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The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished

Decent Essays

The death penalty is a very controversial topic in the United States. It is implemented for the purpose of providing safety to the community and bringing justice to victims and their families. The death penalty is legal in thirty-one states (“31 States”), and there are over forty different types of federal capital crimes that are eligible for the death penalty. These include crimes such as treason and kidnapping that results in murder (“41 Federal”). However, many argue whether the death penalty is moral, just, legal, or beneficial. The death penalty consumes an enormous amount of this country’s resources that could be used for bettering communities and enhancing other government programs. I believe that the death penalty should be abolished because the United States cannot afford to maintain it.
The death penalty is often thought of to be a deterrence to murder. The idea is that criminals are supposed to think what the consequences are before committing the crime which in this case would be the death penalty. However, what are the chances that a criminal is actually going to stop and think about whether or not the death penalty could be a consequence. According to Richard Dieter, director of the Death Penalty Information Center, police officers all over the country “do not believe the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder” (Dieter). In fact, states in which the death penalty is legal are the states with the highest rate of violence against police officers (“Death

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