persuasive essay

Death Penalty

There has been an ongoing debate over the death penalty in this country.

Since Hammurabi first introduced the notion of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a

tooth, people have been arguing over whether this is just punishment. Those in

favor of the death penalty argue that you should pay for the crimes one does, for

them death is the only fit punishment in some cases . This is not the case the death

penalty is, rather, unethical and wrong. A death for another death does nothing but

satisfy one's need for revenge. The death penalty is unjust for many reasons. The

death penalty is racist: Forty percent of those on death row are African American.

An innocent person might also be condemned to death. Finally the death penalty in

some cases is cruel and unusual punishment, which is unconstitutional.

The ...