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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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Yes, we should abolish the death penalty

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The death penalty violates the sanctity of human life

Regardless of their crimes, the lives of death row prisoners are valuable.
Pope Francis
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The Argument

Human life is intrinsically valuable, and therefore worthy of dignity and respect. In death penalty discussions, we often paint criminals as subhuman, monstrous creatures. We forget that people retain their humanity, even after committing a heinous crime. A person’s life is still valuable, regardless of their wrongdoing, and this includes death row prisoners. Since death row prisoners are still people, regardless of their crime, executing them is wrong. For this reason, we should abolish the death penalty, refusing to do wrong in response to someone else's wrongdoing.

Counter arguments

The death penalty protects human life- it does not disvalue it. If people know that murder will be punished likewise, they will refrain from committing it. The death penalty deters violent crime, which ultimately saves innocent lives. Additionally, the death penalty reflects society's value of innocent life. If our society values the vulnerable, we will zealously punish those who prey upon them. If we fail to execute murderers, we would be sending a message: we do not value innocent life enough to punish those who take it.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] The lives of people are valuable. [P2] For this reason, killing violates the sanctity of human life. [P3] Even after committing a crime, death row prisoners are still people. [P2] Therefore, the death penalty violates the sanctity of human life.

Rejecting the premises

References

In the Wild

This page was last edited on Thursday, 3 Sep 2020 at 07:28 UTC

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