Capital Punishment - An Opinion Article

The United States carried out its first federal execution in almost two decades, reigniting the debate over capital punishment. However, capital punishment is viewed with more and more disdain as the world progresses. People who support the death penalty generally cite the following reasons - it is a deterrent for future offenders, it brings closure to the friends and family of the victim, and the felons deserve to die. As for the first point, there is no evidence to corroborate it, and the second point simply is not true. For example, the relatives of the victim of the aforementioned felon did not want the death penalty. The third point has an ideological flaw - why is death considered the worst possible punishment? Wouldn’t a lifetime of imprisonment where one could still feel pain be worse than what some would consider the sweet release of death? Additionally if the felon was wrongly convicted, there would be a chance at freedom. Moreover, the death penalty often costs more than life imprisonment, and abolishing would not only clear funds for various community projects, but may also quicken the sentencing of a criminal, and does not force a human to take another humans life. The supporters of the death penalty say an eye for an eye is true justice - but as Gandhi believed, “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind."