I believe in the death penalty in principle, but not in practice. I just wrote a response to this very idea for my government class:
"In a perfect world there would be a perfect justice system where the guilty would be found guilty, the innocent found innocent, and the death penalty would only be given to those truly deserving of it. In this perfect world, individuals dangerous to society would be eliminated because of a very clean, clear-cut law: if you kill another human being intentionally for any reason other than self defense, you die. Justice would be swift: no months of living at the expense of society, no appeals, not chance of propation and opportunity to harm other people, no mistakes. Bam! You're dead, sent to your own private afterlife and unable to commit another murder ever again.
"Unfortunatly, we do not live in a perfect world. Our justice system is subject to human error, and mistakes can and have been made. Therefore, the death penalty should be abolished in all states, for innocent lives are being destroyed.
" 'But what about our loved ones?' " the families of the victims may ask. " 'Their innocent lives have been destroyed as well! If the courts can bring us justice by using the death penalty, then they should!'
"As much as I hate to say it, their loved ones are dead, and killing their killers will not bring them back. Nor will it end the bitterness of having had them torn so cruelly from this life. Instead of ending it, revenge only continues the cycle of violence plaguing our society. As Gandhi said, 'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.' The only purpose to the death penalty should be to remove dangerous criminals from the world at minimal expense to society, but this purpose is defeated when we become as corrupt as the criminals by trying to get revenge. Killing someone for revenge is the same as killing someone because they cheated on us, called us a bad name, or otherwise 'wronged' us. It is still murder, though we may incorrectly call it 'justice'. Murder is only justice when its sole purpose is to remove a threat from the world... but this is not what the death penalty is about today.
"Therefore, once again, the death penalty should be abolished in all states and, furthermore, a constitutional amendment should be made against it, because in our present day society it does not serve its purpose, nor will it likely be used correctly in the future."
