Capital Punishment: Society's Self-Defense By Amber Young

In her essay “Capital Punishment: Society’s Self-Defense,” Amber Young discusses the death penalty. In the beginning, the author talks about the infamous case of Ted Bundy. He was a serial killer who took it upon himself to kidnap, rape, and kill many innocent young women. She expresses that the criminal justice system failed to keep the young women safe from Bundy. She declares in her thesis that, “Capital punishment is society’s means of self-defense.” Next, the author states some oppositional stances and rebuts those. She then makes the claim that, “We base our approval or disapproval of capital punishment on fundamental values relating to life itself, rather than on statistics of factual evidence.” Amber Young holds her stance firm throughout her entire essay.
She wants the reader to be emotionally involved with her essay, in order for them to have empathy for the victims. She talks about the one of the victims, Georgeann, with great detail. Young describes her as a pretty college student, in the middle of finals week, who was lively and vivacious. When talking about the aftermath, she uses vivid language and imagery. She writes, “Her bashed skull and broken body were dumped on a hillside many miles away…” When Bundy was caught his, “bashing bar” and other “homemade tools of torture” were found. The author hopes that by emphasizing these details, the reader will be more likely to feel sorry for the victim and want the worst punishment for the killer. It is her way of persuading the reader to believe in what she