Arguments For the topic
"We live only one life, so live it to the fullest" - Random Tumblr post
It's nice to come across such a motivational quote on the internet once a while. However, we often forget how some quotes may not appeal to each of the 7 billion global citizens. How each individual was bought up in a unique set of socio-economic, geo-political and values in life. Not every decision taken by a "criminal" is a result of the sudden burst of anger, lust or sociopath tendency as the mainstream media would portray it, but is a result of a series of traumas, lack to basic education, poverty and innumerable other such factors which we often tend to overlook. Death is the end, it is not a solution. It is an abrupt end to the chapter in a life that may not have had the best set of experiences and to make matters worst we would only end it with an upward trendline of trajectories. Science has proven results of how every human being has the ability to improve their psyche through medicare and counselling. Religion and social welfare have demonstrated innumerable examples of how love is what we all seek and how love has the power to change the world. They say "innocent until proven guilty". But what if an innocent was "proven" guilty?
Arguments Against the topic
The legislature, executive and judiciary in a nation have been bestowed upon the responsibility to maintain law and order. However, in certain circumstances, citizens have a tendency to break the law. Each crime has an associated punishment associated with it. However what happens in cases where a culprit has committed the most heinous and rarest of crime which is difficult to imagine to be done in the first place? Does it have the culprit put under bars for x number of years? Prisons have known to be safe havens for some who otherwise don't have a stable source of income or have an association with any family member anymore. It gives the culprit an "excuse" to commit to thinking of themselves above the law. The atrocities faced by the victim will end be being minimal compared to the luxuries of prison enjoyed by the culprit. The years of mental and physical trauma faced by a victim and the grief faced by the family and dear ones still worse. For an outsider observing this on the edge of repeating a crime so heinous only sees this as worst that can happen when there is no end to life associated with it. Over a period of time, such crimes may increase and normalization of such behaviour will start to come up which will only eventually lead to the downfall of a society
Personal opinion
"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind" - Gandhi
Statistics have never shown a decrease in the rate of crimes in countries which have death penalties compared to those without. It is therefore too shortsighted to think of death as a punishment as an end to crime. Countries with the lowest crime rates have shown how so much can be done to avoid crime in the first place. From attempts to nipping the tendency to commit such crimes in the bud at an early stage in one's life with values and education and giving the right training and power to the police force, a lot can be done by the state to help safeguard its citizens and ensure avoidance of crimes. The extreme measure of the death penalty which has never proven to reduce crime can therefore a life be saved which is the greatest gift of nature to mankind.
Photo by Mathew MacQuarrie on Unsplash
Comentarios