The death penalty is a highly debated part of American society. But does society’s view on the death penalty have more to do with the violence that surrounds us or personal experiences with it? This view on the death penalty is invalid seeing as a person’s views on the death penalty has more to do with morals and ethics.
The death penalty has both pros and cons. In the case of murder, the death penalty serves as the ultimate punishment and a deterrent for crimes. For the families of victims, this punishment is often the ultimate justice. Appellate lawyer David Dow stated that “When I imagine sitting face to face with somebody who might have injured somebody I love or care about, I can imagine wanting to injure that person myself.” (Source F) However, the United States has a system full of inequalities. Dow also said that “if you’re going to commit murder, you want to be white, and you want to be wealthy- so that you can hire a first-class lawyer- and you want to kill a black person. And if [you are], the odds of your being sentenced to death are basically zero.”
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This drive can lead to poor decisions that may lead to violence. Heterogeneous societies, like the United States, no social glue to bind people together. Violence rates are notably higher in immigrant nations like Australia and the United States. The United States should have a lower murder rate based on income. Great Britain had 1.5 homicides per 100,000 population between 1998 and 2000. Japan had 1.1 yet the rate for the Unites States was 5.9 per 100,000. (Source B). This could be explained by the inequality in socioeconomic status present in the United