In Jodi Picoult's author's note “Stop Thinking of Beliefs as Absolutes” the idea of the death penalty along with religious beliefs are considered through her book “Change of Heart.” Yet, throughout the whole author's note each point is explored throughly, even going into the history of religion through the example of the Gnostic Gospels. While reading the author's note ideas such as vengeance, dying wishes, the death penalty, the eight amendment, and religious absolutes. If given the choice between vengeance and saving a loved one, I would choose the saving the loved one. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary vengeance, by definition, is the “punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.” For that …show more content…
While it may be your enemies dying wish, you are still doing what you want and creating you own happiness out of that dyeing wish. As Epictetus stated, “there is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” Our enemies dyeing wish is undoubtedly beyond a person's will, therefore, why not make the best of it and not worry about weather your dreams are someone you hate's dying wish. Not only are you happy with your own wish but your enemy gets consolation that his dyeing wish was fulfilled. In this sense it is a win-win situation; you both get what you want in the …show more content…
Personally, I think that it is right to execute one who is guilty if they are without a doubt guilty. However, some say that capital punishment is not a deterrent and violent crimes rates are actually higher in death penalty jurisdictions. For instance, in her author's note Picoult stated that the “FBI Uniform Crime Report in 2004 showed that the south had the highest murder rate, even though it accounts for 80 percent of all executions.” Indeed capital punishment is not a deterrent but it does send out a message to those committing crimes worthy of the death penalty. If someone were to kill another person or were to torture another for the sheer joy of the act they should know that there are consequences. That is what the death penalty does more than anything, it sends out a message. In the words of Dame Agatha Christie, “too much mercy often results in further crimes which are fatal to victims who need not have been victims if justice had been put first and mercy second. Consequently, I think this is one of the main reasons that it is okay to execute one who is guilty; however, only if they are guilty beyond a