Assignment:
To better understand the logic that supports arguments, we will discuss a controversial issue in the United States, capital punishment, or the death penalty:
The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution implies that the government has the power to inflict capital punishment (the death penalty) on persons convicted of certain crimes. The Amendment states: 'No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb, nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.'
Many people believe, however, that capital punishment should be abolished in the U.S. as it has been in half the countries in the world.
For our discussion, we will focus on the argument of deterrence and the death penalty. Before participating in this discussion, you will need to read the following articles that express opposing viewpoints on our topic.