The Relationship between Law and Criminality

Law and criminality, according to Dictionary.com, means "the principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people, whether int he form of legislation or of custom and policies recognized and enforced by judicial decision" and "the act of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or the interests of the state and that is legally prohibited" respectively.

Simply saying, law is the rules, while criminality is the act of breaking those rules. The purpose of these rules are to protect each person's rights and safety. Criminals are the individuals that have violated the human rights or caused danger to another individual, which are acts of breaking the law. Of course, because they have broken a law, they are subjected to a punishment. This punishment can be serving time in jail, community service or, in some countries, a death sentence, depending on the severity of the crime committed. As we all know, a punishment is not an enjoyable thing. Nobody likes to be punished. So giving out punishments to criminals is a way to prevent them from committing another crime and a way of preventing other individuals to commit a crime. 

This might make you think that punishment is what prevents crimes. This is true, but we must see that punishments are the result of breaking the law. Without law, criminality is a free act with no consequences. Therefore, it is really laws that prevents criminality and protects a community. This is the relationship between law and criminality.  

Death Penalty

Death penalty is a form of punishment where the person who committed the crime is sentenced to death. This type of punishment is being used globally for severe crimes like intentional murder, rape and/or abuse. 

Although it is used globally, this capital punishment has been the topic of debate for many years. In fact, it will probably continue to be an issue for the years to come. Let us take a look at the two sides of debate under this issue:

FOR

People who are pro death penalty usually give reasons such as justice to support their stand. They believe in the phrase, "an eye for an eye". Since death penalty is usually sentenced to people who committed first-degree murder, it is only fair that they receive the same fate.  Also, the people who chose this stand believe that nobody fears anything more than death, therefore using death penalty as a punishment is the most effective deterrence. For those people who believe strongly in faith, they look to the Bible, where it is stated in Exodus 22:18, "He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall surely be put to death." Because of this statement, they believe that death penalty should rightly be practiced because it is "approved" by God. 

AGAINST

People are against death penalty for different reasons. They feel like there is no point in executing a criminal because they can't undo the crime they committed. It is also very much possible that the person being executed is not guilty of the crime, but rather framed for it by the real criminal. If that happens, it is the same as killing the innocent. It is also stated that sentencing criminals to death penalty and executing it is far more expensive than just putting them in jail for life. Because of this, they believe that death penalty is not economical and only bring more suffering to the country. 

Personally, I am against the practice of death penalty. I find it simply illogical. The law tells us not to commit murder, so why is murder legal when it comes to killing criminals? They tell us to respect human rights, well the human rights state that everyone deserves the right to live. Nobody, not even criminals, should be killed by another man. I understand the people who say that it is a form of justice, because the criminal have killed others, so it is only right that they suffer the same. But the truth is, people who are on death row do not go through much pain, unlike the victims they murdered. Also, death penalty does not only involve the victim, judge and criminal. Have you ever thought about the person that has to be the one who kills the criminal? Imagine the guilt he has to live with. 

I just feel like there are other ways in which we can punish a person who has committed heinous crimes. How about solitary confinement? Or a lifetime in prison? Surely from all these alternatives, one is bound to work in keeping order. It is not right for the law to contradict itself and it is not right for it to be hypocritical. Murder is wrong, in any form, under any circumstances, therefore it should never be practiced.