The debate on death penalty

While the death penalty has been used for centuries, we continue to discuss the morality and efficacy of this punishment. Many people argue that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to potential murderers, terrorists and other violent criminals. However, others find the death penalty completely incompatible with the ethical standards of modern civilization. Although some states have outlawed the practice in the United States remains one of the few democracies to maintain capital punishment.

The term "death penalty" comes from the Latin "caput", meaning head. Death penalty, then, was a punishment reserved for serious crimes that warranted decapitation. These serious crimes, known as capital crimes, are generally limited to treason and murder in the United States, however, in different legal systems of foreign countries, the death penalty can be given for a minor crime, like robbery. The most common modern methods of execution are electrocution and lethal injection. These methods are considered more humane than previous methods, which included the use of a firing squad, burning at the stake, crucifixion, beheading, hanging and gassing.

Even with these more "humane" treatment, many people find it difficult to justify the suppression of human life - no matter how heinous the crime. Opponents of the death penalty argue that it is immoral. They ask: "How can the Government condemns the killing by killing?" For these critics, the death penalty is the ultimate betrayal of human rights and has no place in our society. Moreover, they argue, criminal proceedings are full of human error, causing innocent people to perform. Finally, opponents of the death penalty argue that capital punishment is not an effective deterrent penalty.

Supporters of the death penalty argue that capital punishment deters violent crime. Apart from the question of deterrence, supporters of capital punishment argue that such punishment is morally justified. In many cases, especially in the case of murder and terrorism, enforcement is the best remedy, because it ensures that a monstrous person will be able to harm the company. Finally, from an economic standpoint, executing a criminal will be less expensive access to seemingly unlimited appeals in U.S. courts.

The debate on the death penalty question the role and limitations of the justice process. If the government had the right to kill? And 'the death penalty morally justifiable?