Should the death penalty be abolished?The death penalty does one thing: it “kills”. It temporarily takes away the pain of losing someone, but ultimately it doesn't bring back the person you loved. The death penalty is considered one of the cruelest and most unusual punishments for criminals. I do not believe that the death penalty should exist, even when the most heinous crimes have been committed. The death penalty will always be a topic of debate because no one should have the right to decide who should live or who should die. I find it strange that we live in a society where we value life, but at the same time we have no problem taking life.Part I: ThesisFrom a Christian perspective, it is our moral duty to follow the commandment “thou shalt not kill”. set by God, thus known as divine command theory (Moore and Parker, 2006). The death penalty has been proven to discriminate against the poor, on the basis of race and class, and is used as a form of sentencing aimed at preventing fewer crimes. The bottom line is that the death penalty doesn't always work. It is possible that the lack of proper investigations could lead to innocent people being unjustly prosecuted and executed in the death penalty process. The death penalty has become more focused on revenge and cost-effective measures, although years may pass before an execution is carried out. In public opinion, most people favor life without parole as an alternative to the death penalty. In my opinion, every individual deserves a second chance in life and should have the opportunity to reform themselves and become a productive member of society. The death penalty should therefore be abolished based on evidence that criminal justice... middle of article ......June 12, 2010, at http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death- penaltyThe death penalty in 2009: end-of-year report (December 2009). Retrieved June 12, 2010 from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/2009YearEndReport.pdfMauer, M. and King, RS (January 2004). Schools and Prinsons: Fifty Years After Brown v. Board of Education. Retrieved June 12, 2010 from http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/rd_brownvboard.pdf Kansal, T. (2005). Racial disparity in sentencing: A review of the literature. In M. Mauer (ed.). Washington: The Sentencing Project. Retrieved June 12, 2010 from http://www.sentencingproject.org/template/index.cfm?ID=0&MODE=view&start=0Bell, D. (October 31, 2004). Black on black violence. Retrieved June 12, 2010 from http://www.safetyandjustice.org/node/260 Pojman, L. (1999) Merit, Journal of Social Philosophy, 30(1), 83-102.