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Should the death penalty be abolished? Should the death penalty be abolished?
Yes, we should abolish the death penalty Yes, we should abolish the death penalty
No, we should not abolish the death penalty No, we should not abolish the death penalty
The death penalty targets racial minorities The death penalty targets racial minorities
The death penalty targets the poor The death penalty targets the poor
The death penalty targets people with mental illnesses or intellectual disabilities. The death penalty targets people with mental illnesses or intellectual disabilities.
Wrongful convictions are common Wrongful convictions are common
The death penalty wastes taxpayer money The death penalty wastes taxpayer money
The death penalty violates the sanctity of human life The death penalty violates the sanctity of human life
The death penalty deters crime The death penalty deters crime
The death penalty gives victims closure The death penalty gives victims closure
The death penalty administers justice because some people deserve death The death penalty administers justice because some people deserve death
The death penalty saves lives The death penalty saves lives
The death penalty affirms the value of human life The death penalty affirms the value of human life
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Should the death penalty be abolished?
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No, we should not abolish the death penalty

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The death penalty administers justice because some people deserve death

For justice to be done, a person's punishment must fit the severity of their crime. In some cases, the only fitting punishment is death.
George Brauchler
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The Argument

In order for justice to be done, people must receive the punishments they deserve. For some criminals, a sentence of life in prison does not fit the severity of their crime. At times, the only punishment that fits heinous crimes is death. For this reason, we should not abolish the death penalty. If we prevent the criminal justice system from giving people what they deserve, we stop it from administering justice. The death penalty is a necessary component of our criminal justice system because some people deserve it.

Counter arguments

Although deservedness should certainly be a consideration, it is not the only factor that should decide a person's punishment. In some cases, the criminal justice system must give defendants mercy. As flawed human beings, we would be in trouble if we got what we deserved all the time. At certain points, everyone has received undeserved forgiveness, which means that we're all obligated to give others the same grace. We must extend criminals the same mercy we have received, and wish to receive, ourselves. For this reason, we should abolish the death penalty.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] For justice to be done, people must receive a fitting punishment. [P2] In some cases, the only fitting punishment is death. [P3] For this reason, we should not abolish the death penalty.

Rejecting the premises

References

In the Wild

This page was last edited on Wednesday, 8 Jul 2020 at 18:39 UTC

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