To many people, capital punishment is abhorrent, but it is possible to view it as a valid means of punishment. In my opinion, it can be justified as a penalty when three conditions are present. In this essay, I intend to discuss these three issues in more depth.
The rules of society are made and enforced for the purpose of protecting its members. In cases where the murder that has been committed is so frightful that society cannot allow the perpetrator back into its fold, then the death penalty may be the only answer. For example, crimes against humanity such as genocide; terrorist attacks which have resulted in many lives lost.
If the offender shows no remorse at all and is incapable of feeling any shame for his terrible actions, the only solution may be death. In these cases, it is clear that the offender cannot be rehabilitated.
Another important consideration is to ensure to the best of everyone‟s ability that the accused is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If someone is punished with imprisonment, and later found to be innocent, he can be released from prison. However, when the punishment is death, it is impossible to make amends. There have been a number of examples in history where a man was found to be innocent after being hanged.
In conclusion, I believe that it is important to consider three main issues. The crime must be so bad that it would be impossible to welcome the perpetrator back into society. There must be no hope that the perpetrator can ever be rehabilitated back into society. There must be no doubt as to the perpetrator‟s guilt. In any situation that does not contain these components, I believe it is morally wrong to impose the death penalty.
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