The argument “Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life” by Edward I Koch describes Koch’s point of view on death penalty and attempts to persuade why death penalty is justified. Koch identifies seven …show more content…
Crimes are ubiquitous, thus the people who commit the crimes are also found everywhere. In this high number of crimes, wrong or innocent people can be captured and arrested. Mr. Bedau argues that “death penalty should be abolished because of the abstract possibility that an innocent person might be executed” (Koch 128). I agree that there is always a slight possibility that an innocent person could be killed in death penalty. There are always cases where people are being released from the prison for a crime they did not commit. Modern technology aides to prove that innocence of the people. Koch argues that records fail to show that innocent person has died; however, if the “murders” were put on death penalty, the cases of innocent people would have never opened and the innocent people would be dead for no reason …show more content…
Koch claims that reducing a sentence for a crime, such as rape, lowers the value of victim’s life. I agree that reducing a sentence does not serve as true justice to the victim; however, increasing does not mean that the victim’s life is regarded highly. I agree with columnist Kimmy Breslin, “a life sentence is actually a harsher penalty for murder than death” (Koch 129). Koch called Breslin’s statement nonsensical and said that victim choose to live rather than die. No doubt that living is better than death; however living in a confinement for an extended period of time (several decades) is tiring and a punishment in itself. The death sentence does not make the criminal any better or make the criminal feel guilty about his/her wrong-doings. The criminal gets put to sleep and no type of punishment is served; the victim does not get the genuine justice.
Why should the government kill people who themselves kill other people to show that killing is wrong. Death Penalty is unethical and it should be condemned, most religions, if not all, have some relationship to why a killing is wrong. The death penalty is also extremely costly, it costs millions of dollars per execution; most of the times the cost the paid by the taxpayers. On top of the cost, the barbaric punishment is useless if there is no chance given for improvement and being irrational. Life is priceless and cannot