The death penalty has long been a
divisive issue in the United States.
24 states allow the death penalty, while the other
26 have either banned the death penalty outright or issued moratoriums halting
the practice. Proponents of the death penalty argue that it is an effective deterrent against crime. Time and time again,
however, this argument has been shown to be false. Capital punishment does not deter crime.
But not only that—the death penalty is irreversible, which allows our imperfect justice system no room for error.
Finally, the application of the death penalty is racially biased—the population of death row is over 41% Black, despite Black Americans making up just 13% of the U.S. population.
For all these reasons, the death penalty should be outlawed across the board in the United States.