The author of the article “The Death Penalty is a Step Back” addresses an issue of concern in the present law systems. The taking away of someone’s life because of a crime that has been committed is not something to be taken lightly. This issue raises questions with regard to its implication to the victim and the offender.
The author’s words, “an evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed of retaliation,” provide us with a plausible reason to consider how taking this action will help any of the concerned parties. Talking of this we find that it is a great breach of a significant human right to life as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human rights. Regardless the nature of the crime, death penalty, in the opinion of the author, should not be taken as an option because in the real sense it will not in any way provide the slightest hint of long term justice. In addition, the offender may not gain in any way through death penalty (King).
Another concern that the author puts forth regarding capital punishment is the credibility and authority that an individual assumes before rendering another individual suitable for the death penalty. It is a matter worth pondering because formal education and training alone is not adequately enough to enable one to judge whether an individual can be rehabilitation. This is especially in light of the diverse and complex nature of humanity as a whole. In some instances, even innocent individuals may end up succumbing to capital punishment because of the discriminatory and freakish way in which some of these judgments are usually carried out.
Work cited
King, Coretta Scott. “The Death Penalty Is a Step Back.” San Joaquin Delta College. Web. 30
September 2011
