Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, has been around since humans began killing each other, which has been going on since the beginning of humanity. Since the beginning of the 20th century people have largely questioned the morality, among other things I will get to, of capital punishment. Capital punishment, at least in the developed world, has never been more questioned. In fact, most of the developed world, except for the United States, has completely abolished the death penalty, or simply does not use it. This is not the way to go. I, like sixty percent of my fellow Americans, believe the death penalty should be used. However, we are not saying execute every petty criminal. Only the people who have committed the most heinous, evil, and despicable crimes should be worthy of the death penalty. These crimes include murder of a child, or mass murder. The death penalty is not only moral, but it is the only way in which a murderer will never in this existence be able to kill again. That is a promise we cannot make if the murderer is still alive.

First, we all know the core of the debate is the question: “Is the death penalty moral?” Ladies and gentlemen, it is. I believe a guy who goes by the screen name “Northwind” on procon.org said it best why the death penalty is moral. “It is by exacting the highest toll for the taking of a human life that we affirm the value of that life. With the Death Penalty we affirm to criminals everywhere, that if you are willing to destroy a life, then you must be willing to forfeit yours in turn. Criminals should fear our justice system. Lawful citizens should be able to depend on it.” I also believe that with rights come responsibilities. With the right to life bestowed upon you, you now have the responsibility of protecting the lives of your fellow human beings. When you take away someone’s (or some people’s) right to live, you no longer have that right. Therefore, when you have made someone make the ultimate sacrifice, the sacrifice of your life is demanded by the Law of Justice. However, no one can forget the Law of Mercy. The Law of Mercy is the reason why not every murderer is executed. The people who have earned the death penalty are people who the Justice System has determined to have gone beyond the Law of Mercy in this life. We don’t execute people who have simply killed someone. The people who deserve to be executed are people who have gone way past simple murder. These are people who kill children, kill multiple people, and who have made the death of a person much more excruciating to the point that even many murderers would consider it vile.

Second, the murderer is still alive even if we give them the second worst penalty, life in prison without parole. With this, there is still the possibility of that person killing again. Whether that be personally, or by proxy. Plus, there are plenty of people in prison in which to kill. Now, some people will say that instead of killing murderers, we should try to rehabilitate them. Very rarely do people who have earned the death penalty ever feel guilt. Normal people have feelings and moral objections to killing innocent people. Psychopathic murderers do not. There is difference between being psychotic and psychopathic. Psychotic means you have psychosis, which is mental disease where you have hallucinations among other things. Psychopathic means you are perfectly competent (unlike a psychotic) but you have no moral compass. I have never heard of a case in which a psychopath being “cured.” Psychopaths are the only ones capable of committing capital murder. They are a danger to society, and once one has committed a crime that earns them the death penalty, there is virtually no chance that they will ever feel the immense guilt they should, and more than likely they will want to do it again. An execution is the only way that can one-hundred percent be prevented.

However, there are still valid arguments against the death penalty besides moral arguments. Many say the death penalty is more expensive, and that is true right off the bat. Executions are costly. However, depending on age, with life in prison you have to feed this person three meals a day for the rest of their life. Not to mention health care costs, and other services. People also argue executions don’t deter crime. First of all, how do you measure that? Executions don’t happen that often, and there all kinds of other variables. Second, it would if we actually did follow through on death sentences. In 2013 in the United States, 39 people were executed, meanwhile 3,088 people were on death row. That’s not even a two percent execution rate.

Finally, I close with a quote from Steven D. Stewart, former Prosecuting Attorney for Clark County, Nevada. “I believe that there are some defendants who have earned the ultimate punishment our society has to offer by committing murder with aggravating circumstances present. I believe life is sacred. It cheapens the life of an innocent murder victim to say that society has no right to keep the murderer from ever killing again. In my view, society has not only the right, but the duty to act in self defense to protect the innocent.” Like Mr. Stewart, I believe the death penalty is moral when used properly. Only in cases I outlined previously, should it be used. I hope that the Law of Justice and Mercy can coexist, and with the penalty they can.