Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment is a heated debate in our country. Some people want it so we can get rid of all the dangerous people. Others don't want it because it makes us hypocrites. I personally do not think we should have the death penalty. One major argument in the death penalty is that it will prevent people from murdering due to fear of being put to death. People who are against the death penalty say that that does not make sense because murders are done in a heat of passion when one is not thinking rationally. Another argument to make capital punishment illegal is that putting someone to death does not rehabilitate them and make them ready for society again. The whole point of the legal system is to correct people so they are fit to reenter society. How is someone supposed to be reintroduced to society if they are dead? Putting someone to death does not fulfill the mission of the United States Prison System. Another argument that is very circumstantial is that what if the wrong person is convicted. If someone is framed and is convicted of murder, how are they supposed to acquire evidence of their innocence if they are sentenced to death row. Also you could be committing murder on an innocent person. The death penalty does not discourage murder.   In 1958 the 10 states that had the fewest murders –fewer than two a year per 100,000 population -were New Hampshire Iowa, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Utah, North Dakota and Washington.Four of these 10 states had abolished the death penalty. The 10 states, which had the most murderers from eight to  fourteen killings per 100,000 population were Nevada, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, and Virginia - all of them enforce the death penalty.  The fact is that fear of the death penalty has never served to reduce the crime rate. They also argue that no matter what it is a cruel punishment. The knowledge that you are going to be put to death on a certain date and the wait for it would be one of the worst feelings someone could have.
 People who are for the death penalty argue that the death penalty will discourage murder, but as shown before, this is not the case. One of the strongest arguments for the death penalty is that is provides complete justice to those who are affected by the murder. If someone murders someones son than the parent would want that guy to meet the same fate that he put upon his or her son. People say that it is only fair, a life for a life. People who are for the death penalty argue that it is not cruel because the condemned would die before they would feel anything. 
Personally I believe that the death penalty should not be legal. I feel this way because committing murder is the worst thing someone could do and we would only be hypocrites if we were to murder someone for committing murder. I believe that the death penalty will not defer people from committing murder because murder is committed in a fiery heat of passion and that you don't really think about what your doing when you do it. If you're not thinking rationally about what you're doing than you are not thinking about the consequences. I also think it is cruel to know the date that you are going to die and have to spend it in prison. Also the prison systems job is to rehabilitate someone and make him/her fit for society again. If you kill this person than the prison system is failing at its job.

http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/ornellaspaper.htm
http://listverse.com/2013/06/01/5-arguments-for-and-against-the-death-penalty/
http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002000