Capital Punishment and the American Dream The signing of the constitution of the United States of America, an admirable

feat just by itself, not only renewed a country but also a dream. This dream, Stemming from the freedom in which this very nation was founded in, has powered the hopes and aspirations of immigrants and people of all backgrounds for generations. Everyone was drawn to it. What made this dream so appealing? The sense of freedom, infiniteness like Cervantes once proclaimed, The skys the limit. It embodied a sacred set of ideals that morality and hard work and fairness shall always prevail. However, today the issue of capital punishment is limiting this very dream. The death penalty, by immorally sending our brethren to once and for all doom, is hindering the further development and realization of the inspiring American dream. How can the United States, as a nation and society, move forward if capital punishment continues to act as a gaping gash in the wings of freedom? In the United States, Actions are limited by guidelines and are thus not unlimited. Murder is forbidden but what kind of state is it that forbids its citizens to kill any human being, but not the state itself? The laws clearly forbid such injustice, so how come the government is allowed to sidestep these laws. Even the constitution of the United States of America proclaims that all men have the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This nation prides itself on its previously outstanding human rights record and as the land of opportunities. By continuing the practice of capital punishment, The United States is effectively hindering the further growth and realization of the American dream. Capital punishment is unpopular and is clearly contrasting to the ideals of the American dream. Once the death penalty has been dished out there is no going back, guilty or innocent. That life is gone forever. In contrast the American dream is about opportunities and chances to rebuild oneself and his or her family. The death

Qiu 5 penalty is too extreme and instead it should be replaced with more lenient sentences so that offenders will actually have opportunities to redeem themselves, as adhering to the guidelines of the American dream. Furthermore the American dream can also be defined as a set of moral codes. For example, treat others with the same dignity and respect one would like to receive for him or her. Capital punishment not only destroys dreams but also is entirely contradictory to the moral codes as described above. How is it moral to stoop down to the level of the offender and punish murderers with murder? What gives the state this right? In addition, this paradox can have lingering repercussions. In the digital world that is today, news and information spreads fast and perceptions of certain entities or states can be ever changing. With the continuance of such an outdated practice in the twenty first century, America is tarnishing its reputation and distorting the perception of herself in the eyes of her peers. She is depicting herself as a backward and stubborn state. In conclusion, the death penalty is an irrevocable punishment. By both immorally and unjustly applying the irrevocable death penalty on offenders and thus preventing these offenders from redeeming themselves, The state is negating fairness and moral codes the dream stand for and the opportunities to succeed that the American dream so advocate for. And consequently, world opinion of the United States have taken a tangent and the perception American dream of morality and opportunities does not apply to all, which means that this dream becomes instead a mental or fictional idealization of the future that is unlikely to be realized by anyone.

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