Should The Death Penalty Be Banned? | Teen Ink

Should The Death Penalty Be Banned? MAG

By Anonymous

   There are many things in this society which should be banned, but the death penalty is not one of them. It is definitely the right way to go as far as capital discipline is concerned. Right now in our country, I find it outrageous that criminals think that they can get away with just about anything. In some states, including Alabama, the death penalty has helped them lower the rate of violent crimes. We need some form of capital punishment to send a message to career criminals that they will not get away with these severe crimes.

The death penalty would also make people more secure. In some countries of South America and the Far East, they have very severe penalties, including flogging, for even minor crimes. People in some areas of our nation feel they cannot walk around or step outside their houses for fear of criminals. In other countries, however, you would rarely see laws being broken because the penalties are so stern. The United States is one of the most lenient countries in the world as far as discipline. If we had the death penalty, all people would be able to use the streets even in troubled areas.

Another reason we should use this is to set an example to all criminals. Some criminals who have committed many violent crimes (robbery, rape, and murder) are walking the streets like normal citizens because we are much too lenient on them. If the death penalty is instituted, there would not be as many daring and violent crimes as there are presently. Our present laws are much too "soft" on criminals. We need to get stricter.

In closing, I would like to add that this law would make a major difference. It would make our streets safer, people more secure, and make a better world to live in. The death penalty is a definite plus for our society as a whole.

What do you think? ?



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This article has 173 comments.


on Feb. 26 2010 at 7:44 am
Dustfingers DIAMOND, Grand Rapids, Michigan
86 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love to be Loved"

myabe not easily but I will forgive and I wouldn't want to see that person dead becuase of my anger

on Feb. 25 2010 at 10:44 am
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

So you think the whole jury are deranged psychos? Not just one person decides on the death penalty. Who cares if the killer, rapist or whatever thinks they are getting justice. No one cares. The government should have the right to kill.

on Feb. 25 2010 at 10:38 am
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

No its not. People kill because they are crazy. There is NO excuse for killing. If someone killed your family or a relative would you be so easy to forgive?

on Feb. 25 2010 at 7:07 am
Dustfingers DIAMOND, Grand Rapids, Michigan
86 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love to be Loved"

Then let it be thier decision to die not the goverment's decision

on Feb. 25 2010 at 7:06 am
Dustfingers DIAMOND, Grand Rapids, Michigan
86 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love to be Loved"

Yes, forgiveness is the only cure to anger which causes people to murder in the first place

on Feb. 24 2010 at 2:08 pm
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

If society pushed forgiveness??

on Feb. 24 2010 at 2:07 pm
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

They have no life? Would you want to spend your life in jail? In a tiny cell? No freedom.. Nothing to do...you are told what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. Lots of people would rather be dead.

on Feb. 24 2010 at 7:44 am
Dustfingers DIAMOND, Grand Rapids, Michigan
86 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love to be Loved"

Forgiveness is alot more effective than revenge. If society pushed it more often we wouldn't have to worry so much about the craziness. When you're angry and thinking about wanting that person killed you're better than they are

on Feb. 24 2010 at 7:41 am
Dustfingers DIAMOND, Grand Rapids, Michigan
86 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love to be Loved"

They difference is that they're still breathing

on Feb. 24 2010 at 7:41 am
Dustfingers DIAMOND, Grand Rapids, Michigan
86 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love to be Loved"

If we Let The goverment kill everyone who murders someone it gives the goverment an uncomfortable control over people's lives. No man is above life and death including the people killing for what they think is right. The person killing the crminals could be some deranged psycho and is getting away with murder. The goverment are hypocrites to say that iis okay to murder someone when they're doing it. Poeple don't really care but then agian the people who are mostly for the death penalty are not drawn close to the situation, they're sense of justice isn't justice at all. Killing just runs in a cycle, you take a life they take a life some just get away with it

on Feb. 23 2010 at 8:03 pm
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

If you keep them in jail for there the rest of their life then what is the difference from being killed??

on Feb. 23 2010 at 8:03 pm
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

If you keep them in jail for there the rest of their life then what is the difference from being killed??

on Feb. 23 2010 at 8:00 pm
ThatBlondGuy SILVER, Mableton, Georgia
5 articles 1 photo 69 comments
Justice? Or revenge? How civilized is our society if our own government has adopted "an eye for an eye" as a motto? Look around. Every other first world nation in the world has dropped it--except the brute Americans. And if you're worried about those insane criminals that will quit murdering, then I might say this. Do you realize that it costs far more to execute prisoners than to keep them in prison for life? Keep them in prison with top security. Don't kill them.

on Feb. 23 2010 at 7:56 pm
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

I couldn't have said that better myself.

on Feb. 23 2010 at 7:55 pm
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

I believe if you kill someone then the government WOULD be doing justice to have the murderer killed. More than likely if the murder once they will murder again

on Feb. 23 2010 at 7:52 pm
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

Nope not when the end justifies the means. That's my opinion anyway. I bet if everytime someone killed someone else and they got the death penalty then America would be a lot safer

on Feb. 23 2010 at 7:50 pm
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

I definetly would want them killed. I think anyone that kills someone else (except in self defense) deserves to die. Personally that's just me

on Feb. 23 2010 at 11:06 am
ColbyMartin BRONZE, Amarillo, Texas
1 article 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
Give Peace A Chance.

Just watch the Life of David Gale. It will give you second thoughts about the death penalty.

on Feb. 23 2010 at 11:05 am
ColbyMartin BRONZE, Amarillo, Texas
1 article 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
Give Peace A Chance.

No, I would want them to suffer in prison for many years. Then die. That gives them time to find out if he was truly guilty.

on Feb. 3 2010 at 5:56 pm
ThatBlondGuy SILVER, Mableton, Georgia
5 articles 1 photo 69 comments
First of all, let me apologize now if anything I've said appeared sarcastic or offensive. That's one of my weaknesses--to be a jerk accidentally.

Now to businness! No, I don't suppose it's your fault that the death penalty is present. Nor, for that matter, is it to your credit. But every opinion adds up, and that's why I want to at least put a little bit of effort into discussing this with you.

I realized that the "slapping idea" was a metaphor. What I meant to express was that it is also a metaphor for something I disagree with EVEN LESS than the idea of slapping someone back. If someone kills my sister, I might want them killed. I just might. But the government shouldn't act on that. We reply with justice, not revenge. And justice can include the six OTHER means of criminal penalty. Rehabilitation is an unlikely option, but simply keeping them in prison is by far the most humane and reasonable option.

And excuse me. What I meant to express is that pain should be avoidable at all costs, but the idea of the death penalty is ten times as bad.

Logic by itself says that the death penalty is efficient and less expensive. This is not so. Inmates about to be executed spent months in their own private cells. They require extra food, extra space, extra government employees, etc. Therefore, they require a lot of money. Now, this is only if money is the most important issue. Overall, the death penalty is not only a bad option concerning cost, but the idea itself is flawed.