Physical punishment
I would order physical punishment over death as my mode of repayment. Physical punishment, also known as corporal punishment, is the infliction of agony such as slapping, spanking, and flogging an individual for their wrongdoing. It is more common in developing nations and 19 states in the USA. For instance, about 26% of Americans believe that elementary school teachers should be allowed to flog and punish their students (Vockell, 2016). It is also found in developed nations and among educated people to emphasize discipline. Many people in society have grown up upright and self-disciplined through physical punishment. Parents and teachers often prefer this method as it helps in regulating lousy behavior among children. Therefore, the main aim of this paper will be to explain why I would order physical punishment over death as a repayment method.
I believe this type of punishment is useful when used in moderation as it is an effective way of deterring crimes. Nobody likes pain; hence using this type of punishment deters an offender from committing the same crime. Historically, corporal punishment such as pain, humiliation, and degradation help deter crimes. For instance, it was believed that amputating a pickpocket’s hand would reduce his ability to commit similar crimes. Another punishment for the pickpockets was putting a telltale mark on his head, indicating that he is a pickpocket, thus alerting his victims to the person that he is (Vockell, 2016). This means that using physical punishment scares the offender from committing the same crime in the future. More so, physical punishment acts as a form of reform and rehabilitation. The offender will often ask for forgiveness during the punishment process. The dread of physical agony would also motivate an individual not to re-offend later in life.
I also believe ordering physical punishment is more human compared to ordering death as repayment. For years, death exactions have been considered as a violation of the human right and cruel. It is also considered inhuman and degrading punishment. For this reason, international bodies fighting for human rights often oppose this method of punishment. More than 90 countries worldwide have abolished the death penalty as a form of punishing, and only a few countries practice it, such as Japan (Vockell, 2016). Therefore, using death as a repayment method would be considered a murder case since the law does not allow it. The reason is that killing a person regardless of the situation is considered a capital offense punishable by life imprisonment.
Physical punishment is cheap and easy to administer as it does not need anything apart from stick or hands. There is minimal or no cost associated with physical punishment. For instance, I did not need to hire someone to monitor detentions and punishments. It does not take a lot of time to administer the punishment. It takes less than an hour to administer the punishment. The cost of a wooden stick is negligible and can even be retrieved from the woods (Vockell, 2016). It provides the documentation as to why, when, and where the punishment was being administered is also not complicated. It does not require a lot of energy to administer corporal punishment.
Physical punishment is acceptable in some religions such as Islamic and Christianity religions. It has been used in countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, and other Islamic countries to deter the high rate of terrorist activities (Midgley,2018). In 1977, the military head of state, General Zia, expressed that he planned to acquaint whipping in Pakistan to mitigate the nation’s high paces of wrongdoing (Midgley,2018). He claimed that his efforts went hand in hand with the Islamic orthodox. In this case, a public whipping on the offenders was meant to inflict shame and degradation rather than inflicting physical pain. For this reason, the first corporal punishments were carried out in 1978, where 10,000 criminals were whipped in public (Midgley,2018). This is to show that physical punishment is something that is accepted in the religion; hence doing it is not against any religious beliefs. It is also a way of embracing the traditional practices.
Lastly, even though this type of punishment has been banned in some countries, it acts as an effective way of deterring wrongdoings. For instance, about 70% of American parents endorse corporal punishment, and over 90% have utilized physical discipline with their youngsters (Midgley,2018). More so, some societies still practice it as they believe it is a way of promoting discipline. Using physical punishment over death as a way of repayment has its significance. For instance, it is a form of revenge, an effective way of deterring wrongdoings, cost-effective, and acceptable by certain religions. However, I suggest that physical punishment should be used with moderation, as severe cases would cause death. Therefore, physical punishment should be administered correctly to avoid adverse outcomes. Physical punishments and spanking could sound cruel or inhuman, but it is the best repayment method.
References
Midgley, J. O. (2018). Corporal punishment and penal policy: Notes on the continued use of corporal punishment with reference to South Africa. J. Crim. L. & Criminology, 73, 388.
Vockell, E. L. (2016). Corporal punishment: The pros and cons. The Clearing House, 64(4), 278-283.
