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 Nov. 5 2009 at 11:48 am
Impractically.Yours SILVER, Pasadena, California
8 articles 0 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
The unspoken word doth no harm.
Kossuth

I don't think it should be banned, but it shouldn't be wielded like a sword, you can use jail or life or the death sentence for serial killers and repeated rapists. Some people make mistakes that they would do anything to correct. Yes, some people kill and commit crimes without a thought, but some people are different, we need to keep that in mind.

on Nov. 2 2009 at 6:52 pm
ILoveCoffee BRONZE, Airdrie, Other
1 article 0 photos 13 comments
it might not be just one mistake. i think it should be kept in place. instead of just fixing the problem, why not just remove it?

Shawnny said...
on Oct. 26 2009 at 7:07 pm
I think the Death Penalty is a repeated cycle. It's not okay to continuously kill. Of course it's cruel to take someone's life, but what justice does it serve to give the killer the DP after, the they were just given the DP(a repeated killing cycle) which serves no justice?

on Oct. 11 2009 at 5:32 pm
FlyleafFreak DIAMOND, Loveland, Colorado
51 articles 0 photos 203 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I have faith in fools;self confidence my friends call it"~Edger Allan Poe
"In this world of infinite insanity, your friends are the best psychiatrists you will ever have."~Me

Well, I kinda agree with you. Certain forms of capital punishment are really messed up, like the electric. Now, I believe the death penalty is fair, if it is serious enough to kill them for. It is NOT about revenge, its not " oh they killed someone, lets avenge the death by killing them. There is also the problem of the court system. People like O.J. getting off is not okay either. Now, I'm talking about injection, of course. Do they deserve to live? Think about it.

on Sep. 22 2009 at 5:04 pm
Inkspired PLATINUM, Whitby, Other
26 articles 0 photos 493 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If one will scoff at the study of language, how, save in terms of language, will one scoff?" - Mario Pei
"I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die." Isaac Asimov

Kay. Who are you to decide who should die and who shouldn't? I completely understand your point, and apologize if I've offended you, but seriously! So you kill someone who killed someone. That makes you a m-u-r-d-e-r-e-r (not necessarily you, but someone has to execute them). Why should anyone have to deal with that on their conscience?

Sure, there are bad people out there. But they deserve a second chance, a chance to heal. Read "Touching Spirit Bear", by Ben Mikaelsen. That might get you to think about things such as healing and compassion. Again, apologies if I offended you. I'm just trying to help.

Zaner_Black said...
on Sep. 22 2009 at 12:02 pm
Zaner_Black, Galesburg, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
I agree with the death penalty, but Chrissy goes to far implying that they deserve more brutal death for they're crime. Each side will always have good points to this arguement and this will always be an issue. Murder and Rape will most likely always be around. The way i see it is the death penelty for murders and rapeists is completly nessessary. Think about this though....crimes against children 1-15....what then? Replies Please

123098 said...
on Sep. 1 2009 at 7:41 pm
123098, Fabius, New York
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
Right, okay. Robbery isn't violent, look both of those words up in a dictionary if you please. Chrissy up there is just weird. The military kills people on purpose all the time, innocent civilians, and yeah, they have some kind of greater good behind it all, but you shouldn't be so holier than thou and self-righteous when it comes to drawing the line. You don't really have the right to decide who gets to die and who doesn't. That's God's area and I'm an atheist.

all4ice said...
on Aug. 31 2009 at 5:31 pm
yeah this should be banned. Would you want to get killed for one mistake in your life. The you don't have time to fix what you have done. allow people to fix there mistakes and think for themselves!

Chrissy_L GOLD said...
on Jun. 12 2009 at 9:05 pm
Chrissy_L GOLD, Ramsey, New Jersey
13 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

Wow, am I the only one who comletely agrees with you? The United States judicial system is unbelievably lenient. I believe that once you take a life (purposely) yours then has no right to exist. Serial murderers may be sentenced to jail, where they are fed, clothed, and housed. The death penalty would be the only way to ensure these people dont kill more innocent mothers, fathers, and children. Sometimes the death penalty is too lenient, murderers, who butcher their victims and watch them slowly and painfully bleed out, are given a painless lethal injection.

asdffy said...
on Apr. 26 2009 at 8:13 pm
no death penalty

ABC21 said...
on Apr. 6 2009 at 3:42 am
I think that the death penalty should be banned!! Does it make sense to kill someone because they killed someone else? Yes I believe that people who commit crimes should pay for it, but not die for it. Yes I would want someone to die if they killed someone I cared for dearly, but It still does not make it right.

respect said...
on Jan. 29 2009 at 1:43 pm
this is an unusual punishment

on Dec. 5 2008 at 4:25 am
I respectfully disagree with your article. In some ways i agree criminals who have committed serious crimes such as rape,murder,robbery do not deserve to walk free amongst the streets like the rest of us!

Let me ask you this, why kill people who kill people to show killing is wrong? yes we want to make sure there is accountability for crime and an effective deterrent in place:However,the death penalty has a message of "You killed one of us, So we'll kill you. The state is actually using murder to punish someone who committed a murder. Does this make sense?

"An eye for an eye" If civilization is to advance we have got to move away from the eye for an eye mentality. This will only enrage more people who in return will crave this disease called revenge. a revenge philosophy inevitably leads to an endless cycle of violence. Why do you think the Israeli-Palestine conflict has been going on for 50 Years? Why do you think gang violence in this country never seems to end? It is important to send a message to society the striking back at your enemy purely for revenge will always make matters worse. Perhaps the biggest reason to ban the death penalty is that it doesn't change the fact that the victim is gone and will never come back. Hate revenge, and anger will never cure the emptiness of a lost loved one. Forgiveness is the only way to start the healing process,and this wont happen in revenge-focused individual. I have much much more to add if u will E-mail me back i am doing this for a essay for English any advice would be helpful