THE DEATH PENALTY
All through history, people have been murdered, and there have always been crimes. In the days
where Jesse James and Billy “the kid” ran loose, there was the gun slinging that brought justice to the
people. Whether it was a show down, or simply a hanging. In the early 1900s, the mafia sought out for a
new justice. Death has always become us, our society, so what is wrong with the death penalty? Is it just
to take someone else’s life?
Our prison systems are overfilled with inmates that cost us taxpayers 17,000 dollars to gold just
one inmate. So why, if I am talking about the death penalty, would I bring that argument up? Well,
inmates that have been convicted of killing someone and has a life sentence is taking up space, money!
They are going to be in that jail for a long time, which will cost society a great deal of money in the end.
Sentencing an inmate with the death penalty will save society a great deal of money not to mention
crowded jails. The punishment should fit the crime. Obviously someone that steals won’t be sentenced
to death, but what about the people who rape or kill someone? What is to stop them from doing it again?
Probably only death.
But then again, what if the system makes a mistake? What if a man is convicted of killing
someone that he never killed? The system is right 98 percent of the time. The percent usually comes
from minor crimes. There is little chance that someone is going to be convicted of murder who actually
didn’t do it. Do you think that Jeffery Dammer should just merely be sent to prison? Here is a man that
not only killed people, but was carnivorous about it. Would you feel at ease knowing that your tax money
was keeping him alive by feeding him and providing for his shelter? I know I sure wouldn’t. And what
about the people that lost a loved one because of him? Do you really think they would be at ease with
knowing their money was going to him? I don’t think so. So you see, the punishment must fit the crime.
I know you will think to yourself, because someone else take’s a life, that doesn’t mean that we
are allowed to take a life? Thou shall not kill! They will be justly served when they die naturally. Well,
part of that is correct. They will be just served when they die, but not necessarily natural. It is not the
people that would be killing the convicted felon. No. It will be the system that is ordering death. Believe
me when I say that I could never take another person’s life unless they threaten mine or someone else’s
life. Then, and only then, will it be just. When mosses split the sea so that he and his followers could
escape and then closed it on the Roman Empire, killing them all, he didn’t do it because he wanted to, yet
only to save the people. Do you think God punished mosses? (God. The Bible.)
And just what kind of device should be used for the death penalty? Well, we have already had
the guillotine, the gas chamber, the electric chair, and even hanging. Among others of course. Now there
is lethal injection. But no matter what kind of device is used, there will be someone to make it work. But
they will only be doing there job. When dealing with the death penalty people try to make it as less
gruesome as it can possibly be. People in today’s society wouldn’t want to see the guillotine although it
would be most effective as well as cost effecient. There would be no cost for bullets, gas, poison or
electricity. Simply cutting a rope. The problem is that Americans don’t want to see a man’s head being
chopped off. (Most Americans.) Why not I say? That doesn’t make me a bad person. I have never taken
a life, in fact, I saved two lives from the same person, both time he was drowning. I give every person the
benefit of the doubt, but when it comes down to someone taking a life from someone else by killing them,
then that’s where I draw the line. And I feel that any method we use will be just, but the most effecient
would be, like I said before, the guillotine.
In closing, the death penalty isn’t something so wrong that people should protect themselves
against the thought, yet rather give it a great deal of consideration. You should try to think of yourself as
someone who has lost a loved one because someone else thought that it was a nice night to kill somebody.
Or that it is alright to abuse someone sexually and ruin their life. In these cases I believe that the
punishment is just and that it should be implied, which it is in some states, and that all states would follow
that justice will truly be served, and jails will be less condensed, and less money will be going to
something that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Note: the most important thing to remember here is that asking questions does not make an
argument. An argument is built from premises. This essay is completely devoid of premises and
therefore contains NO argument. Beyond that, there is no support for any of the author’s ideas,
and the essay contains numerous factual errors (not to mention grammar and spelling errors).
While it is true that the author forcefully states his (and it is a he) opinion, bear in mind that
“opinion” has no place in college-level writing UNLESS it is backed up with a logical, well-
supported argument.