The topic of whether or not capital punishment should be illegal in the United States is a controversial and widely discussed issue. While some believe that is a cruel and harsh punishment, others believe that those who commit the worst crimes should receive the worst punishment. The decision of whether or not to participate in the use of capital punishment is an issue that has an impact on criminals, the criminal justice system, as well as the American public. The Research Exigence for this topic is the discussion of whether the practice of capital punishment should be banned in the United States, or if it should continue as a consequence. I am interested in this issue because I am considering choosing criminal justice for my major, and many issues within the criminal justice system are interesting. Overall, the Research Exigence does not necessarily change my point of view about the issue, however it always interesting to explore new ways of thinking and consider how others may view the same issue in a different perspective. While I do not have a lot of experience regarding this issue, I plan on including research from both sides of the topic to show differing opinions on the topic. I also plan on making sure to include several sources so that I have enough information and evidence to support the exigence. I chose the topic because it is an issue that I find relevant to our society today, and is not a topic that many people our age discuss. 

In the article, It's Time to Abolish the Death Penalty by Sean McElwee, the author believes the death penalty should be abolished, as it is an unjust punishment with hardly any advantages. The author discusses that the death penalty does not align with the motives of the criminal justice system and believes that the purpose of the death penalty is more closely linked to issues such as institutionalized revenge, emotional closure, racial violence, and monetary costs. The article contains many statistics, especially regarding the issues related to the race of the victim and the offender. The article also mentions several examples of cases in which innocent people have been put on death row, utilizing the rhetorical device of pathos. The author of this article values other forms of punishment, as he believes the death penalty is unnecessary. McElwee is a researcher and writer for the Huffington Post and his work has been featured in The Rolling Stone and The Atlantic. Since he is a researcher, he understands the importance of finding evidence to support his claims, which increases his credibility as a writer.    

The article Does Death Penalty Save Lives? A New Debate, by Adam Liptak questions whether the death penalty serves as an effective deterrent for criminals. The author provides lots of research supporting the claim, as well as counter-arguments for the claim. Liptak provides specific examples and statistics describing about how many murders are prevented when someone is sentenced to death. The studies also show how the murder rate has changed over time. The author recognizes that the studies have been subject to criticism because economists and legal scholars sometimes disagree about how accurate the data is. The author is a lawyer who graduated from Yale University, and continues to study differences between the United States legal system and the legal system of other countries. The fact that he is a lawyer now improves his credibility because it shows his knowledge on the subject, however it could also shape some of his opinions on the death penalty.  

The article With death penalty, let punishment truly fit the crime by Robert Blecker discusses whether the use of capital punishment is a just form of punishment, or if there are other methods which may be better to implement. The author mentions that the practice of lethal injection seems very medical, and it doesn't make sense to use medicine in a way to harm others, when it has provided so many great advancements in society. The author also discusses what he believes is the most honest and fair form of punishment, the firing squad. The authors credibility can be seen in the article when he discusses the twenty-five years he has spent observing the death penalty and life in prison. 

The Research Exigence is arguable because it is an issue that has many sources and information on the topic, and has different points of view that can be arguable from either side. While the sources have several differences between the main points of the articles, they are all similar in that all recognize how serious the issue is. While not all of the articles agree on how the change should come about, they all agree that some type of change should be made regarding the issue. While none of these sources necessarily have an effect on my opinion towards the topic, it is interesting to see the reasons some give for abolishing the death penalty. In order to address the issue more thoroughly, it might be beneficial to broaden the exigence so that it includes both sides of the argument.    

