The Pros & Cons of the Death Penaltyby Dusty Craine
Due to the rapid increase in crime the past ten years and prisonovercrowding, more attention has been drawn to the opinion that something has tobe done to the United States Criminal System.We need to reevaluate the way wetreat people we are convicted of unspeakable acts of merciless slaughter or evenrape.The United States Justice System must be made solid again.
Most people have an opinion on this heated subject.Some say “we needit” others say “the person pulling the switch would be no better than the personin the chair.”We need to look at other options beside prison.There are toomany murderers running loose because the jails were full of shoplifters and gangmembers.Some of these loose maniacs kill mere months later.For the sake ofargument lets look at the Pros and Cons.
The Pros: There are many reasons why the Death Penalty should be used again. There is too much money going into holding killers, rapists and psychos.Itcost more to hold one inmate one years than to put him through Harvard LawSchool.These people knew what they were doing when they did the crime, givethem consequences.There is also the “eye for an eye” argument.Make them feelwhat their victims felt.The punishment for murder right now is three squaremeals a day, a roof over their heads, a bed to sleep in, very often activitiesto do.That include Tennis, Weightlifting, or even Prostitutes.Lets changethe penalty for murder from country club to Death.
The Cons:“What if the man is innocent?”That is the flip-side.Sure it is easyfor us to say If they murder, kill them too.But what if the man is wronglyaccused and convicted of murder.What if the man was sitting at home alone, andtherefore had no alibi.Why would we want to kill a innocent man?I even ranacross someone who said the only true justice is divine justice, she said Godwill judge them.She said we had no right to establish guilt or innocence.
As you can see the Pros and the Cons are a convincing bunch.Mepersonally, I think we need the Death Penalty again.I also believe we have tochange a few things in courts though.I believe the accused should speak onhis/her own behalf.Making Polygraph tests mandatory would also save alot oftime.I will now conclude this paper with the question “What do you think?”
