Capital Punishment: A Sad Thing | Teen Ink

Capital Punishment: A Sad Thing

July 22, 2010
By Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;il piu nell&#039; uno,&quot; (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)<br /> <br /> &quot;Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality&quot; ~Emily Dickinson<br /> <br /> &quot;The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain&quot; <br /> ~Kahlil Gibran


Death is certainly a curious thing. It is often longed for by those who are suffering but avoided at all costs by those who have so much to live for. Some claim to know what it leads to, while others seem to accept its absolute mystery. Death is bestowed, with apparent grace, upon those in pain but forced with terrible wrath upon other people.

Because death is such a complex thing, we have to question the act of capital punishment. The theory behind it is the ‘justice’ that whoever commits a terrible crime will in turn have their life taken. This is ‘an eye for an eye,’ one of the most flawed sayings I can think of.

Murder is, undoubtedly, wrong. The crime is not, I think, in the death that is caused but the pain that is inflicted and the life that is being prevented. Whoever would take someone’s life or rape a person goes beyond making a simple mistake; that is clear. But, it is also clear that everybody commits wrongdoings. Some commit them on a much larger scale than others, but they sin in such a way because they are human. Humans sin. On the flip side, every criminal has something good in them, because they are human. But their mind is twisted in such a way and their heart is filled with just enough darkness that to hurt other people seems okay. Maybe they had a sad life and were done wrong, so they ended up this way. Think of them as having ill hearts and minds.

It is already known that murder and rape are terrible things. When I dwell on them, I am sorry that anyone would stoop low enough to be involved with them. They hurt the victim and their family and friends unimaginably. But killing them does not reverse it. It does not make everything right. It is merely adding to the wrongdoing and fighting hate with hate.

Capital punishment is the extreme act of striking back and is by no means justice. When a criminal commits a severe crime, I think he should just lose his right to freedom. In other words, a long sentence of imprisonment. Mostly, this is for the protection of others. But this sentence does not mean that he is condemned to a state that he can’t be forgiven. If society can’t learn to forgive, we can’t move forward. Another death will not solve the conflict.

I think capital punishment is one of society’s deepest mistakes. I hope that it will learn that it will not fix the wrongdoing and all states will ban it. And if the government thinks that it is worth it to take a human life because doing otherwise is too expensive, that is very sad. If they want to exchange lives for dollars, I have no hope for the government.

Best of wishes to the criminals, that they may feel sorry for what they did. And may they have a chance to live so that they me feel this remorse and turn their lives around.


The author's comments:
I hope I don't offend anybody with this article. I confess that I have never known any murderers or murder victims. But I'm not sure whether being unbiased makes me ignorant or enlightened.

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This article has 30 comments.


evore SILVER said...
on Nov. 13 2010 at 6:00 pm
evore SILVER, KC,MO, Kansas
5 articles 0 photos 10 comments
i agree completly capitol punishment is horible

on Sep. 13 2010 at 5:23 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;il piu nell&#039; uno,&quot; (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)<br /> <br /> &quot;Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality&quot; ~Emily Dickinson<br /> <br /> &quot;The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain&quot; <br /> ~Kahlil Gibran

I am so grateful for your openmindedness. You strongly disagree with me, yet you hand out a compliment. That sort of friendliness is essential in politics. No, I don't mind your comment. I've never feared opposition.

on Sep. 13 2010 at 5:21 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;il piu nell&#039; uno,&quot; (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)<br /> <br /> &quot;Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality&quot; ~Emily Dickinson<br /> <br /> &quot;The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain&quot; <br /> ~Kahlil Gibran

Yes, I noticed that also. This is because my political stances have largely emotional bases. I find the alternative, bare logic, to often be cold and cruel. This leads me to opt for forgiveness and continuation of life even when it's unreasonable.

on Sep. 13 2010 at 1:49 pm
aquarius SILVER, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
5 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;unwelcome truths are not popular.&quot;

Despite the fact that I am an avid supporter of capital punishment, I think this was really well written. You make a lot of interesting points, but--if you don't mind me saying!--most of them appeal to emotion, rather than reason. (I obsess about logic, LOL.)

Even still, I think it was nicely put together. I think it's interesting that even though I hold my own point of view, I can see how you portrayed yours clearly through your writing. [:


on Aug. 17 2010 at 7:08 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;il piu nell&#039; uno,&quot; (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)<br /> <br /> &quot;Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality&quot; ~Emily Dickinson<br /> <br /> &quot;The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain&quot; <br /> ~Kahlil Gibran

Thanks very much! I'm glad that you agree with me on this subject, for it's so important to me that people hear what I'm saying (or writing).

on Aug. 15 2010 at 8:11 pm
LondonEye DIAMOND, Randolph, New Jersey
89 articles 125 photos 71 comments

I love where you say, "But killing them does not reverse it. It does not make everything right. It is merely adding to the wrongdoing and fighting hate with hate." 

I, too, disagree with Capital Punishment. 


on Aug. 15 2010 at 6:28 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;il piu nell&#039; uno,&quot; (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)<br /> <br /> &quot;Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality&quot; ~Emily Dickinson<br /> <br /> &quot;The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain&quot; <br /> ~Kahlil Gibran

Thanks for commenting! I am glad that we agree on some points. As for people having good in them, I think that one indication that Hitler and Hussein had good in them is that they thought they were doing right.

on Aug. 15 2010 at 6:25 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;il piu nell&#039; uno,&quot; (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)<br /> <br /> &quot;Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality&quot; ~Emily Dickinson<br /> <br /> &quot;The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain&quot; <br /> ~Kahlil Gibran

Thank you for commenting... and for loving my poetry!

Capital punishment is a very debatable topic in America, but I have never feared disagreement.


lamelola GOLD said...
on Aug. 15 2010 at 5:29 pm
lamelola GOLD, Wichita, Kansas
14 articles 19 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
The problem is, you think you have time.

I see your point in this article, i love your poetry work. But Capital Punishment is Americas most debatable topics.

on Jul. 31 2010 at 8:09 pm
goldmansharone GOLD, Boulder, Colorado
13 articles 0 photos 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
A different world cannot be built by indifferent people<br /> What a miserable thing life is: you&#039;re living in clover, only the clover isn&#039;t good enough. <br /> You&#039;ll never shine if you don&#039;t glow.<br /> Selfishness is a horrible trait.

I agree with a lot of points of this article, and it is well written. Once of the points in this was that killing someone does not undo their crime. I absolutely agree! There seems to be no point to that aspect. And you expressed your opinions well.

 

My disagreement is that I don't think  everybody had good in them. I think that everybody is human... and most people have redeeming personalities. However, there are some simply evil people such as Hitler or Suddam Hussein. Those people are unforgivable.