Should the Death Penalty Be Allowed?
Since the generation of civilization there has always been some form of capital punishment where a criminal would have his or her life taken by a government authority. This has been done for a wide array of reasons from all different times and cultures throughout history. During the French Revolution, the French Government would execute dozens of people a day for minimal crimes (even petty theft). In the United States today crimes that have capital punishments as a consequence include murder, treason, and espionage. Now although there are many people on death row, the government almost never executes its prisoners. So many people question why we even have the death penalty. Some believe it is used to show criminals that their country has the right to take their lives under certain circumstances. "Opponents of capital punishment say it has no deterrent effect on crime, wrongly gives governments the power to take human life, and perpetuates social injustices by disproportionately targeting people of color (racist) and people who cannot afford good attorneys (classist)." Do you believe your government has the right to take a life if the crime is severe enough? If so, what is the line where crimes can be punishable by death?