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The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished

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We often say, “We are only human, we make mistakes,” as a common phrase. We, as humans, are known to make mistakes. However, in the case of the death penalty, making an error can prove to be lethal. The death penalty imposes an irreversible deed on a human being. Once a person’s life is taken away, there is no way to give it back. The main reason people have different views is because of cultural, political, social, and ethical reasons. Murder is wrong. Since childhood, we have been taught this truth. It has been implanted in our brains that taking the life of another is wrong. Is that not the definition of murder? It is inhumane for us to tolerate the killing of another person. Violence cannot be the solution to crime. The death penalty should be abolished on the grounds that it does not prove to be an effective deterrent, it carries the risk of taking the life of an innocent soul, and there are flaws in the judicial system that lead to trials being unfair.
The death penalty has been a contentious topic in America. Attempts to abolish the death penalty date back to the colonial era. In the late 18th century, some states had removed the death penalty for every crime except murder; in the 1800’s some states used the death penalty for treason, rape, and insubordination in the south before the Civil War (Jost “Death Penalty Debates” 974). The abolitionist movement in the 19th century was the most influential; opponents of the death penalty during the progressive era would

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