To the editor:

Andy Gonzales’ March 1 column “Jesus was all about the death penalty” demonstrates reasons why he thinks the death penalty is essential to society today.

I found myself entirely agreeing with his feelings towards this controversial issue.

The death penalty is considerably strong for many reasons. My strongest concern is for the victim’s family. Sure, the death penalty is a rough way to end a life, but many overlook the innocent lives that have been destroyed.

If you were watching a family member being brutally murdered, you would want the killer to pay for what he had done. When people are sentenced to death, there is assurance they will never be able to kill again. In prison there is always that chance that they may be let out for good behavior or escape. According to the 1997 “Crime and Punishment in the U.S.,” by the National Center for Policy Analysis, the expected punishment for murder was only 1.5 years in 1985 and rose to 2.7 years in 1995.

Try putting yourself in the life of someone who had lost his or her husband, wife, daughter, etc. You would not want the murderer roaming around, having the chance to kill again. We even support the killers while they are living in prison doing activities such as basketball, lifting weights and eating well-balanced meals. Statistics, according to Justice For All, which is a criminal justice reform organization dedicated to protecting the civil and human rights of all citizens from violent crime, shows those who had committed murder have murdered 10,000 people since 1971.

These are innocent people whose deaths could have been prevented if the death penalty had been put into action.

Gonzales’ column provides logos by using biblical quotes. He refers to Matthew 26:52, “Christ regarded capital punishment as a just penalty. ” This brings truth and personal meaning to the article.

Gonzales uses a rhetorical question in the fifth paragraph, “If no crime deserves the death penalty, then why is it fitting that Christ be crucified for our sins?” This is very effective at getting his audience to think about the death penalty and why it would be effective if it is put into action.

Located in Matthew 26:51-52, Jesus says that, “those who kill by the sword are subject to die by the sword.”

If all killers would immediately die upon murdering someone, they would then kill only if they wished to die themselves.

If a death penalty were universally utilized on our worst criminals, it is conclusive that the death penalty would be a significant part of the judicial system, and many innocent lives would be saved.

Many argue that the cost of the death penalty is so much that we should choose life without parole to save money. This is only true for the up-front cost. The JFA shows life without parole costs $34,200 a year for fifty years at a 2% annual cost increase, plus $75,000 for trial and appeals. This totals out to $3.01 million. The cost of the death penalty cases is $60,000 a year for six years at a 2% annual cost increase, plus $1.5 million for trial and appeals. This totals out to $1.88 million. According to the Feb. 7 Time Magazine, the average cell cost is $24,000 a year and the maximum-security cell cost is $75,000 a year.

If the death penalty is removed, there will be more people in maximum security for longer amounts of time, with the end result being greater amounts of money spent.

In conclusion, the death penalty saves the innocent and brings justice to the unjust.

The death penalty has been debated and the facts prove that if used, the outcome of its use has great worth to society today.

Jennifer Lynn Naber

Freshman

Early childhood education