Essay 12: Is the death penalty the best deterrent?
There seems to be an increasing number of serious crimes committed each year. While some think the best way is to use the death penalty as a deterrent, many people believe that other measures will be needed. Discuss both sides.
The rate of crime is increasing each year, creating a worrisome situation for governments. Although there are some people which consider the death penalty as the best solution to curb the spike in dangerous crimes, many view initiatives like the provision of job opportunities and education facilities as superior options.
On one hand, a section of society believes capital punishment to be the optimal solution for the eradication of crimes. They believe that life is precious to everyone, and fear of death would definitely deter people from committing serious crimes. They have sound evidence to provide through the example of countries like China and Iran that applied the severe punishment rule to crimes of serious nature and have observed a downtrend in crimes. Similarly, Saudi Arabia has witnessed negligible cases of murder and rape since the announcement of beheading criminals involved in such crimes. Thus, this group of people has a valid argument to support the death penalty.
On the other hand, it is propagated by many that the death sentence alone may not be sufficient for lowering the crime rate. This is because, firstly, people need to be given enough earning opportunities that they do not have to look for illegal means to feed themselves. To illustrate, a recent survey by Daily Mail revealed that 60% of juvenile delinquents caught by police committed crimes just because they could not find jobs to earn a livelihood. Secondly, education for all can be instrumental in imparting awareness about the consequences of opting wrong means to make both ends meet. That is to say, those who are educated are less likely to get attracted to criminal activities due to the awareness of unpleasant consequences given to them by their teachers; hence, legally earn instead of indulging in crimes for making money.
To conclude, the death penalty is the best considered solution by some to tackle dangerous criminal acts as it creates fear in potential criminals and bars them from doing heinous crimes; however, many suggested additional solutions to overcome the increasing rate of crimes, such as compulsory education and creation of jobs.
