Death Penalty: Conservative

I acknowledge that life is precious and that the death penalty helps others realize this fact. According to the Oxford University Press, capital punishment is the legal authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. Thus, I am an avid supporter. I am of the opinion that the practice of capital punishment is based on justice and the nature of a moral community, which requires that each person respect the life and liberty of others. Several types of capital punishment exist, namely; hanging, lethal injection, gas chamber and electric chair. The oldest method of capital punishment is hanging, and in the 1900 it was nearly universal. The arguments to be opposed are as follows: the United States of America is one of the very few industrialized countries in the world which continues to execute criminals, capital punishment is barbaric and most importantly, that capital punishment undermines the value of life.
Firstly, opponents of capital punishment may contest that the United States of America is one of the few industrialized countries in the world that continues to execute criminals. However, they fail to acknowledge that this country has one of the highest murder rates in the world. As written by Edward Koch, “the murder rate climbed 122% between 1963 and 1980. During that same period, the murder rate of New York City increased by over 400%, and the statistics are even worse in other cities.” Capital punishment relieves this problem to an extent by ridding society of criminals, making America a better place for everyone to abide in safely.
Secondly, others may still argue that the idea of capital punishment is barbaric. Nonetheless, even if we stop hanging and the use of the electrical chair, and resolve to use only the lethal injection, opposition would still exist. It is indeed not how criminals are executed, but the act of killing itself that is considered barbaric. I adamantly maintain that capital punishment proves to be the most effective in preventing the return of hardened criminals into society. The lethal injection works quickly and painlessly, therefore it is recommended.
Thirdly and most importantly, it has been contended that capital punishment undermines the value of human life. But in fact a system that allows dangerous criminals to re-enter society and harm innocent people is what undermines life. Also, capital punishment is believed to be cruel and unusual, as it is final and irreversible. Nevertheless, it ensures the public’s well being and prevents the reintroduction of miscreants into society. Koch said, “It is by exacting the highest penalty for the taking of human life that we affirm the highest value of human life.”
In conclusion, the advantages proposed by capital punishment far outweigh its disadvantages. The existing world is protected by several justice systems that were developed to maintain the highest level of security. Hence, I vehemently advance that it is a major component in bringing criminals to justice. Now Justice Has Been Served.