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The Death Penalty in Today's Society

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The Death Penalty in Today’s Society Laura Parker September 10, 2013 Unit 3 Individual Project ENG 107-1303B-03

The topic of the death penalty has been a controversial subject for many years. There are many people who think that it is unconstitutional, yet it still exists and serves a purpose in today’s society. The death penalty is the only punishment that can be rightfully labeled as the ultimate deterrent to murder. The death penalty is often the only punishment that is deserving for the crime that has been committed. It also helps reinforce the theory “eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” to begin to give closure to the victim’s family. The death penalty sill serves a purpose in today’s society and will continue to be the ultimate punishment that we can give. Capital punishment is the one punishment that can be called the ultimate deterrent to people committing murder. In the 1930’s, murder rates hit an all-time high. Cases of the death penalty also hit an all-time high in 1935. Because of the fairly routine executions of murderers, over the following 30 years both murder rates and the rates of death penalty cases dropped. “By 1960, 90 percent of all murders involved people who knew each other.” (Tucker, 2000). Murder rates had reached a record low by this time, but that low would only last a short time. By 1964 the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that capital punishment was unconstitutional. The death penalty was abolished between 1964 and 1978, when the death penalty was reinstated. “Once capital punishment was effectively abolished, these murders returned with a vengeance.” (Tucker, 2000). Between 1965 and 1995, crime rates once again hit a new record high. “Almost the entire run-up of homicide…was in one specific category – felony or stranger murders. These are murders that are committed in the course of

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