 murders.Another influential study,which looked at over 3,054 counties over two decades,further found s

6、upport for the claim that murder rates tend to fall as executions rise2.On top of this,there are ways to make the death penalty an even more effective deterrent than it is today.For instance,reducing the wait time on death row prior to execution can dramatically increase its deterrent effect in the

7、United States1.In short,the death penalty can-and does-save the lives of innocent people.1 Muhlhausen,David.The Death Penalty Deters Crime and Saves Lives,August 28,2007.Accessed June 5,2011.2 Liptak,Adam.Does Death Penalty Save Lives?A New Debate.The New York Times.November 18,2007.Accessed June 9,

8、2011 2.The worst crimes deserve the most severe sanctions;first-degree murder involves the intentional slaughter of another human being.There are crimes that are more visceral,but there are none that are more deadly.Such a heinous crime can only be punished,in a just and fair manner,with the death p

9、enalty.As Time put it,there is a zero-sum symmetry to capital punishment that is simple and satisfying enough to feel like human instinct:the worst possible crime deserves no less than the worst possible punishment1.Human life is sacred;there must be a deterrent mechanism in place that ensures that

10、those violating that fundamental precept are punished.Capital punishment symbolizes the value and importance placed upon the maintenance of the sanctity of human life.Any lesser sentence would fail in this duty.1 Time Magazine.The Death Penalty:An Eye for an Eye.Time.January 24,1983.Accessed June 30

11、,2011.3.The death penalty can also help provide closure for the victims family and friends,who will no longer have to fear the return of this criminal into society.They will not have to worry about parole or the chance of escape,and will thus be able to achieve a greater degree of closure.Mary Heidc

12、amp,a Chicago woman whose mothers killer faced the death penalty before the State Governor commuted the sentences to life in prison,stated we were looking forward to the death penalty.Im just so disappointed in the system1.Other victims families deemed the decision a mockery,that justice is not done

13、1.1 Goldbery,Michelle.The Closure Myth.Salon.January 21,2003.Accessed June 30,2011 Points against:1.The state has no right to take away the life of its citizens.By executing convicts,the government is effectively condoning murder,and devaluing human life in the process.Such acts violate the right to

14、 life as declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights1 and the right not to be subjected to cruel,inhuman,or degrading punishment2.On top of this,the state forces executioners to actively participate in the taking of a life,which can be unduly traumatizing and leave permanent psychological

15、scars.Thus,a humane state cannot be one that exercises the death penalty.1 Amnesty International.Abolish the Death Penalty.Accessed June 5,2011.2 European Union Delegation to the USA.EU Policy Against the Death penalty.October 10,2010.Accessed June 5,2011.2.Capital punishment imposes a very high cos

16、t on taxpayers,which far outweighs the costs of alternative punishments such as life in prison1.A single capital litigation can cost over$1 million as a result of the intensive jury selection,trials,and long appeals process that are required by capital cases2.The cost of death row presents an additi

17、onal financial burden associated with the death penalty.Savings from abolishing the death penalty in Kansas,for example,are estimated at$500,000 for every case in which the death penalty is not sought1.In California,death row costs taxpayers$114 million a year beyond the cost of imprisoning convicts

18、 for life2.This money could instead be better spent on measures that are of much greater benefit to the criminal justice system-greater policing,education,and other crime-preventing measures that are far more cost-effective.1Liptak,Adam.Does Death Penalty Save Lives?A New Debate.The New York Times.N

19、ovember 18,2007.Accessed June 9,2011 2High Cost of Death Row.The New York Times.September 27,2009.3.There are an alarming number of wrongful convictions associated with the death penalty1.So far,more than 130 people who had been sentenced to death have been exonerated2.In many cases,unlike those who

20、 have been sentenced to life in prison,it is impossible to compensate executed prisoners should they later be proven innocent.The state should not gamble with peoples lives.The chance of wrongful execution alone should be enough to prove the death penalty is not justifiable.1 European Union Delegation to the USA.EU Policy Against the Death penalty.October 10,2010.Accessed June 5,2011.2 Saving Lives and Money.The Economist.March 12,2009.Accessed June 5,2011.