At the same time when many countries around the world are abolishing capital punishment from their legislations, the US is still using the death penalty. Despite the decline in using the death penalty in the USA, capital punishment is still active in some states. The death penalty is a debated matter in the US and to some extent, it is hard to draw an obvious line that can illustrate the general opinion there. Surprisingly, according to a survey done by Pew Research Center in April 2021, most adults support the death penalty for criminals convicted of murders (Pew Research Center, 2021). At the same time and according to the same report, the death penalty is not applied in a racially neutral manner. This raises many questions about the morality and the effect of the death penalty in the USA. Therefore, the death penalty should be abolished in the US.
Mainly, the morality of the death penalty is about crime and reasonable punishment to the criminal. However, carrying out the same act that society wants to repress raises questions about the message conveyed in the death penalty. In simpler words, killing is still killing and this behavior should be repressed on all levels regardless of whether it is done by the government or by individuals. This is because society has a responsibility for the safety of its citizens, even the criminals (Britannica, 2021)
Furthermore, the question of its effect is still not proven yet as the this punishment has not shown a remarkable effect in deterring other criminals. In other words, the the capital punishment would not prevent other criminals from carrying out the same act that is punishable by the death penalty. Lifetime and long-term imprisonment have shown better effects in deterring criminals (Britannica, 2021).
However, there still are supporters for the death penalty in the USA and they mean that the death penalty should be a part of the legislation because of the symbolic message that it carries. That is when a criminal ends another person’s life, then they deserve their life to be ended (Britannica, 2021; Pew Research Center, 2021). Considering the issue in that way will take it from its context and put it as revenge. The fact is that society has a responsibility even for the safety of its criminals and revenge from them is coherent with the existence of the society.
Finally, the death penalty is neither moral nor practical because it won’t deter criminals from doing such acts neither will it deliver the right message for citizens in society. Therefore, the death penalty should be abolished.
Sources:
Pew Research Center – U.S. Politics & Policy. 2021. Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty Despite Concerns About Its Administration. [online] Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/06/02/most-americans-favor-the-death-penalty-despite-concerns-about-its-administration/ [Accessed 28 October 2021].
Hood, R. (2021, March 25). capital punishment. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/capital-punishment
Source Critical Discussion
In this speech, I used two sources about the death penalty in the US. The first one is a survey carried out by Pew Research Center which is a nonpartisan organization and its aim is to inform the public about several matters including attitudes and trends. Mainly, they are specialized in US politics and policy. I believe that the source is trustworthy because it presents objective facts and they are transparent about their funding and how they carry out surveys.
The other source that I used is an article published on Encyclopedia Britannica published in 2021 about the capital punishment. I believe that the source is trustworthy because it presents objective facts that are properly referencing other sources. The aim of the article is to inform the public about the matter and the author is knowledgeable about the area.
Self assessment
I believe that my speech was overall good. Still, there are some weaknesses that I can work on regarding the pronunciation and developing the arguments. I could not argue further in details because of the limitations imposed by time as I have to make it around five minute only.