Death Penalty

Essay by chickywongwongJunior High, 9th gradeA+, May 2003

download word file, 6 pages 4.8 1 reviews

Does an eye for an eye still have a place in society today? To many the death penalty does have its place in society. Imagine that someone kidnapped your child and then killed them. What would you want to do to that person? Most people would answer to kill them. In fact in 2000, fifty-eight percent of the population agreed that if someone was convicted of murdering a child, then they should be put to death ( Capital Punishment is defined by Encarta as, "the legal infliction of death as a penalty for violating criminal law,"(Encarta "Death Penalty Definition"). Methods of execution have included such practices as crucifixion, stoning, drowning, burning at the stake, impaling, and beheading (Ref. Volume 5). Today capital punishment is typically accomplished by lethal gas or injection, electrocution, hanging, or shooting. Encarta cites that, on average seventy-five executions occur each year throughout the United States (Encarta "Death Penalty").

Out of fifty states, thirty-eight use the death penalty ( This is one of the most if not the most controversial severe practices in the modern world. Although, this may seem to be an extreme form of punishment, it's really just fair treatment.

There are many murders that could have been prevented if capital punishment had been used in the first place. For example, in 1983, sixteen-year-old Shari Ann Merton was killed and her killer Corey Barton accepted a plea bargain, which ended his punishment in nine years and eight months prison time. In 1998 Barton was charged once again with second-degree murder of a twenty seven-year-old female (Gottfried pg36). "He was one of many killers, who go free and kill again" proponents of capital punishment said (Gottfried pg 36). When the death penalty is enforced that doesn't happen. "By executing murders, you prevent them from murdering again...