Capital Punishment: The Only Defense

Part I of Essay
In an average year about 20,000 homicides occur in the United States. Fewer than 300 convicted murderers are sentenced to death. But because no more than thirty murderers have been executed in any recent year, most convicts sentenced to death are likely to die of old age ....

Part II of Essay
.... innocent. However, the frequent allegations of discrimination refer to maldistribution among the guilty and not to the punishment of the innocent. Maldistribution of any punishment among those who deserves it is irrelevant to its justice or morality. Punishments are imposed on a person, not a race or economic group. Guilt is personal. The only question that needs to be asked is, does the person who is to be executed deserve the punishment? And that is up to our justice system. Equality in short seems morally less important than justice. ....