Argumentative Essay: Should We Still Support The Death Penalty

Steve Earle is just one of the many protesters of the death penalty, stating “. . . The death penalty is based on the idea that this is a democracy, and in a democracy the government is me, and if the government kills somebody then I am killing somebody.” His quote is one of many negative views people have on the death penalty. The death penalty is based around the idea that it is acceptable to execute someone for killing. However, this is disagreed on by many Americans. In a survey from the PEW Research Center, results show that 56% of Americans still support the death penalty, compared to the 62% in 2011, and the 78% in the 1996 survey. The percent of people that still support the death penalty is at an all-time low, and is drastically dropping. This is an almost surefire indication that shows society wants the death penalty to be abolished. Although the death penalty is still an option in some states, it should be discontinued because of the immorality of execution, the staggering costs, and the potential injustices such as false execution. The principal reason why the death penalty should be discontinued is the immorality of
The cost to execute a person is much more than it costs to put the person in prison for life without a chance of parole. In California, a study shows that death penalty trials are more than twenty times as expensive as putting someone in prison for life without the possibility of parole. California spends over $184 million on the death penalty each year, and many other states follow suit. If the death penalty is discontinued, the cash used on it could benefit the families tremendously. Families could use this cash to obtain counseling and other assistance to help them put their lives back together. Also, remaining cash can be used in other public assistance such as education, drug and alcohol treatment, and child abuse prevention