There are plenty of topics of that are at the forefront of conversations today.  However, there are not many topics that boil down to life and death.  The issue of whether the death penalty should be implemented in the United States is just that.  Capital punishment may seem to be unlawful and outdated to some, but in fact it is just the opposite.  The death penalty when carried out properly can be a positive thing for this country in more ways than one.  It is indeed an issue and debate that stretches across party lines and many people are unable to leave emotion out of their arguments as it is a very emotional topic.  The argument and conclusion of how to handle the issue should stem from what is the best possible outcome for the citizens of this country, not on how it may or may not upset certain individuals.  Capital punishment should be enforced throughout the country for multiple justified reasons.  Not only does the death penalty deter crime and save American lives, but it also is the best form of justice for convicted felons.  Another added benefit of the death penalty is it helps solve the issue of the overcrowding of prisons.

The layout of the paper will begin with the discussion of how the implementation and enforcing of the death penalty deters crime from occurring in the streets.  The next portion will touch on how the quick execution of convicted felons is the best form of justice for them and the victim's family.  The last discussion point in favor of the topic will be brief of how the issue of the overcrowding of prisons can help be diminished.  The remaining portion of the paper will discuss some possible opposition points to the death penalty.  These points could range anywhere from cost to defying the constitution in terms of 'cruel and unusual punishment'.

The death penalty being implemented and forced in all fifty states would be a blessing for this country.  People may see it as unlawful or unjust, but it does indeed deter crime from happening after the felons are executed.  There is substantial evidence that goes along with the theory of the death penalty proving beneficial to American society.  "After the death penalty was abolished, murder rates nearly tripled, rising to an all-time high in the 1980s. Only when the death penalty was reinstated and states started executing people in significant numbers in the 1990s did they again fall to 1960s levels." (Tucker).  The author here touches on how during the 1960s murder rates were at an all-time low.  The death penalty was abolished all together and murder rates proceeded to skyrocketed to an unprecedented high.  Then it was put back into effect and the murder rates then began to plummet.  This trend indeed falls in line with many studies that have been conducted on the matter.  Many research teams have delved deeply into the issue and the statistical analysis is overwhelming.  The analytics show that if a person is executed, it saves innocent lives in this country.  "Each execution deters an average of 18 murders, according to a 2003 nationwide study by professors at Emory University." (Tanner).  Research and findings coming from a world renowned university such as Emory carry a good amount of weight along with it.  These findings are no different.  Executing one person convicted can save countless innocent lives.  That in unprecedented and needs to be recognized.  This is about as clear cut as it gets for support of the deterrent affect when it comes to the death penalty and whether or not it is effective.  Logically the argument makes sense as well, if people know that they will be killed for doing something terrible and inhumane, they are probably not going to go forward with their plan.  Some results even go so far as to say that the more often capital punishment is enforced, the deterrent factor is even greater.  The same can be said for how swiftly the executions are carried out.  "According to JFA (Justice for All), the Texas murder rate in 1991 was 15.3 per 100,000. By 1999, it had fallen to 6.1 -- a drop of 60 percent." (Lowe).  This expands on the idea of not only just enforcing the death penalty, but also actually swiftly putting the murderers to death.  Texas is the state that is most feared by criminals, as it should be, because Texas swiftly executes felons more so than any other state.  That is one reason why they have a very high rate of success when it comes to preventing murder in their state.  The fact that the analytics go along with the common sense, there is no denying that putting convicted felons to death, justly, swiftly, and often, saves innocent citizens and puts them out of harm's way.  This is important to remember because it is difficult to see the positive effects of the death penalty as they are somewhat invisible by saving lives instead of bringing people back to life per say.  The results are there nonetheless though and the good results are plentiful. 

There are people who claim "An eye for an eye" as the reason they are in concurrence with the death penalty.  I do not totally disagree, but that statement in and of itself is a little barbaric and I believe we as a society should hold ourselves to a higher standard.  The logic behind the statement is somewhat sound however, as putting murderers to death is easily the most proper form of justice that can be doled out.  Many people claim that life in prison is even crueler than being killed, I disagree however and think that living is a privilege, and if some people are too dangerous to be out on the streets, there is a strong possibility they should be sentenced to death if that is deemed necessary.  The victim's family will never have their loved one back that much is certain.  However, they can be provided closure knowing that the perpetrator is not alive with the ability to cause harm for others.  That includes in prison as well.  What has a man or woman got to lose when in prison for a life sentence?  What is to stop them from attempting to harm other inmates or even a guard?  People with little to live for often do not make the most sound and justifiable decisions.  Not only is it the safest thing to put these murderers to death for all involved.  It is also the best form of justice provided to the family of the lost loved one.  

Today there is a lot of talk about how our nation's prisons are being overcrowded with no more room.  One reason?  They are stockpiled with people who should have been sent to death row and executed already.  Sending all of these inmates who should be there in the first place surely would not solve the problem entirely, but it would be a good starting point.  There is also the added bonus of taxpayer dollars.  This may sound incredibly blunt and insensitive, but it is impossible for the inmates to be costing the government any money if they are dead.  It may be crude and unforgiving, but is indeed the harsh reality of the situation at hand, and it sure is a daunting one.

Capital punishment is one of those rare issues that is ignorant to the political party system.  Most other issues have politicians siding with whatever their party claims that they should, and these politicians often times do not give it a second glance, but not on the death penalty.  There are politicians in support and in opposition on either side of the spectrum.  Many people are entrenched in what they believe is correct when it comes to the issue, as they should because it is a very intriguing and important subject.  The main arguments in opposition to capital punishment are fundamentally flawed in more ways than one.

The main opposition to the death penalty is the point that it is inhumane for the government to take a human life.  These people argue that the taking of someone's life is the greatest power to have.  The simple answer to this statement is how could anyone justify not putting these villains to death when it is shown to save innocent lives from being harmed.  This answer is tough for some people to wrap their head's around as it is difficult to be seen.  The killing of these murderers does not bring people back to life, but it does something just as valuable, it saves the innocent from being harmed.  This reason is why some people cannot get in line with the death penalty, because on the surface it does not benefit society.  However, when you dig deeper and truly analyze the issue, it does a world of good for this nation and its population.  On top of that point, who is to say that an inmate given life in prison would not attempt to harm another inmate or god forbid even a guard.  These people basically have nothing to live for and are very dangerous people in the first place.  It is safer for all parties involved to just go ahead and sentence them to death.

Capital punishment court cases are up to three times as costly as a non-death case would cost.  In addition, there have multiple people wrongly convicted that have pulled off of death row, and many others put to death despite not having great evidence against them.  The power to take another person's life it could be argued is the greatest power to have over someone.  The government should not be able to use this power as they have too much control.  There have been a few executions that have been botched where those put to death have struggled and suffered great harm.  

While it is true that court cases where the prosecutor is in search of execution for the person on trial is very expensive, that should not be the most pressing issue facing the subject matter, but rather and afterthought.  "The real issue is not cost. As it always has been and always will be: The real issue is the more fundamental debate about whether a sentence of death is ever an appropriate penalty for the state to impose upon a person convicted of the most serious forms of murder. That debate rests on philosophical and moral views about justice, not on dollars and cents." (Schmidt).  This shows that the most important issue is not whether it is fiscally responsible or not to pursue execution for those on trial, but rather the moral issue is more at play.  If the main opposition is one that rests on cost, it is not a good opposition in the first place and one that is not sound.  On the surface, this may seem as an ideal counter argument to those in favor of execution, however, many Americans cite national security as the most pressing issue facing our country.  Keeping these dangerous people alive with the ability to escape or possibly harm security guards does not seem like somewhere America should try to save a quick buck.  If it is money that is the issue, there are many other areas where funding could be scaled back, such as less important government jobs, outdated entitlement programs, etc.  Cost does not seem to be a viable issue when it comes to deeming the death penalty suitable for this country or not.  This issue is not all that important in the grand scheme of things.  There is also no price that is too costly to save innocent American lives on the street.

The point that many who oppose often bring up is that of the government's ability to take a life from one of its citizens.  This argument at first appears to be a good one that can carry some weight with it, but just like all of the other arguments, it is more of a headline grabber that does not have a lot of substance to it.  They claim it is unjust and the greatest power in the world, the ability to take a life, should not be able to be enforced by the government.  This is not sound logic on multiple fronts when examined more closely.  First off, how would the government justify not keeping citizens safe when it is shown in statistical studies that killing convicted felons deters further crime from occurring in the streets?  Second, the US military kills dangerous men overseas, it is fundamentally flawed to think it is different to do the same to dangerous people here within our borders.  Dangerous people killed in the crackdown on terrorism and the executions of dangerous felons in the United States is not as different as some make it out to be.

Another argument is that there have been some executions that have not gone to plan and the convicted person has suffered a great deal of pain before their death.  This simple answer to this 'concern', is that not many people with a soul will be losing sleep over it, obviously it is not ideal to have these terrible humans suffer in their executions, but it is not really a pressing issue in the discussion between the two sides of the argument.  Solutions to this issue should be ongoing in search of a suitable way to put these people to death without causing them pain or suffering.  In the meantime however, this minor hiccup should not stop those states with the proper capital punishment policy in place to put any halt to their proceedings.  

There are some arguments against the death penalty that, on first glance, appear to carry some substantial evidence with them.  If one delves deeper into the discussion though, it becomes apparent that the arguments against it are mostly not sound.  These arguments just do not carry the same weight that the ones for capital punishment carry with them.  There is not a lot of validity to the opposition's facts and arguments.  Strictly based on emotion and headline grabbing articles and quotes, it is understandable how someone could be in favor of outlawing the death penalty.  In terms of statistical facts and logic, however, it is evident that the death penalty is the most humane way to provide justice to these criminals and to keep American citizens safe.

Capital punishment is a serious and pressing issue, and certainly one that should not be taken lightly.  When all the facts and statistical analysis are gathered, and it is examined from an objective point of view, there is only one clear answer to the issue.  The answer is to implement the death penalty in all fifty states and reap the benefits of not losing innocent American citizens to unlawful murder.  The death penalty, as statistically and analytically proven, does indeed deter crime from occurring.  It is not only the best form of justice for all Americans, but also those who are close or are even family members to the victim.  One added bonus of the death penalty is that is a step in the right direction to stop the overcrowding of the prisons here in this country.  There are certainly some points to be made against the death penalty, there is no denying that.  These objections, however, tend to come from a place of emotional appeal rather than examining the figures and what putting convicted murderers to death can do for society as a whole.  This pressing issue should certainly be near the top of conversation lists of all political activists so the correct solution can be drilled out in the near future, a solution that makes the most sense for this great nation, the implementation of the death penalty across all fifty states.

