Recently somebody engaged me about the Death Penalty on its morality or its lack of morality. To say the truth I have always been a bit torn about the death Penalty, I have always had mixed feelings about it but it’s not because of the morality of it.
I find the death penalty to lack the X factor. Hanging has no element of surprise, it lacks the Artistic detail. It is a rather unceremonious way to end a criminal’s life. Death is the most important moment in any ones life and everybody deserves a Ceremonial and dramatic death, especially a criminal. The death of a criminal should be a climax to the life of crime. The death of a criminal should be a camera moment
To me the death Penalty is a bit too cumbersome, there is a very long process before the Hangman is assigned a neck. There has to be numerous trials, numerous appeals, a Mercy Tribunal and then a President has to append a signature. This is a rather uneconomical procedure just to squeeze the neck of a convict. The problem of course is the procedure not the Hanging.
The other problem with the death penalty is its nature. Some think that the death penalty is too cruel and uncivilized. Others think its value as punishment is nil since there is no lesson learnt as the convict does not survive a hanging, but that is a little inconvenience. Look at this way, Life imprisonment does not teach any lessons either, does it?
I find the death penalty to lack the X factor. Hanging has no element of surprise, it lacks the Artistic detail. It is a rather unceremonious way to end a criminal’s life. Death is the most important moment in any ones life and everybody deserves a Ceremonial and dramatic death, especially a criminal. The death of a criminal should be a climax to the life of crime. The death of a criminal should be a camera moment, which is why I prefer a coldblooded shooting by the police in the street. A police shooting of a criminal is spontaneous and this gives it the element of surprise. Most criminals die with awkward facial expressions and poses, this is the art factor. The art is further enhanced by the blood splattered on the canvas of the scene. The death penalty lacks all these factors and that makes a police shooting a hallmark of art, justice and Drama. Sadly a lot of innocent people have been killed by the police so this method lacks precision.
I guess the Hangman is the last best hope. Kenya has not hanged anybody since the 1980s and It is time we employed a Hangman and bought a rope.
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