Jelitto1

Annabell Jelitto
Ms. Oberg
English 11
5 November 2015
Death Penalty: Moral or Immoral?
The death penalty is a very controversial topic with many differents sides and opinions, to
each their own. One of the biggest controversial topics asks: Is the death penalty immoral? While
there are two very different sides to this question, if you do your research you may find yourself
surprised by your opinion on the matter to be very different afterwards. I believe the death
penalty is not immoral. If a person has the audacity to commit such a violent crime to be
considered for the death penalty they should be expected to face the punishments for their
actions.
While some believe the death penalty is moral and necessary, there are some who
disagree. These people claim, no one deserves to die. (American Civil Liberties Union). Which
in part is true, but the people who find themselves awaiting the death penalty have taken lives
and have given a fate far worse than death to their victims. It is not fair for someone to take
another living beings life and still be able to live and breathe, even if its in prison. There was an
argument made by John Dear saying, We, like Jesus, should feel free to side with the
condemned, forgive those who hurt us, who injure or kill those we love, and in this way put an
end to wheel of violence that keeps going around. If the victim or the victims family feel that
they should forgive the person who has put this fate upon them then that is their own choice, but
the option of the death penalty should still be there for the families who have fear in their hearts
if the person who has harmed them is still alive and able to harm again.

Jelitto1
There are two very different opinions on whether or not the death penalty is immoral.
Although I dont think its moral, I dont believe it to be immoral because the crimes committed
by these people are so unbelievably cruel, that its absolutely necessary to make sure that they
have no way of harming any other people. If they were sentenced to life in jail without parole,
there is still a possibility of them hurting others in that prison. Immanuel Kant had an interesting
point of view when he said, a society that is not willing to demand a life of somebody who has
taken somebody else's life is simply immoral. I believe this is an important thing to think about
when it comes to the death penalty because it shows how people are so concerned with their own
moral values that they look over the convicted criminals crimes that they have committed.
Capital punishment is simply for the most heinous forms of wrongdoing, the penalty of
death is morally justified or perhaps even required. (Adrian Vermeule, Is Capital Punishment
Morally Required? Acts, Omissions and Life-Life Tradeoffs). I believe this to be the the only fair
way of getting justice for victims of criminals and until our society can find a different and better
way of taking care of these issues, the death penalty is the only way to go. If you were to put
yourself in a victim or victims familys point of view, I am certain you would want justice as
well.
The death penalty is not immoral for the reasons of justice and peace of mind for the
victims and the victims family. Although there are counter claims to this argument, there are no
other solutions to these terrible situations and until then, we should utilize the options we have.
Capital punishment is hard for people to face because they dont like the idea of death, but in this
society it is only fair for the criminal to pay for their acts of violence against innocent victims.