By Thanatcha S. There is no denying that the harsh times of the present have affected people in ways that might turn them to a life of crime. Being a spy, a terrorist, or a murderer is considered the worst crime and often carries the most severe penalty: capital punishment, also known as the death penalty. These practices are being implemented on adults as well as juveniles. Nonetheless, many questions have been raised whether the death penalty should be used on juveniles under the age of 18, since they are still basically children. This article addresses this issue and asks whether young offenders should be given the death penalty for their capital crimes. According to the American Civil Liberties Union in 2022, 228 children under the age of 18 in the United States have been given the death penalty. 21 of them have been executed, and 80 still remain on death row. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering the constitutionality of the juvenile death penalty. Many believe that such a barbaric practice should be eliminated. It is argued that children should not be considered equal to adults because they are not as culpable for their behavior and their actions. Moreover, international human rights law has already prohibited the death penalty for juveniles under 18. Killing young people is not going to solve the inherent problems of modern violent society. So we should look beyond the easy way out for a true solution. Some people suggest that a child who has committed a brutal crime should have a stricter punishment and tougher treatment, which includes the death penalty. Nevertheless, executing young people is not the answer. Instead, society should be looking to educate and improve young people. Juvenile law should not be equal to adult law because children lack adequate experience to understand their actions like adults. This has already been recognized by a Supreme Court decision in 2005.
Young criminals should not be given the death penalty. Being punished in this way is unfair and it also is not the right solution. Children do not understand their behavior as adults do, and therefore they should not be held accountable for their crimes according to the same standards. If we are aiming for a healthy and safe society, executing young people is not the way to go. a
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
|