By Sadie York
Within our country’s justice system, the question remains: where should the line be drawn? With crimes follow consequences, and the drawn out process determining proper punishment can last several years. Law is an expensive, time consuming, and often frustrating battle, yet it is laws which keep this country from an impending chaos. When arriving at a verdict in a courthouse, punishments are soon to follow. Of these, the death penalty sparks the utmost controversy, as a moral dilemma is challenged. Often, those charged with the death penalty have committed treason far too treacherous to re-integrate back into society—but what message does the death penalty pose? An eye for an eye? When do morals in a flawed justice system exceed their limits? Now there are simple limitations on this permanent punishment, for example: minors are not permitted to receive the death penalty charge. And of course, this punishment is only ever exercised with capital offenses—the most severe a punishment can get—but is there ever an offense worthy of death?
There are many perspectives to this debate. As a civilized society, such a cruel punishment is questioned to be borderline inhumane. In fact, many countries have outlawed this outdated method of law. In our country, every individual is guaranteed individual human rights, and the degrading process of the death penalty can certainly violate those rights. In other instances, while the law is a precise endeavor, there are errors in wrongful convictions. Death is an unchangeable fate, and the criminal legal system is not foolproof, meaning innocent people are sentenced to death every year due to a plethora of faulty reasons. Despite the permanence of death, it’s extremely difficult to appeal a death sentence, especially when those at risk of sentence are denied access to adequate legal representation. If successful in death row exonerations, people are still left with the emotional trauma of the process. Even when exonerated, the experience leaves many psychologically shaken, in which the government fails to provide resources or assistance for reintegration within society. In 2024, the U.S. legal system saw 200 death row exonerations through, indicating there has been progress in representing innocent convicts, while also highlighting the vast amount of wrongful convictions taking place in the current day.
Ultimately, the debate of morals cannot be simplified into one definition. However, as individuals we must determine which principles regarding morality guide the legal system, and the ratio they possess to influence the consequences of regulating a safe country.