No one shall have the right to take others’ live, or have their live taken from others except under the influence of laws. Above is a verse from the guide to human rights which has been controversial for the past decades. People nowadays reckoned that death penalty should be replaced with life imprisonment in order to uphold social morals and values, whereas the opposing views state that murder is an unforgivable offence considering its severity. For me, I am on the fence for the statement.
As starters, life in prison can be a more suffering punishment for the offenders so that they can learn their lesson. Murder is a felony that brings long-lasting mourn and melancholy to the victims’ family, hence making the offence unacceptable and unforgivable by all walks of life. However, death penalty only causes instant pain to the culprit with no prolonged sufferings, whereas doing time in a cell with a poor ambiance could lead to mental and physical sufferings as well as severe health issues. Witnessing the criminal living in pain and anguish might give the victim’s family some sort of comfort as it shows that justice is at their side, and most prominently, taking a revenge in the name of the victim.
On the other hand, some murderers deemed that life in prison is a more lenient punishment compared to death penalty, thus making them braver to commit their act of violence without thinking about the aftermath. In other words, murder cases cannot be tackled effectively without a harsh and inhumane punishment as they are likely to take advantage of the leniency given to them. With death penalty implemented in a country like Singapore, China and Russia, there are visibly less cases of murder took place as people tend to be afraid of the effects the punishment brings. Consequently, the social sequence and safety can be maintained at ease with death penalty at the helm.
In conclusion, both death penalty and life imprisonment can be taken by society in attempt to punish the culprits. To deter which punishment to be implemented on the offenders should be reviewed at a case-to-case basis so that a balance between human rights and also the outcome for their actions can be achieved.