Should the U.S. Abolish the Death Penalty?

• “No”

  

  “How Many Innocent Victims are Too Many?”

• “Objection”

  

  “The Death Penalty is NOT a Deterrent”
  

  Response

Deterrent Undeniable

Joshua Marquis

District Attorney, Media Commentator

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Recommend (1) Comments (2)

Do you feel safe in downtown Detroit? You shouldn't be.

Beyond the obvious specific deterrent of executing a killer so he can't kill again, the most recent studies (since 2000) come from a broad base of economists and non-idealogical scientists. Their studies http://www.cjlf.org/deathpenalty/DPDeterrence.htm  include authors who personally oppose capital punishment but cannot deny the findings of their research.

Citing a high mirder rate in Texas makes as little sense as citing Michigan or the District of Columbia - both places with much higher than average murder rate - as examples of how.

Comparing the United States with otther countries is equally pointless. There are very stable countries like Switzerland or Japan with low murder rates (one has the death penalty, the other not) or point to countries like Brazil with murder rates much worse than the United States.

Next Argument

"No" Josh Marquis

• How Many Innocent Victims are Too Many?
  8
• The Idea that Many People on Death Row are Innocent is Nonsense
  3

"No" Criminal Justice Legal Foundation

• An Enforced Death Penalty Saves Lives Through Deterrence
  3

"Yes" Amnesty

• The Death Penalty is a Denial of Human Rights
  7
• The Death Penalty Makes Too Many Mistakes
  9
• The Death Penalty Costs More
  6
• The American Public is Moving Away from the Death Penalty
  5

Most Objections

• The Death Penalty is a Denial of Human Rights
  7
• The Death Penalty Makes Too Many Mistakes
  9
• The Death Penalty Costs More
  6
• The American Public is Moving Away from the Death Penalty
  5
• How Many Innocent Victims are Too Many?
  8
• The Idea that Many People on Death Row are Innocent is Nonsense
  3
• An Enforced Death Penalty Saves Lives Through Deterrence
  3

Should We End Executions?

• Yes
• No

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