Death penalty in the US is such a debated issue on different levels but mainly, political. That is, there is a disagreement among different US states about capital punishment. While some American states have abolished this punishment, still, capital punishment is active in other states. However, there is a disagreement even in the general opinion on how to address this matter. According to Pew Research Center which surveyed the matter, a majority of adults in the US support the death penalty for convicted criminals. On the other hand, the death penalty is not applied with no discrimination, in other words, the racial aspect is strongly represented in applying this punishment. Furthermore, several question marks can be raised accordingly on how the death penalty is applied and its effectiveness. Therefore, the US should abolish the death penalty in all states.
Mainly, the death penalty is not only about the punishment of convicted criminals but the matter raises moral aspects that should be taken into consideration. In simpler words, the death penalty means practically that society carries out the same act that is being punished by death. What message does this deliver? Killing will remain killing regardless of the background or the reasons for committing it and regardless of who carries out it whether it is the society represented by law enforcement or criminals. It is the behavior that we need to eliminate and not the person or the criminal. Moreover, society has a certain responsibility in protecting its citizens rather than killing them, even if they are criminals.
Secondly, the effectiveness of capital punishment is highly questionable on all levels. That is, the punishment should deter criminals from committing crimes. In regards to the the capital punishment, the punishment could not show a remarkable effect in deterring criminals from killing. Other punishments such as life-long och long-term imprisonment have shown more effective results in this context, according to Britannica (2021).
Supporters of the capital punishment refer to the ethical message that capital punishment conveys which is when killing someone the criminal does not deserve to live. There is only one fact that is missing in this context which is about the aim of the punishment by death. It is never an act of revenge from society but rather a way to eliminate undesired behaviors. Moreover, a civilized society should even protect criminals from revenge.
Finally, the death penalty raises moral and ethical issues and above that, it is not effective as this punishment does not deter other murderers nor it eliminates the behavior. Therefore, the US should abolish the death penalty from American legislation in all states.
Sources
Pew Research Center – U.S. Politics & Policy. 2021. Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty Despite Concerns About Its Administration. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/06/02/most-americans-favor-the-death-penalty-despite-concerns-about-its-administration/
Hood, R. (2021, March 25). capital punishment. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/capital-punishment
Source Critical Discussion
In this argumentative speech, I based my arguments on two sources that address the death penalty in the US. The first source that I used is a comprehensive survey conducted by Pew Research Center. The center is a nonpartisan organization and aims to inform the public rather than convince them from a specific point of view. The center is specifically active in US politics and social matters. I believe that the source is trustworthy because it objectively presents the facts and the center is transparent about how they fund those surveys and why.
The other source that I used in my speech is Encyclopedia Britannica. I believe that the source is trustworthy because it objectively presents the facts. Furthermore, the source refers to other materials properly. The article aims to discuss the death penalty and inform about it.
Self-assessment
Overall, I believe that I did a good argumentative speech. I do need to exercise more about several aspects such as pronunciation and maybe, developing my arguments more.