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What Is The Death Penalty Wrong

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The death penalty can be summed up entirely in one word, bias. For a country that prides itself on “justice for all” and “all men are created equal”, the death penalty falls short of such boast. The subsequent arguments are not formulated to defend the individual and their horrific crime, rather they are presented in order to support why the death penalty is unfair and should be eliminated. If such brutish punishment if seen as just for the crime committed, should it not apply equally to all, regardless of race? The debate of whether the death penalty is inappropriate has been been thoroughly investigated for many years by scholars and journalists alike. I shall defend my position against this sanction based on erroneous convictions, racial biases, and the the high costs associated with the prosecution and detention of death row inmates. According to the Texas penal code those found guilty of the following offense, “capital murder: including murder of a police officer, firefighter, prison guard, or child younger than the age of six; murder for hire; murder committed with certain other felonies; mass murder” are either sentenced to death or given a life sentence deprived of parole (Powerpoint chpt.13 slide 4). Interestingly, more than 63% of Americans agree with the death penalty, but what is more surprising is their reason which is based on the old saying “an eye for an eye” (Swift). This saying has a religious background and can be found in the Holy Bible (New

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