Create a 1 page essay paper that discusses Analysis: The Penalty of Death, by H.L.Mencken.Download file to see previous pages... The problem with kartharsis as it relates to capital punishment, though

Create a 1 page essay paper that discusses Analysis: The Penalty of Death, by H.L.Mencken.

The problem with kartharsis as it relates to capital punishment, though, is that to be really satisfying, it has to be more immediate. In the U.S., criminals languish on death row for many years before their sentence is carried out, so Mencken, with his characteristic humor and wit, does not see how capital punishment benefits society. The need for katharsis is so strong in regards to capital punishment that it even bypasses what Mencken calls “Christian charity.” Mencken uses other words to say, “The punishment must fit the crime” for capital punishment to be really satisfying. He states, “But when the injury is serious Christianity is adjourned, and even saints reach for their sidearms,” which is a great line. Perhaps one of the reasons the 9-11 Attacks have been so painful for this country, other than the tragic loss of life, is that we did not get enough katharsis out of it. Osama bin Laden is still at large almost ten years after 9-11. We invaded Afghanistan immediately, and we were not able to find WMDs in Iraq. Mencken would find our reaction a normal human response but would point out that this country’s desire for revenge is not an effective venting of emotion, and that we like the child who tries to get back at his teacher by putting a tack on her chair.