Monday 11 October 2010

Charles Dickens on Capital Punishment

An interesting piece written by Charles Dickens which was reprinted in the John O'London's Weekly issue of June 4, 1927.

The very advocates of the Punishment of Death who contend, in the teeth of all the facts and figures, that it does prevent crime, contend in the same breath against its abolition because it does not! "there are so many bad murders," say they, "and they follow in such quick succession, that the punishment must not be repealed." Why is not this a reason, among others, for repealing it? Does it not show that it is ineffective as an example; that it fails to prevent crime; and that it is wholly inefficient to stay that imitation or contagion, call it what you please, which brings one murder on the heels of another?

Charles Dickens

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