Grace Dempsey

October 3, 2014
Student Choice Essay
The Wrongfulness of the Death Penalty
Should the death penalty be banned everywhere? Many people debate this topic.
The majority of people might state that the death penalty is perfectly fine, while others
state that it is very wrong. The death penalty is now banned in many states, but there are
still very many states that will still allow it. I personally believe that the death penalty is
wrong because it takes away the possibilities of a individual becoming a better person, it
shows that not everyone has equal power in our society, and it doesnt make the
situation any better. The capital punishment takes away the possibilities of someone
becoming a better person.
To begin with, the death penalty is wrong because it takes away the possibilities
of an individual becoming a better person. For example, a person might have done
something atrocious, but is willing to get help; they wouldnt even get a chance to try to
be a better person. A person might of done a crime while they werent in the right
mental state, by killing that person it would give people the idea that government
doesnt know how to approach a individual who is not mentally stable. Since the
government wouldnt know how to handle the individual with mental problems, they
would give them the death penalty other than seeking the right help needed for that
individual. A prisoner might have been in jail for a while to wait for their trail date, and
they might of decided that they wanted to try in their life, the person cannot try if they
are systematized to be killed. The death penalty is wrong because it not only takes away
the possibilities of a person becoming a better person, but it proves that not everyone
has equal power.
Secondly, the death penalty is wrong because it proves that not everyone has
balanced power in our society. A very good example is, if a person who is African
American kills a white person, then they would get the death penalty, but if it were the
opposite way then the white person would most likely get only a few years in prison
(National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1). It is stated that money
gets a prisoner a good defense team, so since most of the prisoners dont have any
money, they will most likely get the death penalty since they cant afford a good defense
team, while the wealthy prisoners dont get the death penalty since they have the money
for a good defense team, proving that not everyone is treated equally (Prejean, 1). Some
races also get treated better than other races. Documents show that in two thousand and
five, thirty-seven prisoners where given the death penalty, fifty-four point one percent of
those prisoners where African American, while only forty-three point two percent where
white people (Muhlhausen, 1). An individual might have been wrongly accused and no
one would believe the individual, so the jury gives the individual the death penalty,
killing an innocent person just because the jury wouldnt take the individuals side of the
story into consideration. The death penalty is wrong because it proves that not everyone
has equal power in our society, but it also does not help the situation.
Lastly, The death penalty is wrong because it does not help the situation. For
example, adolescents could be righteous, but gets the death penalty since there was no
evidence in the case. By killing adolescent it could cause a major outrage, making the
situation worse. Raymond A. Schroth stated, To kill the person who has killed someone
closely to you is simply to continue the cycle of violence which ultimately destroys the
avenger as well as the defender (1). By killing someone who has done something
unspeakable to someone, will not help end the victims familys agony and melancholy.
The jury might give the individual the death penalty, but by killing the individual will
only make their family sad making the situation worse since there is now many more
people involved. The death penalty is wrong because it does not help the situation in any
way.
In conclusion, the death penalty is very wrong. I believe that it is wrong because it
takes away the possibilities of someone becoming a better person; it shows that not
everyone has equal power in our society, and it doesnt help comfort the situation. This
is a very questionable case that many people will state is perfectly fine while others are
against it. Many states have banned the death penalty, but there is still very many that
allow it. Should the death penalty be banned?














References
Muhlhausen, David. "Death Penalty Pros and Cons." Does a Person's Race Affect
the Likelihood of Him/Her Receiving the Death Penalty? 1.1 (2007): 1. Web.
Schroth, Raymond. "Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty." Should the Death
Penalty Be Used for Retribution? 1.1 (2008): 1. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
<http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1004
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Death Penalty
Pros and Cons Does a Person's Race Affect the Likelihood of Him/Her Receiving the
Death Penalty?1.1 (2007): 1. ProCon. Web. 3 Oct. 2014.
<http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001187>.
Prejean, Helen. "Death Penalty Pros and Cons." Does a Person's Income Level
Affect the Likelihood of Him/Her Receiving the Death Penalty? 1.1 (1997): 1. ProCon.
Web. <http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001190>.