Death Penalty

Death penalty, which is also called capital punishment, is a controversial topic regarding

moral issues. Since way back past years, death penalty had always been present. People are

executed everyday by states where capital punishment is legal in consequences of their crime.

Some people regard death penalty as inhumane and a degrading punishment. But few believe

that death penalty as deterrence and a justifiable punishment for criminal crimes. Most

common method of death penalty are by hanging, electrocution, lethal injection and firing

squad. Religious communities are divided on this issue. Both Hinduism and Buddhism

continuously debate whether death penalty is justifiable or not. While the Quran of Islam holds

that suggests Muslim mercy as a respond to evil. While the Old Testament adjures to take for

an “eye for an eye” contradicting the New Testament which enjoins us to “bury the hatchet”.

Amnesty International holds that capital punishment violates human right, specifically the right

to life and the right to live. And due to this international community has constructed various

tools that ban the use of death penalty. Despite of the fact that international law ought that

death penalty should be restricted to serious crimes, Amnesty believes that capital punishment

is and will never be the answer.

Why does this topic interest me? It is due to the recurring news that the Duterte

administration wants to revive death penalty solely to the justification of retribution. President

Duterte believes in retribution, “When you kill someone, rape, you should die”, a line that he

said during an interview. It interest me since this moral issues has not put to an end to my own

dilemma. Saudi Arabia which is a renowned Muslim country and bases their laws on the
principles of the Quran (religious book of Muslim) still practices death penalty which is

contradicting to the principles. And as a Muslim I am confused why they uphold these practices,

when in the Quran it clearly states that mercy is the best response to evil.

The reason why this is a moral issue since some individual believes that death penalty is

morally wrong since it violates the human rights, specifically the right to life and the right to

live. This issue is one of the most heated debates in most of countries today. One of the death

penalty proponents is that it deters criminals from killing. It also serves as justice to criminals

with most heinous and serious crimes such as rape and murder. It is necessary since some

crimes are very horrific that jail time is insufficient. But researcher contradicts to this idea and

suggests that death penalty does not lessen criminals from committing murder. Innocence

organizations also attest that the criminal justice does not always get it right, sometimes for the

most heinous crimes. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, that in the US, 165

death row inmates has be falsely accused and acquitted by crime they didn’t do since 1973. And

due to this fact, there is a reason why death penalty is a moral issue and will always upholds

debates regarding its justification.

There are two sides in every story. In the point of view of the family of the victims

regarding heinous crimes. Death penalty will serve a justice since they will be always haunted

by the idea that inmates sentence to life without parole will ask the judge or governor to

reduce a sentence. Revoking death penalty will not heal their wounds but will permanently

keep them open. Giving up death penalty would mean giving up justice on the victims’ family.
While on the other side of the story, death penalty is immoral since it is discriminatory to

human life. The intentional killing of a person is wrong and will never be right no matter what

the circumstances are. It is a barbaric and uncivilized way of punishment and that sometimes

innocent people are executed as a remedy for a crime. It contradicts God’s plan for individual

and the society from his merciful justice. It does not equate justice to victims rather it equate to

vengeance. The commandment “Thou shall not kill” should apply both to the innocent and the

guilty.

What I can do as a student and as person who firmly believes that death penalty is

wrong. I should use my voice and act to fight against the revival of death penalty. By using

social media as platform to raise awareness and educates people that death penalty is against

Gods plan and that this will never be an answer and justifiable. As a college student persevering

to finish political science as a pre-law and then proceeding to law. And once I finish my law

school and hopefully pass the bar exams and becomes an lawyer, I will not stop fighting from

my idea that there are other ways to claims and commit justice.

In conclusion, death penalty has always been morally wrong and that this punishment is

not a way for us to claim and commit the justice we are seeking. And in summary, death

penalty will always be debated whether it is justifiable. And that people will always have

different idea and says regarding this topic.