Answer:
The death penalty is a punishment that has been practiced since the Babylonian era. This practice is still being used today in some of the most technologically and civilized countries like the United States despite the democratic, technological, and educational advancements we made as a society. The first documented death penalty was in the U.S. in 1608, where George Kendall was executed for being a spy from Spain. Since that date, many people have been convicted to death for robbery, arson, witchcraft, and murder. This sparks the big question is the death penalty justified since its existence in the eighteenth century. The answer is no because the death penalty is inhuman from a legal, moral, and ethical standpoint.
There are no laws against the death penalty at the federal level. The one that comes the closest would be the Eight Amendment of the United States constitution. It states that the federal government shall not award cruel punishments that amount to tremendous torture; the idea behind this amendment is to restrict the government from handing down any excess sentence to any individual (The Library of Congress, 2012.) Sadly, these said laws are not clear, which leads to different interpretations; This is why some states regarding the death penalty have their laws even after rulings from the Supreme Court. For instance, in 1972, the supreme court vacated the nation's death row declaring that the death penalty is unconstitutional. The states instantly retaliated and replaced some of the terminology's penalties. The supreme court went even further and reduced some crimes that come under the extent of the punishment. Death can never be an appropriate punishment, especially in this society that does not give criminals retribution. When they are sought out to live in a confined territory for the rest of their lives, it gives the criminal a higher chance to atone for their sin. A common argument is that the death penalty will be a deterrent; later on, it is not true based on the U.S.'s statistics with homicide rates in the last couple of decades. The murder rate has climbed to up to 120% in 1963 and 1980, and just alone in New York, this statistic goes up to 400%. This presents the idea that the death penalty is inappropriate and there is always another possibility for a wrong ruling, but this shows that nothing can be done about it.
One of the most common reasons for the death penalty is an emotional response by society when another human dies in another human's hands based on their actions; the immediate emotional response is anger and vengeance towards that human. However, after a couple of years, there is sorrow in people's hearing, and the idea of revenge is lost. Yes, time is the best healer in this case, but that does not mean the perpetrator should go without punishment. Instead, they should be given a punishment that is rational and moral. Will there be closure with killing the perpetrator? Not because irrespective of the killer never coming back to life. The death penalty reasoning is that the criminal should suffer the last few seconds, such as their victim. These ideologies never hold any excellent being in our society. Even though the death penalty has existed for centuries on U.S. soil, it is not deterred people from committing a crime. This makes the death penalty a revengeful action fueled by emotion and makes it spiteful in the spur of the moment that has no implications or wants for anyone involved. Therefore there is another reason to abolish the death penalty.
The supreme court and social court Should reflect people's shared values and maturity over time. Awarding this capital punishment is a cruel way to discipline an individual, and it goes against the values the U.S. constitution holds. Furthermore, death penalties are unchangeable, and for those reasons, the courts should favor the life of confinement in prison. While criminals are punished for society's well-being, they should not have to be in the way of life. Life in prison will give the same amount of deterrence and retribution, which is why life in prison is a more appropriate form of punishment. In short, the death penalty is barbaric from a legal, ethical, and moral standpoint; therefore, it should be abolished from our society immediately.