Drug Dealers
The discussion on the appropriate punishment for the drug dealers has been ongoing for a long time without a clear standpoint. In order to determine the punishment that would befit these criminals, it is necessary to have a look at the implication that their actions have to the society. Trading of drugs is harmful to the society and may even lead to deaths for users. Majority of the drug dealers target the youth as their main market and then ensure that they are hooked on drugs in order to provide a constant market. Whenever a young person is hooked to drugs at that age, it is almost impossible for them to go back and withdraw easily (NIDA). This leads to a situation where they lose focus in their lives while still a young age. It is thus befitting to say that drug dealers indeed kill the futures of the young people of the society. Constant use of drugs by any user becomes addictive and could have adverse effects in the future. For users of hard drugs, it is likely that they suffer both mentally and physically, with some cases leading to death (Califano, 65). The responsible parties for these deaths are the drug dealers who solicited trade with the user. Thus, it is only fair that a death penalty is imposed to them as they either have killed or have an intention and purpose to do the same through drug dealing.
One of the characteristics of drug dealing is that it is an expensive trade. In most high profile cases, the news is always about the huge value of income that these people have for their involvement in crime. According to Cohen, it is possible for a drug dealer to make 813,000 dollars annually (Cohen). This is a lump sum amount of money especially considering that these individuals work for approximately 15 hours per week. Since the trade is illegal, it does not necessarily help the country as no taxes can be collected from it. The implication of this is that it damages the economy in that there are a few individuals evade taxes, yet they have a constant flow of cash (Cohen). Furthermore, such cases can also be treated as evasion of taxes. If these individuals are given some years to serve in prison, it will only be a matter of time before they go back to the trade after release. Keeping them in jail for a lifetime is also unfair to the taxpayers since there will be enormous maintenance costs for upkeep. This is especially considering that when soliciting their trade, they do not pay taxes to help and build the nation. It is thus evident that these drug dealers hurt the country in general, and the only punishment should be the elimination through the death penalty.
Apart from the damage that drug dealing causes to the whole country generally, many ramifications are brought about by the vice to individual lives. Once an individual is hooked to substance use, it is almost impossible for them to leave the vice. Some of the common drugs like marijuana and cocaine are especially immensely popular amongst the youths. The trend of users has become worse in the recent years with reports of teenagers using drugs. This ruins the health of the future generation mentally and physically. Apart from the direct implication that drugs have on an individual, there are indirect effects that are likely to occur. Reports suggest that some of the accidents that occur in the society involve or are caused by an individual with cases of drug abuse. This explains the massive increase in road related accidents in the last few years (Califano, 65). It is thus evident that the drug dealers affect the lives of innocent people who may not be necessarily hooked on to drugs. Concisely, this can all be described as murder or intention to murder. It would be unfair to the whole society if drug dealers were either to go scot-free or to jail for some time considering the substantial risk that they pose to the whole society. In order to avoid such a scenario where the deaths of the innocent go unpunished, it is necessary to have capital punishment for the drug dealers.
Drug dealers do not benefit the country in any way since most of the time they lead to the downfall of the economy. Whenever an individual is convicted to face jail time, the state has to pay for the maintenance of the whole period. Majority of the current cases involving drug dealers culminate into a maximum time penalty that mostly involves life sentence. This implies that the government has to maintain the individual in jail for the rest of their lives. This becomes a burden to the rest of the community since it has to pay more taxes than earlier in order to support a harmful criminal. This is extremely unfair since there are other burning issues that the government can attend to with the taxpayers’ money. It is senseless to have a dangerous criminal under the funds of the same people that they are trying to harm in the society (Behren). The situation is even worse if they are to come out of jail and return to the society to trade drugs. It is thus necessary to eliminate them from the society using death penalties. Supporting drug dealers in prison for the rest of their lives is an encouragement to those who may have no way out in the society especially since their trade alienates them from their own families. The best option is to eliminate them from the society to ensure that the behavior becomes unacceptable even to their own families.
When considering such a monumental decision that could have massive implications in the society, it is essential to have the perception of the public. One of the states with the highest crime rates is California, mainly due to the lifestyles of the people in the State. A recent study sought to find out what the perception of the public was in the matter of introducing the death penalty for the drug dealers. The results suggested that 70% of those sampled would rather have the death penalty (Bedan et al, 188). Majority of the decisions of this section was because they are criminals. Others went on ahead to cite that it was a burden to them as taxpayers to pay for the comfort of criminals in the jails. Therefore, majority of the society believes that drug dealing is a serious offence that requires a maximum penalty, and that jail time is indeed a waste of time and resources. Furthermore, there is evidence that shows that in states that have the death penalty, albeit for other reasons, have low crime rates compared to those without (Rubin, 855).
Counter arguments
It is imperative to point out that the death penalty on drug dealers does not have full support from the whole society. At least 25% of those interviewed in the study suggested that it is not appropriate to have the capital punishment because of the issue (Ariane). Some of the main reasons cited for this are that it does not solve any problem when these offenders are eliminated (Robert et al, 618). This section of the society argued that the most appropriate punishment is life imprisonment and many therapies for the offenders. The arguments also argued along the lines of religion. A section of the society believes that killing an offender does not change the fact that it is also murder (Robert, 323). A cross section of this category also argues that the current death penalty system is at fault since it has many loopholes that a criminal can use to escape and thus lead to their acquittal.
Response to the counter arguments
It is true that executing someone even for security reasons is still a form of murder. However, there have to be checks and balances in every society. Executing criminals who pose a significant risk to the rest of the society should be considered as unavoidable. This is because it causes more benefits than harm when this section of wrongdoers is eliminated from the society. If this group is left to survive in the society, it will surely lead to more deaths than earlier before. It also becomes a burden to the society if it has to provide the upkeep of these criminals in the jails (Behren). It is not right that people with such a serious risk to the society should be sentenced to a comfortable life in prison while the victims of their trade are still languishing in mental hospitals and possibly to the graves. The conditions in jail are too comfortable and relaxing to accommodate perpetrators of such crimes. Furthermore, it is likely that this group of criminals contact the outside world while still in prison and continue to cause more harm to the society while still alive.
Conclusion
Drug dealers are some of the worst criminals in the society since they affect many sectors. Drug dealing leads to addiction to the users that could result to health complications. At times, this may even lead to fatal injuries or death. Drug dealers do not have any benefit to the society as they make a lot of money and still do not pay taxes. When these perpetrators are arrested and convicted to imprisonment, most cases lead to a long time in jail. This is strenuous to the people, as they have to pay taxes to support the stay of the criminals in prison. Studies show that the majority of the public prefers the death penalty for drug dealers especially due to the high risk that they pose to the society when they are alive. When in jail, it is possible that they still have contact with the outside world and thus could still be dangerous to the society. The most appropriate punishment for drug dealers is the death penalty since it is necessary that they are eliminated from the society fully.
Works cited
Bedau, Hugo Adam., and Paul G. Cassell. “In Defense of the Death Penalty.” Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment? : The Experts on Both Sides Make Their Best Case. New York: Oxford UP, 2004. 186-93. Print.
Behren, Stephanie. How many people are incarcerated for drug related offenses? Open salon. 2010. http://open.salon.com/blog/stephannie/2010/05/16/how_many_people_are_incarcerated_f or_drug_related_offenses
Califano, Joseph A. “Chapter 5: America’s Deadliest Epidemic.” High Society: How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What to Do about It. New York: Public Affairs, 2007. 65- 66. Print.
Cohen, Ariane. A Drug Dealer. New York. New York publishers. 2007. Internet. http://nymag.com/news/features/2007/profit/32888/
National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. New York: NIDA, 2011. Internet. http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/media-guide/science-drug-abuse- addiction
Robert West, et al. “Drug Trafficking: Time To Abolish The Death Penalty.” International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction 8.4 (2010): 616-619. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Oct. 2012
Robert West, et al. “Drug Trafficking: Time To Abolish The Death Penalty.” Journal Of Groups In Addiction & Recovery 4.4 (2009): 322-326. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
Rubin, Paul H. “Don’t Scrap The Death Penalty.” Criminology & Public Policy 8.4 (2009): 853- 859. Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
NEP
National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. New York: NIDA, 2011. Internet. http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/media-guide/science-drug-abuse-addiction
Paraphrase
There has been a rise in the cases that involve drug abuse in the recent years especially amongst the youths.
Summary
There are different categories of drug users and addicts have a 40% of relapsing once they embark on treatment.
Robert West, et al. “Drug Trafficking: Time To Abolish The Death Penalty.” Journal Of Groups In Addiction & Recovery 4.4 (2009): 322-326. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
Paraphrase
The death penalty is not effective both generally and in particular in the cases that involve drug dealing.
Summary
Not only should the death penalty be eliminated for the drug dealers but also generally.
Califano, Joseph A. “Chapter 5: America’s Deadliest Epidemic.” High Society: How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What to Do about It. New York: Public Affairs, 2007. 65-66. Print.
Paraphrase
Majority of deaths in the country are as a result of ill health that is sometime scaused by the consumption of substance.
Summary
The text goes into details on how drugs can lead to cancer, heart attacks and other fatal diseases like HIV/AIDS.
Cohen, Ariane. A Drug Dealer. New York. New York publishers. 2007. Internet. http://nymag.com/news/features/2007/profit/32888/
Paraphrase
Drug dealers are amongst the highest pais earners considering that they do not submit taxes. It is possible for a dealer to garner a profit of $813,000 per year.
Summary
Drug dealers target everyone as their customers ranging from the rich clientele to the poor night runners.
Behren, Stephanie. How many people are incarcerated for drug related offenses? Open salon. 2010. http://open.salon.com/blog/stephannie/2010/05/16/how_many_people_are_incarcerated_for_drug_related_offenses
Approximately 50% of the prisoners in federal jails are there because of drug dealing cases, with California having 20%.
Summary
Drug dealing is the single case with the most convicts in the jails, thus use most of the taxpayers’ money.
Bedau, Hugo Adam., and Paul G. Cassell. “In Defense of the Death Penalty.” Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment? : The Experts on Both Sides Make Their Best Case. New York: Oxford UP, 2004. 186-93. Print.
Paraphrase
70% of the people interviewed on whether the death penalty should be introduced for the drug dealers agreed while 25% said it was not the most appropriate idea.
Summary
The conclusion of this book is that majority of America actually wants the introduction of the death penalty for the drug dealers.
Robert West, et al. “Drug Trafficking: Time To Abolish The Death Penalty.” International Journal Of Mental Health & Addiction 8.4 (2010): 616-619. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
Paraphrase
The death penalty is ineffective since it does not deal with the real problems that cause drug dealing.
Summary
This is a counter argument on the introduction of the death penalty for the drug dealers as it may not be as effective as it seems.
Rubin, Paul H. “Don’t Scrap The Death Penalty.” Criminology & Public Policy 8.4 (2009): 853-859. Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
Paraphrase
The article argues that the death penalty does indeed act as a deterrent to related vices in the society.
Summary
Arguments on looking for alternative methods to handle drug dealers are welcome, but the real danger is still in the poor neighborhoods and thus the death penalty should not be abolished.
