The death penalty should be abolished by Kaylen Hall

Lesniak, Raymond. "Justice Is Not Served with the Death Penalty." The Death Penalty, edited by Jenny Cromie and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010124275/OVIC?u=cobb90289&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=0d127cab. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025. Originally published as "The Road to Justice and Peace," blog.nj.com, 2 Feb. 2009.

kaylenhall — 2025-03-12 17:12:39 UTC

The author of this article argues that the death penalty violates basic human rights, leads to the execution of innocent people, and adds onto the victim's families distress. The author also argues that the death penalty also encourages revenge over remediation, which only further continues the cycle of violence. The article was directed towards people who believe that the death penalty is inadequate at serving justice. The article has a mix of logos and ethos. Multiple professors are used as sources of information, According to 63 families of murder victims in New Jersey, they all state that the death penalty doesn't console them, but exacerbates their pain. This article raises multiple great points on why the death penalty should be abolished. Although, it also lacks acknowledgement on counterarguments. This article overall will help me point out many weaknesses there are with the death penalty.

Sheffer, Susannah. "People with Mental Illness Should Be Exempt from the Death Penalty." The Death Penalty, edited by Jenny Cromie and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010124288/OVIC?u=cobb90289&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=133c8070. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025. Originally published as "The Death Penalty: The Wrong Direction," www.mvfhr.org.

kaylenhall — 2025-03-14 17:04:30 UTC

This article highlights the fact that people with mental illness shouldn't be subject to the death penalty. The author explains how mental health isn't often talked about in the US. There is also a lack of help that's provided for individuals who are mentally ill and dangerous. So in circumstances where someone is harmed, the perpetrator shouldn't be sentenced to death when they should've gotten the help they needed. I believe the intended audience is people who either have or are in relations to people who suffer from mental health. The rhetorical appeal being used is pathos. The author uses statements from the families of murder victims. One of the families, the Wilcoxes', oppose the death penalty, saying it's wrong to execute someone for an act they did while they weren't in control. This article helps point out there are many circumstances where the death penalty can't be justified. In this example, executing a man who was fully acknowledged that needed help, yet wasn't given it. Granted, there are many situations where a mentally ill person is fully aware of their actions, and should be held accountable. But there are also many situations where a mentally ill person isn't aware, and it'd be morally wrong to execute them for something they should've gotten help to avoid.

Love, David A. "The US Death Penalty Violates Human Rights." Death Penalty, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2015. Current Controversies. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010955209/OVIC?u=cobb90289&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=3e6c220f. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025. Originally published as "The Death Penalty is the Tip of America's Human Rights Iceberg," Huffington Post, 16 May 2012.

kaylenhall — 2025-03-14 17:10:51 UTC

The author of this article explains how the most basic human right is the right to live, and the death penalty would be violating that right. They also explain how the death penalty isn't effective towards the high crime rates. The author also brings up the relevant question being whether the government has the right and the authority to take a human life in the name of justice. The rhetorical appeal being used is pathos. Although there are a few credible sources, including the South African Constitution Court in 1995. The author relies heavily on ones morals as the main persuasion method. The article lacks the ability to see the death penalty as someone else with different morals would see it. Regardless, I do believe they make a great point in pointing out whether it should be up to the government to decide whether someone gets to live or die for the crime they committed.

Progressive. "The Death Penalty Is Unjust." The Death Penalty, edited by Mary E. Williams, Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010124247/OVIC?u=cobb90289&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=920f5150. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

kaylenhall — 2025-03-14 17:38:25 UTC

The authors of this article state how execution isn't ethical nor justified. They also explain how the death penalty targets minorities and the poor, and denies the value of human life. The article includes many statistics, thus being logos. "A 1998 report by the Death Penalty Information Center found that in Florida, "a defendant's odds of receiving a death sentence are 4.8 times higher if the victim was white than if the victim was black in similarly aggravated cases." However, a lot of the statistics used in the article are outdated around 20 years. More recent reports would help with how accurate these statistics are. Overall, I believe this article will help with explaining how the death penalty is also discriminatory.