Ethics

Ahmed Alqahtani – The Death Penalty and the War on Drugs

-In Chapter 21, why does Bright think that it would be harmful to society’s morals if we were to murder murderers, rape rapists, and torture torturers? Why does Bright think that the use of the death penalty undermines the standing and moral authority of the United States? Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Bright discussed some of the issues of death penalty in which why the United States should not use it. He pointed out the innocent people who were sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit. In general, there are tons of cases in the USA that accusing innocent people for crimes they never done it. That caused by failure of justice or not trying the best to find the truth. We can notice that in some cases the court or the officers will take the fastest, easiest way to close a case, which causes the failure of justice.

I personally agree and disagree with Bright. I agree that death penalty should not be a quick decision unless there are very clear evidence of the crime. For example, the Las Vegas shooting that happened in 2017, when a guy called Paddock was responsible for killing 58 innocent people who were just having fun. In this a case with such a terrorist attack, if that guy did not kill himself and was arrested, he clearly deserves to die.

-Which nations are the top executors in the world? How many citizens does the United States execute each year? What percentage of murders are punished with the death penalty? Is there a correlation between lower murder rates and greater use of the death penalty in the regions of the United States? Do people convicted of war crimes like genocide receive the death penalty?

The top nations executors are China with thousands of executions, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the United States with 22 executions in 2019.

Genocide are not punished with death penalty in societies that do not have capital punishment, as they do not see it necessary to engage killing in order to punish.

-In Chapter 27, Huemer argues that one has a right to use drugs. He also declares that this right is not absolute or exceptionless. Explain the author’s argument with support from your readings. Do you think this argument supports or refutes the war on drugs? Why?

I believe that Huemer’s point is similar to what is happening in California and other states that legalized Marijuana. Instead of fighting it, allowing it under some rules for safety and turn it into billion-dollar industry and give people the right to use it.

But in the case of drugs, I think it is a lot more complicated. The idea we have about a guy who takes drugs is like someone who is suiciding. The transformation that person goes through, from good to the very worst version of himself, is a prove how hazard it is. Legalizing it will make it just very easy for people to addict it, and the consequences of the addiction could harm other people and the nation.