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Running header: Capital punishment

Capital Punishment
Hunter Long
Maxine Patroni
11-17-14

Capital Punishment has been around for many years. It dates back to biblical times and
even before that. It has also has been a heated topic for many of Americans today and will be for
many years to come. Some of society believes that capital punishment or the death penalty,
should not be messed with while other people believe that the death penalty should be legal
everywhere.

Capital punishment has been a heated topic in America for many years. Capital
punishment is the lawful infliction of death as a punishment and has been in use in America
since 1608. The Bible prescribes death for murder and many other crimes, including kidnapping
and witchcraft. It has been inflicted principally for murder and rape in the last 200 years and
there have been over 15,600 executions since 1608, mostly by hanging up to 1900.(Kartha).
There are many Americans who believe that death penalty should be in every state. I am one of
the ones who think that the death penalty should be legal. Capital punishment is the death
penalty
given by the government of a country, to people who have committed hideous crimes like
homicide, rape, etc. Death penalty has been a way of punishing people since ages. There are
more pros than cons when you think about capital punishment. Capital punishment will take the
hardcore criminals out of jail that Im paying for with my tax dollars.
There are many advantages when it comes to the death penalty. A person who has
committed a crime like killing or raping another person should be given death penalty. When a
criminal is given the death penalty, it convinces other people not to commit crimes as serious as
the criminal given the death penalty. They wouldnt do the crimes due to fear of losing their
lives. This would help in reducing crime rate in America. If a criminal is put in prison, he could
possibly commit the same crime after being released from prison. Giving him death penalty
would make sure that people are safe. It seems to be an appropriate punishment for serial killers
and for those who continue to commit crimes even after serving imprisonment (Arguments for
and against the Death Penalty in the USA).

Money is a good reason why I believe that America should have the death penalty.
Americans have to pay taxes, and where does some of that money go? It goes to prisons to make
sure that the murderers and rapist have three meals a day, a place to sleep. Rather than spending
on a person who may again commit the same crime over and over again, it is better to put him to
death. Some people strongly believe that a person who has taken the life of another person does
not have a right to live. Sentencing such a criminal can give relief to the family members of the
victim that their loved one has justice. (Arguments for and against the Death Penalty in the
USA). It is also important for the safety of fellow prison inmates and guards, as people who
commit horrifying crimes like murder are believed to have a violent personality and may, in
future, attack someone during imprisonment. These reasons emphasize the importance of death
penalty for the safety and betterment of America. However, there is another section of people
who believe that it is an immoral and unethical act of violence.
There are some people that believe that capital punishment should be illegal. If we
execute a criminal, there will be no difference between us and the person who has committed the
crime of killing another person. Capital punishment is not always just and appropriate. It has
been seen that poor people have been put to death because they cannot afford good lawyers to
defend their case. Also, an individual from minority communities are more likely to be given
death penalty. Everyone is entitled to receive a second chance in life. Putting a criminal behind
bars is always an option than killing him, as there is a chance that he may improve. People who
have served life sentences are reported to have bettered their earlier ways of living. There is also
a chance that a person is innocent and is wrongly charged for a crime he has never committed.
(Arguments for and against the Death Penalty in the USA). There have been cases where people

were released after being given death sentence, because they were proved innocent. There are
also cases where a person's innocence was proved after he was put to death.
Capital punishment and the reasons that I have stated are why Im for it. It should be
legal in all 50 states. The pros outweigh the cons and more people should look into issues like
these because of the over population in prisons today and how our hard earned money is going to
the prisons to make sure the inmates get takin care of. This is why I am all for capital punishment
.

Reference Page
"Arguments for and against the Death Penalty in the USA." Arguments for and against the Death
Penalty in the USA. N.P., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/thoughtsUS.html>.
Kartha, Deepa. "Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment." Buzzle. Buzzle.com, n.d. Web. 05 Nov.
2014.
<http://www.buzzle.com/articles/10-pros-and-cons-of-capital-punishment.html>.
Phil. "The Pros and Cons for Capital Punishment." N.p., 13 Feb. 2008. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
<www.philforhumanity.comCapital_Punishment.html>.