The Global Aspect for the Death Penalty Help.
The Global Aspect for the Death Penalty
Instructions:
Write an outline for your persuasive speech. The Global Aspect for the death penalty: break it down by country. Discuss where we stand as a country (United States) and our federal laws. Then pick two other countries, one that is known for the death penalty and one that does not have it, and then compare and them with the U.S. and use this research to show why we should have the death penalty. Use a minimum of 4 sources.
Solution
The Global Aspect for the Death Penalty
The death penalty is a practice sanctioned by government whereby an offender is put to death as punishment by the state. In the United States the issue of death penalty has the country quite divided. It has many supporters as well as opponents. It is legal in thirteen states while seventeen have abolished it. Globally, fifty six countries have retained the death sentence while one hundred and three have completely abolished it. Although most countries have abolished the practice, 60 % of the total global population live in countries where the death penalty is practiced. Examples of such countries include China, Indonesia and India. Crimes that warrant death penalty in countries that practice it include crimes against humanity, murder, drug trafficking, rape, sodomy, terrorism, treason among other offences that vary from country to country (Bedau, 2000).
As observed, death penalty is only handed down for atrocious crimes. In my opinion, if it was legalized in all the States of the United States of America, it would serve as a great deterrent for offenders who think about committing such crimes. The greatest fear for most people is death, therefore, if they knew that death would be a consequence of an offense they would be less likely to engage in it. Moreover, there are those offenders who are already serving life sentences. What would deter them from killing a fellow inmate or a guard? Hence, the threat of death penalty is much stronger than other punishments. Since every society has the highest interest in preventing capital offences such as crimes against humanity and murder, then it should use the highest level of punishment to prevent such crimes. When an execution is done, the offender cannot offend again and therefore potential victims are protected.
China is one of the countries where death penalty is legal. The country executes the highest number of criminals annually as compared to other nations worldwide. The executions are mainly done for drug trafficking and murder. There is widespread support of death penalty by the people of China as a means of fighting violent crime. In China unlike the United States, there is no civil society or government group that advocates for the abolishment of the death penalty (CNN, 2016) In fact, multiple surveys show that the punishment is supported by 95% of the Chinese people. The death penalty further contributes go the legitimacy of the ruling Communist Party through public satisfaction when corrupt public officials are executed.
Portugal on the other hand was a pioneer in abolishing the death penalty. Nobody has been executed since 1846 (Omics International, 2015). In their new constitution, the death penalty was abolished for all types of crimes. Antonio Cluny, a senior Attorney from the country argues that there is no guarantee that the death penalty will reduce the number of violent crimes. Moreover, a survey conducted reveals that only a very small percentage of the Portuguese population believe that capital punishment is justified (DPIC, 2010). Opponents of death penalty such as Portugal have raised concerns with the punishment citing wrongful execution, religion, lack of a chance for the wrongdoer to reform and racial or social bias as reasons why the punishment should be abolished.
Due to the monstrous nature of capital offences that receive a death penalty, it is best to adopt this punishment in order to effectively control such offences. Execution is the only sufficient punishment for capital offenders such as murderers. It gives closure to the victim’s loved ones. Death penalty is a sure sanction in ensuring that capital offenders never find their way back to the society. Furthermore, it acts as a deterrent to potential offenders who have to think twice before taking someone’s life.
References
Bedau, H.A. (2000). The Death Penalty in America. New York: Oxford University Press.
CNN (2016). China remains world’s top Executioner. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/06/asia/china-death-penalty/
DPIC (2010). Fighting Crime in the U.S. and Internationally: Is the Death Penalty Necessary? Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/international-police-forum-death-penalty
Omics International (2015). Capital Punishment in Portugal. Retrieved from http://research.omicsgroup.org/index.php/Capital_punishment_in_Portugal