Is the Death Penalty
an Ethical and Justified Punishment?
by: Lindsey Volckmann
Back
to Ethics
Is it ethical to take a life in reciprocation
of anothers? The death
penalty is a frequently debated form of punishment, one that draws
extremist
viewpoints and harsh criticism. Some view the death penalty as
a means of
deterrence and incapacitation; others view it as an immoral and
inefficient
punishment, often resulting in the killing of innocent individuals.
The
question that should be posed is not whether the death penalty
is flawless,
but whether or not it is a necessary and justifiable form of retribution.
We are too often confronted with barbarous
criminal acts that cry out for
justice: a woman raped and killed, the slaughter of a police officer
in the
line of duty, the World Trade Center bombing, and the murderous
rampage on
the Long Island Rail Road by Colin Ferguson, are just a few examples
of
nearly every day occurrences (Pataki, George). Such acts cannot
go
unpunished. It is the responsibility of the justice system to
establish an
order of punishment that fit the crimes committed. However, does
the ultimate
crime justify the ultimate punishment?
Works Cited