The Penalty of Death

-          H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)

 (The essay tries to persuade the readers about the necessity of the penalty of death.)

            Capital punishment is often protested. The protestors think that executing a man degrades the executor and revolts the witness, and that it does not discourage people from committing more crimes.

            The hangman’s job is not as unpleasant as many other jobs such as the jobs of a plumber, that of the soldier, that of the garbage-man, etc. Moreover, no hangman has ever complained about his work.

            The protestors think that the sole aim of punishment is to discourage people. It is not true. It also works as a tool to ‘Katharsis’. It means the punishment provides relief to the victims and the general public who believe in justice. They get peace of mind as they see the criminal suffering. Unless they are satisfied, they are in emotional tension.

            A crime of large scale creates a sense of insecurity in the community. Every law-abiding citizen feels menaced and frustrated. Until the criminals are brought to book, the unhappiness continues. For ordinary crimes, the death punishment is not needed. But grave crimes need to be checked with capital punishments because it is the demand of the public.

            The protestors of the capital punishment actually do not want its extermination. Instead they do not like the American way of lengthening the process. One who gets the death sentences cannot choose immediate death. He has to wait for his death for months and years when his lawyers keep showing him useless hope to draw out his money. Thus, he is tortured immensely.

            Therefore, a criminal should be hanged immediately after he has been awarded death sentence. He doesn’t need to wait for years for the God’s pardon.