Some people believe that without the death penalty, our lives are less safe and violent crimes increase, so capital punishment is necessary to control violence in society. I disagree with this opinion for several reasons.
On the one hand, I understand why some people support the death penalty. They believe that people will be afraid to commit serious crimes, such as murder, if they know they may be executed. They also think that it is fair for criminals who have killed other people to lose their own lives. In addition, executing dangerous criminals means that they can never commit crimes again.
On the other hand, I do not think that the death penalty is necessary to control violence. Firstly, there is not much evidence that the death penalty reduces crime. Many countries that do not have the death penalty, such as Canada, Norway and most European countries, have lower murder rates than some countries that use it. This shows that the death penalty does not make people safer. Secondly, many violent crimes happen when people are angry, drunk or using drugs, so they do not think about the punishment before they act. Thirdly, the justice system can make mistakes, and innocent people may be executed. For example, in the USA, many people on death row were later found to be innocent.
In my opinion, there are better ways to control violence. Firstly, dangerous criminals can be put in prison for life, which also protects society. Secondly, the government should solve the causes of crime, such as poverty, unemployment and drug addiction. Thirdly, the police should be more effective, because people are more afraid of being caught than of the punishment.
In conclusion, I disagree that capital punishment is essential to control violence. Other methods are more effective and do not risk killing innocent people.