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Punishment is a way to make people learn to behave according to regulations and norms of our societies. It is another question, however, that how well it works. Different methods of punishment are used in varying contexts, ranging from parental guidance to capital punishment. The question of fairness has often come up, since in different parts of the world the degrees of punishment vary greatly. Is there a solution for a way of punishment that would serve all purposes and be equal to all human beings?
In each country a governmental organisation sets up laws that citizens must obey. How, and in what degree the person has committed a crime depend on what kind of punishment he will receive. In our own system fines and jail sentences make up for the most part of the punishments. However, in countries like Singapore punishments have a very different form. Like in the instance of Michael Fay, an American 18-year-old who was convicted of vandalism and sentenced to a caning. The reason for this issue to get so much attention was that it was almost unheard for the Americans to realize that this kind of punishment was still used in the Far-East .
This raises a question of should we accept all ways of punishment? Would it be possible to construct a system where punishment would be the same in all societies? This would require tremendous amounts of work and dangerously enough, it would intrude in many religious aspects of many cultures. To create such a universal system sounds very utopistic, but to control its operation would be nearly an impossible task. Besides, why would we have to have a universal punishment system? Would it make all human beings more equal than what they are today? I don't think the considerable amount of effort that would be required in order to accomplish this would pay off in the long run .
The function of punishment is to reduce crime and misbehaviour in a given society. Laws give citizens a model to live by, while creating a sense of right or wrong in their minds. A person receiving a punishment also reflects this onto the society. People will realize the harshness of a crime and will picture in their minds that a certain kind of punishment is given when committing such a crime. This sounds very fare to all, but confusion arises when someone receives considerably different punishment for the same crime. Both James Walsh and Michael Kinley in their articles in Time Magazine deal with the question of fairness. According to Kinley, O.J. Simpson is in a situation where he cannot be punished very harshly - his celebrity is protecting him. The American public knows him well from his football days all the way up to appearances in movies. This gives him a wide protection from the public that is saying "he couldn't have done it". Is this fair for the rest of the citizens? If a person has committed a crime, shouldn't he be convicted like everyone else, and not let his celebrity be a soothing factor? This is one critical instance where inequality stands out clearly .
What is then the most effective way to punish a person who has committed a crime? Not only does the death penalty eliminate the person from causing any more harm to the society, but it is also quick and a cheap method for the society. But, not all crimes require the execution of a person. Jail sentences are used to lock up criminals for a period of time that can last for an entire lifetime, but it is not certain that this time will improve the person's behaviour .
The truth of the matter is that there is no solution for an all-equal punishment system - punishment will never completely stop crime. It seems difficult for people to understand that crime is always present in a society - therefore it seems to be part of the human mind. The only way to make sure that punishment works is by the use of the death penalty. But, this wouldn't take out the ' criminal ' in our minds - it would only create fear among people not to commit crimes, because the consequences are worse than what can be achieved by committing the crime . (That is how we feel and how we have been taught) It is an everyday matter that we have to live with and try our best to keep our society running as well as possible. A perfect society cannot be achieved by thorough ways of punishment, but without punishment, an organized working society would be next to impossible .
