Social Studies
Death Penalty The death penalty has been a part of history since ancient times. Until the end of the 19th century people that were accused of capital crimes were sent to the gallows. The death penalty went from public hangings and burnings to the electric chair, and as of 2001 the only used method of execution is lethal injection. There are arguments to both sides, but I myself am against the death penalty. There could be many reasons as to why someone would be against the death penalty, but the most important reasons to me are: “an eye for an eye”, the cost of using the death penalty, and double suffering. The “eye for an eye” revenge method has been used for so many years. Sure, it would give you satisfaction, but would it really solve anything? No. For example, gang violence. Every time someone in a gang is killed, the members make it a priority to kill the one who has killed that member of the gang. Eventually, the “an eye for an eye” method will lead to an endless cycle of violence. At the end of the day, a better message is revenge solves nothing. The cost of carrying out the death penalty is 2-5 times more than keeping someone in prison for life. There is an endless appeals process, required procedures, and legal madness that make the process around 15-20 years to be fully complete. The taxpayers are just wasting money on nonsense that doesn’t have to happen if you just eliminate the death penalty altogether. Life in prison is a more effective