Do you feel shocked and disgusted when knowing that a child had been put into a cloth drier, hung on a cloth line and died after all sorts of abuses? How would you feel
when hearing that a girl had beenstabbed more than a hundred times to death? Have you ever wondered why some grievous crime offenders or even re-offenders are still living happily in prison and spending tax-payers’ money? Do you know that each of them costs taxpayers $90,000 a year? Society claims that New Zealand sentencing is not harsh enough to give warning to people. To those grievous crime offenders and re-offenders, life sentence doesn’t do any harm to them. They are still entitled to apply for parole after a few years. They still entitle to their human right, even though they didn’t treat other people as human. Why don’t give them what they really deserve, which they gave to other innocent creatures, “Death”?
A few points had been well argued to agree with re-introduction of death penalty in New Zealand. First of all, murders especially those cases involve violent or serial murders simply
deserve death penalty. They should taste the fear of death just as the victims had been experienced. They need to know the serious consequences of their behaviours in order to make them regret for what they have committed. Second, families of victims have to endure the profound impact of losing their beloved ones. Their hearts are broken again and again during the process of revealing the crime details. Sentence those murders to death penalty would be the only consolation. Last but not least, everyone else should be warned by capital punishment. We have such a high re-offend rate. People are even worrying if we should send criminals to prisons since reports show that our prisons actually produce re-offenders. Therefore, our legal system should have the right penalties for certain level of crime, in order to give warnings to those re-offenders.On the other hand, there are a few defects of death penalty are well argued by the opposers. The first key debate is that what if an erroneous judgment occurs, such as: execute someone who is later on found not guilty. People do hear such cases happen in some countries. Another issue is that suspects’ economic status may well affect the judgement. Rich people who can get good lawyers may escape from being sentenced to capital punishment. However, in similar cases poor people who can not afford good lawyers would have more chance of being sentenced to death penalty. Furthermore, race of the suspects may also determine the result. Studies of capital punishment in America show that in similar cases black people has more chance of receiving death sentences than white people. New Zealand as an immigration country has multi ethnic groups. Therefore, people worry that if death penalty is re-introduced in New Zealand, it would also be hard to maintain hundred percent justice to different ethnic groups all the time. As a result, compare to Pakeha, Maoris will be more likely to be sentenced guilty and get capital punishment.
People would also argue that cost of fulfilling capital punishment is higher than just keeping the criminals in prisons. Studies of capital punishment in different prefectures of America show that death penalty is costly and the effectiveness is debateable. Moreover, people also would argue that the execution is torturous to the criminals not only physically but also psychologically. However, people who agree with death penalty debate that if we want to reduce the crime rate, we need to stop treating the criminals as if they are victims.
In my opinion, I agree with re-introduce death penalty to New Zealand. However, I still believe that our legal system won’t be improved too much if only introduce capital punishment. We shouldn’t push the crimes to the dead end then believe that capital punishment is the only solution. If our legal system needs to be harsher, then we should start to change from the bottom level. A good example is Singapore legal system. Singapore has a very strict legal system, which prevent the crimes from the early stage. For example: drunk drivers could be sentenced in jail for 10 years. Where as in New Zealand you could get drunk and drive for many times and only get fined or driver licence gets revoked. Further more, our correction system also need to be changed. We shouldn’t simply stop sending people to prison only because our prisons produce re-offenders. Instead, we should learn from our mistakes and refer to other countries’ good working legal and correction systems.
Reference:
Death Penalty Information Centre. (2010). Innocence and the Death Penalty. Retrieved 28 Aug 2010 from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/innocence-and-death-penalty
Mccrone. J. (2010). Filling the Prisons. Retrieved 07 Sep 2010 from http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/4024049/Filling-the-prisons
New Zealand Government. (2009). National Annual Recorded Offences for the Latest Calendar Years. Retrieved 11 Sep 2010 from http://www.stats.govt.nz/
Orient Expat Singapore. (2010). Singapore Laws. Retrieved 11 Sep 2010 from http://www.orientexpat.com/singapore/laws
Sensible Sentencing Trust. (2010). New Zealand Crime Statistics. Retrieved 30 Aug 2010 from http://www.safe-nz.org.nz/statistics.htm
I like your choice of topic - its open for debate! Personally, and yes this is harsh, I'm all for capital punishment. It sends a strong and clear message to criominals. YOu have some good evidence with strong points. However, perhaps you could included statistics on crime rates from a country that imposes the death penalty?
ReplyDeleteI found your blog hard to read. Some sentences seem unfinished and some have the wrong tenses. Eg: 'Erroneous judgment is what people worried about.' and 'Second, it is easy to image how serious those criminal behaviours would impact on victims’ families.'
Let me know if you would like some help :)
I found you have a debate topic within your debate where you say 'Race of the suspects may also determine the result.' I feel this is an unfair statement. Yes, realistically both in th US, New Zealand and many other countries the majority of the more affluent citizens are white with those in the lower economic bracket are black and Moari respectively. However, this is due to past political and historical events and ultimately, in their circumstances, it is more beneficial and easier to turn to crime. But that being said, there are also poor white criminals. Therefore, I think is would be more fair to say that ones economic situation, rather than their race, may determine the outcome of their judgement.
Thank you Lusy for your valuable comments. The whole thing would definitely need to be proof readed. And thank you for the offering of help. I may have to bother you later on :)
ReplyDeleteI have found statistics on crime rates from an America official webpage. However, it doesn't positively support the imposition of death penalty. Actually, it was frequently used to oppose death penalty within America. If we compare the statistics within USA, the crime rate of regions without death penalty is not worse than regions with death penalty. the crime rate of Some regions even look better then those where death penalty is imposed. However, I don't think figures should effect us from doing what is right. If death penalty is what those criminals deserve, we should impose it regardless the cost and how it will contribute to the crime rate.This is only my personal point of view. In fact, death penalty may not reduce the crime rate. Furthermore, no figures can guarantee it works in one country and will work in another country as well. The circumstance, culture,social group and history back ground all vary between one country to another.
Regard the racial effect, you can argue for sure. But it is a fact that the history of execution in New Zealand and America both show that race does effect the judgement. Therefore, it would possibly lead to further problems once death penalthy is re-introduced.
I think the points within my debate can all become another debatable topic. Such as some Christian may argue that people deserve forgiveness and mercy eventhough they committed serious crime. People may also argue that our government provides professional legal assistance to those poor citizens. People may argue that the statement within my debate imply that the lawyers of our legal aid system aren't good enough?
Death penalty is a big topic. There are books especially study this specific topic. I would like to involve good arguements, but I also don't want to be too much similar to many other debates that had already been raise.
I really appreciate your comments. They helped to clarify my point of view. I would try to make my arugment more logically and clearly during the proof reading. Once again thank you very much.
Yes, i fully agree with capital punishment. I think that prisoners in this country have it easy.. Its not really doing time, it more like holiday for them, everything is provided. And when they are released, what do they do nothing? Go on benefit and commit more crime..
ReplyDeleteIf death penalty is introduced in New Zealand, I think that this will get the message out to those harden criminal to straighten up. They have to ethically think if they want criminal actions done towards them, and if not why would they think (they the criminals) be okay to commit crimes upon other people if they don't want this done to them.
Hi Lydia, I too agree with capital punishment as our criminals are getting off too lightly. I spent my holidays at Jury service and found a man guilty for kicking his young daughter mulitple times yet all he was sentenced to was a few hours community service and a fine. Harder punishments need to be put in place as the daughter could easily be abused again. Other than that your blog is full of interesting statistics to show you have researched well but there are no in-text references to show where you got this information from?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes i agree, a proof read will make a big difference.
Sarah :)
Excellent topic! Something I often think about, and subsequently get very angry! When I think about offenders coming out of prison and back into the community with no support, rehab, or therapy, I find it to be our own Justice Systems fault that they reoffend.
ReplyDeleteI was very interested to read that statistically a black man is more likely to get the death penalty over a white man - come on people, racism is old school, let it go!
I would have to say that I too agree with the return of the death penalty, but I would really rather enjoy the introduction of the Torture Penalty: keep those bastard criminals alive, and torture them, that should teach them more than the escape of death ever would!
I can easily tell that I am in the minority concerning this topic. I disagree with establishing a death penalty, and while I am sympathetic to such arguments as culling society of those who truly deserve it, I cannot morally stand by it. Taking a life, by any standards, is something I find morally wrong, be it for justice or not. I do not believe sentencing someone to death will solve issues such as crime rate. There is a massive history behind capital punishment and I do not believe I have seen sufficient evidence that it works in discouraging crime, and even if I had, I could not stomach following the “eye for an eye” principle.
ReplyDeleteI will agree wholeheartedly that some sentences are laughable, as mentioned earlier. It becomes more like a break from life rather than imprisonment for the criminals. My own government is abysmal at dealing out proper punishment to some criminals, the most prominent example being rapists. They are delivered a sentence that does not compute with the crime committed, which I find is a sheer neglect of a society’s wellbeing. A rapist in Norway has the potential of walking the streets 8 months after being imprisoned, depending on the court and the trial.
However, be it rapists or other criminals, I do not see capital punishment as the solution. A death will not make up for crimes committed, that is an empty victory, if any victory at all. Tightening the prison systems, inventing more effective and efficient procedures, yes! I’m all for that! But God forbid we stoop so low as torture, as someone suggested in the comments. How can we hope to gain peace between people in this century if we resort to such archaic methods as torture? Someone else’s pain does not make up for the hurt anyone has gone through, that is a bloodthirsty urge that we should be well rid of in this modern day and age.
I disagree with what you are saying, you forgot to include that 97.5% of all murders that have EVER been commited in new zealand are solved. Also The death penalty extends from a time where religion dominated politics and therefore the legal system. the passage an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth is how the death penalty first came around. So a life for a life was commonly exceptable, but we as human beings have evloved past the point of blood satifaction and i personally would rather know that a killer of someone dear to me was kept alive and had the chance to repent and redeem themselve otherwise we are just as bad as they are in the terms that we murdered them, we may not be the ones that press the buttons but it is a consequence of our actions.
ReplyDeletecountries that have high UNSOLVED murder rates are also countries with capital punishment. The States for example, New Zealand has never had a serial killer in our history, sure we have had a few people whom snapped and went on a spree but that is part of the human condition. Serial killers are born out of a system that requires you to win to live, the harsher you make the penalties the harsher and more extreme you have people rebel against them.
One last thing i would like to comment on, Could you take the life of someone whom has no means of fighting back, tied to a bed or chair? the people they killed would of had a chance even if it was a slim one. why grant someone that has killed someone death when we don't grant it to people whom are dying a slow and painful one due to disease and famine.
Those are my thoughts on your topic. i strongly disagree with it.
I think crimes and murders are becoming more and more common here a New Zealand and a change needs to be made somewhere to reduce the violent crimes rate. An ethical topic capital punishment with great debate. A very difficult topic to choose a view on with so many valid arguments that you have made clear.
ReplyDeleteHowever I disagree with your opinion on this in that I wouldn’t like to see the death penalty re-introduced simply because I would hate to see someone falsely accused who was innocent and loose there life when not guilty. I believe harsher penalties for crimes in New Zealand are a must though. Criminals are getting off to light for murders and violent crimes and as you have stated there is a high re offending rate in New Zealand that needs to be addressed. Harsher penalties would hopefully lead to less crimes here in New Zealand. A change needs to be made!
It’s like killing someone for a reason that is ‘acceptable’ enough. “BECAUSE THEY MURDERED SOMEONE ELSE.” In my view that is as bad as committing the same crime all over again only that we (normal tax paying folks) are just and they (criminals) are obviously not! I also have to disagree with capital punishment.
ReplyDelete