Third Post

Capital punishment is a practice that promotes violence. Capital punishment is a process in which the state receives "an eye for an eye" for a crime committed. Violent behavior also can be viewed as a disease. I personally disagree with this sentiment, but I do believe that Capital punishment is by no means the answer to the problem present. The idea of capital punishment also promotes the idea of "getting even" with the criminal. That mind set is shared with the criminal himself. A large percentage of all homicides are reported to have occurred as a result of the killer wanting to get even with his victim. Therefore, we are promoting a practice that we ourselves punish the criminals for following. As Gandhi used to state "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind". He is hailed today across the globe as one of the greatest philosophers in world history, yet we continue to ignore his teachings. Not only is the practice of capital punishment ineffective, it actually creates a negative impact upon killers. There are instances in which states with capital punishment had a steady crime rate, and in two specific cases an increasing one. In addition, at one point the Supreme Court actually stated that there is no evidence supporting the fact that capital punishment actually deters crime. There is, however, some hard evidence on the opposing side. So if capital punishment does not deter crime, then what is its purpose other than the original "eye for an eye" mentality?