Page 4 - PowerE-L05-D

Lesson 1

Capital punishment

Capital punishment is a hot potato in Korea
nowadays. it’s a very controversial and debatable topic.

It’s not a black and white case. With the increasing

number of crimes each year in Korea, the question of
reinstating death penalty becomes more insistent. In the
past when heinous crimes were committed, the common

proverb was, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. In

other words, “if you kill by through sword, you die by
sword”. That is revenge and retribution. These days

though, the question of innocence or guilt, as well as the question of morality
or immorality has fallen into the hands of the law, the judgment of the juries

and the experience of judges. Thus, the question of whether we should punish
a criminal using the electric chair, the gas chamber, or lethal injection or other

capital punishment is something we should seriously ponder. Human life is

no longer put in the hands of God, but in man. We have two opposing camps:
those who think that it’s murder to execute, and that capital punishment does

not deter crimes. The other camp that believes that capital punishment is the
just thing to do. It’s the best way to stop crimes.

Comprehension

1. What are the new factors to consider in the legal process before

someone can be sentenced to death?
2. Why is the question of death penalty resurfacing?

Questions

1. What about you?
2. What do you think?
3. Take one side and defend it.

Vocabulary & Expressions

controversial: relating to controversy.
punishment: a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure
debatable: subject to debate or discussion is possible
reinstate: to restore to previous effective state
heinous: hatefully or shockingly evil
deter: to turn aside or to prevent from acting
capital: involving execution

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