Death Penalty

Death Penalty

It isn't easy to simply be for or against the death penalty. The issue is more complicated than that. In some cases I believe the death penalty is justified, but having a death penalty creates the possibility for error and innocent men could lose their lives. Also there is the chance that a guilty man is being punished too severely by receiving a death sentence. With the issue of the death penalty being as complicated as it is, I believe it should be used in only the most extreme cases. If it would save one innocent person from being executed by banning the death penalty then it would be worth it, but then again those who deserve to be put to death would be able to live. There are so many questions surrounding the death penalty that I believe the only safe bet is to ban it. Someone who deserves the death penalty and receives a life sentence in jail without the chance of parole is not totally being let off the hook. Spending every day of the rest of your life imprisoned is no picnic, and some criminals actually consider the punishment more harsh and take their own lives in jail. I believe extreme cases in which the person is beyond any doubt guilty of murdering numerous people should be the only instance in which execution is considered. Timothy Mcveigh is one such case. He admitted to a crime in which he caused the death of hundreds of people. This is the type of case that deserves the penalty.

Another case that to me is definitely deserving of the death penalty is the case of Zacharias Moussaoui. The suspected "20th highjacker" in the September 11th attacks has plead guilty to 6 charges against him, four of which carry the death penalty. Although he plead guilty to the charges, he denies plotting the September 11th attacks. He claims that he was training to fly an airplane in a different attack which was going to be directed at the White House. Throughout his trial he has expressed