Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers fc

To Kill or Not To Kill   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Man has always depended on punishment to enforce the laws necessary for the survival of both himself and his species. But how can man justify committing murder as a punishment for just that, murder. This is an argument that our modern society has wrestled with for decades. This essay will attempt to shed some light on this highly controversial subject and at the same time, try and put to rest the age old argument of what human morality should allow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to a study conducted at the University of Iowa in 1998, states that have the death penalty had the same or higher murder rates as those that don’t. However, some of the lowest crime rates on the planet belong to China, a country to which the death penalty is hardly a stranger. This suggests that if given enough time and stiffer enforcement the death penalty could eventually have significant effects on the crime rate here in North America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another good argument against the death penalty is the simple fact that it relies on a justice system that is far from perfect and that unlike other sentences, it cannot be overturned. Statistically, two out of every three death row inmates will later be found innocent and with the introduction of new evidence, such as DNA, this number will only increase. North America’s prison system however, runs on the principle of rehabilitation and since it is believed that for certa...