Why is death penalty a bad idea?

Answer 1

Capital punishment can be seen to be an inefficient system. It has been criticized for being arbitrary and capricious, as well as biased against minorities. Capital punishment has been cited by abolitionists to be cruel, not a deterrent, violating the rights to live, and to be inaccurate of conviction. There are also moral issues that stand in the face of capital punishment ... such as life being devalued by government. Just dessert, or a life for a life, can also seem murky when applied to a murderer who has killed more than 1 person at one time.

Answer 2

1. one life does not cover another
2. its in humane
3. not right to play god
4. people can change
5. person might have been framed
6. might have been forced in kill
7. might have been ethically correct
8. could be an accident
9. What if its a child that did the crime

Answer 3

Death penalty can adversely affect the families of the executed. The death penalty is also considered immoral by some religions. Many people don't see it as a bad thing. In fact 35 out of 50 states in the USA use the death penalty.

Answer 4

It depends on what the accused has done and why he or she is given the death penalty.

There are two major arguments against the death penalty:

(1) it is irrevocable. Once you have killed someone, it is not possible to return them to life, should it later come out that they were innocent (or, at least, less guilty) of the charge that warranted the death penalty. Given that witnesses will change their testimony, technological advances (e.g. DNA fingerprinting) will expose new facts, people are known to lie, and other new evidence can come to light, verdicts are made with the best information at the time, which may be significantly less than the truth. The argument is that for a punishment that has no possibility of being reversed, the verdict should be absolutely sure, which is of course impossible, and thus, the death penalty is unjust.

(2) it is immoral for the state to take the life of a citizen. Rooted in certain religious beliefs (particularly, more modern interpretations of those beliefs), the argument is that the death penalty is premeditated murder, as there is no pressing need to protect others (the primary justification for allowable killing in most religions and philosophies). That is, the death penalty is revenge, not protection or even punishment, and the state should not be in the revenge business.

Answer 5

might mistake someone for someone else