Mirko Wagner
11/20/08
Death Penalty Paper
I am against the death penalty because I think a planned death is a punishment that no human should go through. Why am I against the execution? You will have to get to know in the following paragraphs.
In my opinion, it is a better punishment to have someone in jail for life than to execute him or her. If you are in jail for life, you have to think about what you did and why you did it. You have to be the rest of your life in jail, no matter what happens. On the other side, I agree with people who say that to know when you will die is a big pain in your head. But what happens if you are in jail for life? Do you think they will let you out before you die to enjoy the rest of your life? No! You will have a slow death of getting old or sick. It is a death every person would have to go through and it is also a big punishment.
Keeping them in jail is also much cheaper than execution. The L.A. Times wrote on March 6, 2005: “The California death penalty system costs tax payers $114 million per year beyond the costs of keeping convicts locked up for life.” Another interesting fact comes from the Police Chiefs Place and says that the death penalty is “last in the list of reducing violent crimes, whereas larger prison sentences is with 15% number four in the list.” That means that execution isn’t only expensive, it also doesn’t reduce the violent crimes.
A really important point in making up your decision to be either for or against the death penalty is, who makes the decision if you go to jail or get killed? Right, the lawyer, but is it every time the same lawyer? Are there differences between black and white victims? And how can the decision be influenced by money? No, it is not every time the same lawyer, so there are differences between the decisions. And it also matters either you are black or white. Especially in the past, you had a higher chance to not be executed if you were white and you killed a black person,...