I defy anybody who reckons that life imprisonment isn't worse than death to spend a decade or two in San Quentin and not acquire suicidal tendencies.
And neither do you, Steve.

I heard the best argument against capital punishment expressed in a letter to a newspaper several years ago: to sentence anybody to death we would need an utterly infallible justice system. No justice system that has ever been created (or ever will be) that is infallible.
I can just about live with the deathg penalty for attempting a coup d'etat or espionage in time of war, however.

"DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU."

What do you think will happen to crime rates in this country if Capital Punishment is abolished? You surely cannot believe it will go down. We all reap what we sow and everyone should be prepared to accept the consiquences of their actions. If you take the life of another than your life shall be taken as well. It is right. It is Just.

Anyone who thinks that prison is worse than death is grossly misinformed. This year, in California (under Grey Davis, no doubt) the prison systems recieved more funding than that of schools. This money went to buying TVs, pool tables, exercise equipment, etc. I wouldn't mind playing pool. I doubt this is anyone's idea of torture.

You claim that innocent people have been put to death but you offer no hard evidence. I'm sure Charles Dickens was a bright man and a good writer of fiction stories but the tales he writes of are not true. Fiction. I'm sure innocent people have been put to death but when ytou are trying to influence someone you should offer something more real.

I have nothing agaist Capital Punishment; anyone who recieves the death penalty is getting what they deserve.

The only beef I have is with the juducial system itself. A cop killer dodged Capital Punishment just last month in California by pleading self-defense. I'm not going to go into details but I will tell you that this is plainly a lie. This man killed an officer in cold blood. It is incedents like these when I have no choice but to doubt the system.

I believe I'm begining to stray from the topic at hand so I'll stop myself here.

'Til Next Time,
B. Frank

You don't get killed for High Treason? Not even if you kill the Queen? Didn't know that. Thank you for bringing me up to date Loganberry!

I don't know why people keep assuming that those against the DP have no experience of such crimes themselves.

Hmm. Did some research...

The firing squad is only used in Utah, and is optional (the condemned can select lethal injection instead, and if he doesn't make a selection is sentenced to lethal injection). Hanging was used in Washington and Delaware, but in both states, the laws were changed to allow only lethal injection for new cases by the 1990s.

Also, it's a small point, but in an essay such as this, it's a glaring error: it is homicides in the first degree (premeditated) that are usually capital crimes, and even then, only with aggravated circumstances (i.e., the victims were brutally beaten, raped, stabbed, etc.).

I wonder--if life is so much more horrible than the death penalty, then why are prisoners so willing to cut deals with the prosecution? In my native Washington, a man named Gary Ridgway--the Green River Killer--pled guilty to 48 first-degree murders. Why? Because Washington State agreed not to seek the death penalty in his case. (Of course, Oregon still has a shot at him for two murders.)

Also, I've never understood the "capital punishment is wrong, and life imprisonement is more horrible, anyway" argument. Aren't you opposed to the death penalty because you feel it is so horrible? If that's true, then why would you favor something that you say is even more horrible?

~He Who Walks On All Fours

Eloquently written essay. Very opinionated and strong statements are enforced. Format needs a little more work, and the divided thesis sounds awkward. Try to avoid contractions. In the introduction, start off with a 'worldly' situation -- in other words, provide a situation that will help lead into the point of your thesis; don't just jump in about what you will talk about write away. Some sentences are a little awkward too. Some grammar problems. Be careful with pronouns; you don't want to confuse your reader. Overall, an excellent essay.

As for the point of your essay: capital punishment is an attempt of the government to try and serve justice as best as they can. A life sentence does not appear to be a punishment. If anything, it gives the criminal an excuse to live lazy and receive shelter and sustenance for free. Until you've experienced the death of a family member due to some criminal psychopath's urges, then you can't really say that you don't wish death upon anyone.

Who knows, maybe death is not the easy way out. After all, no one knows for sure what lies beyond death.

Anyway, sorry for rambling on and on, it's the curse of being the daughter of an English teacher and a criminal prosecutor (which is how your essay caught my eye).

I totally agree with you.. er not. Capital Punishment is fair and just. As for the litature you pointed out... well they arent based on facts. The common Death Sentence trial takes YEARS and years and years, because of all the appeals and crap one can have. The person is given there chance to prove that they are innocent and then the defense is given the chance to prove they are guilty, and you need a more then a little evidence against someone to get them the Death penalties.

By the way I thought hanging was banded as a form a Capital Punishment. Or at least here in the USA, as for the fire squad thing, I believe that is an option in which the condemn gets to pick there form of execution.

I'd also like to say if I committed a hurrendous crime, let's say, I snipered off mis-informed liberals for a few months were the death toll I caused was well over a dozen or so and I was caught on the scene with my beautiful rifle in my hands, I'd tell you this, I'd prefer a life sentence where everything is paid for me to live. Instead of the Death Penalty, however I would deserve the Death Penalty.

The Death Penalty is only morale, but in most cases it is Just. The bible even says so, and if you are presently without a god. It is still morale, if a person shot slit your mothers throat, wouldnt you at least want to see the same happen to the killer? Personally if someone killed one of my family members and they didnt get the Death Penalty, Id have to kill the person myself and then if I got the Penalty, I'd tell you this Id walk into with my head up high, justice was served and it would be served on me next.

Well hope I didnt rant to much, have a nice day and try hard not to get convicted of triple homicide or something.


~C Shot~

Interesting essay, though it could maybe have done with a little clarifying in places.

My view is simple: the death penalty is immoral, full stop. It's now a condition of membership of the European Union that member countries abolish the DP in all circumstances (yes, including treason, Guin - you're out of date there!), and I'm glad that it's the case.

this was okay, but the format is kind of messed up. i think the death penalty is wrong too.

We talked about the exact same thing in Religion. But hey, it was Religion so obviously our discussion would've been against it.

In a way, capital punishment is the best punishment. An eye for an eye, right? If a man killed 48 prostitutes because he thought they would go unnoticed by the general public (which actually happened here), I would think that sentencing him to capital punishment would be the most logical solution. I don't care if the guy suffers or not, I'd want him dead so he won't be able to hurt anyone else. And as Steven Lawrence said already, prison isn't exactly hell, since the gov't pays for the prisoners' quality of living even if it isn't topnotch.

Maybe I'm heartless, but in certain situations I would think it's logical to use capital punishment, but not necessarily right to use it. Capital punishment in itself is horrible but some do deserve it.

My teacher thinks the same way as you do. He said that being isolated from society for the rest of your life is a horrible thing to go through. I think the fear before one's own death is the most frightening.

But that's just me.

Wonderfully written opinionated piece, btw.

A lot of the momentum behind the death penalty isn't morals or lack thereof. Many people believe in it becuase, for some victims, the death of a murderer can provide closure to the matter. Think of it this way: you're the family member of someone who was murdered. The person you love most in the world is now dead. The killer is still alive. From your point of view, that wouldn't be just.

It's easy for people who have never been affected by a violent crime to talk about how easy it is to forgive and how another death won't solve anything; for some people, you see, for some victims, it does.

First thing: you might wanna fix your formatting...it came out kinda weird.

As a teenager, you're not really privy to all the facts or how the criminal justice system truely operates, so tearing you to shreds in a flame of sorts would be pointless on my part.

However, I ask you a few simple questions: while capital punishment might be immoral (to you), and you choose giving them life sentences--where do you think the money would come from to build prisons? You're talking about overcrowding alot of prisons.

While in theory it sounds like leaving someone in jail for the rest of ther life is terrible--you're thinking about it in a sane manner. Some murderers in prison under life sentences don't care--they actually laugh about it because now the state pays for everything: food, bed, medical, etc.

And what if the murderer kills someone in prison? He's already serving life--what are you gonna do then?

Hence the fundamental problem with your theory--it's hard to answer about the holes it poses.

--Steve

That's one of the things I like about this country. No capital punishment unlees you commit high treason (and oddley enough, set fire to the Queen's docks, but But I don't think that'd pass a jury nowadays!)I agree with you, we should make them suffer, and not give them the easy way out, life-sentence allows them to regret what they've done, while death is it, nothing more.