The Death Penalty: Yes or No? By Catherine, sixth grader

Imagine if the guy who killed all those people and kids at Sandy Hook didn't kill himself.  Since Connecticut no longer has the death penalty, that guy would still be alive!  I couldn't imagine having my kid still go to school knowing that criminal is still out there.  When a man kills 25 people, he deserves to die.  Connecticut should reinstate the death penalty.

The families and friends of the victim of a horrible crime are left feeling emotionally disturbed.  They feel that they are victims too in a way because they are left forever injured in their hearts and minds.  When a person commits a horrible crime, the death penalty gives justice and mental assurance to the victim’s families and friends that the criminal is dead.  If the person who committed the crime is put to death, they feel safer.

It costs money to keep someone in jail.  You, the taxpayers of Connecticut, will have to pay to house, clothe, and feed people who have done terrible things! It is not fair to have taxpayers who follow the laws have to pay for criminals who have done horrible things. Taxpayers have to pay their hard-earned money to pay taxes for criminals living in comfort for years.  Justice demands the criminals receive a punishment.  Therefore, a person who takes a life should lose his.

People that are against the death penalty would say life in prison guarantees no future crimes. I have to say that is wrong because more and more people will commit crimes because they are being unthreatened by the death penalty. Also if he was let out of the prison, then he can commit another crime and another and another until he dies of natural causes and he could not be dying anytime soon.

Should the people who have killed and injured the innocent, who have scared and traumatized hundreds or maybe thousands of people and children be left to live? If you would like to help reinstate the death penalty, you can write a letter to your Connecticut representative to ask them to take make a change in our justice system. Reinstating the death penalty is the right thing to do.

Sources:

"BalancedPolitics.org - Death Penalty (Pros & Cons, Arguments For ..." 2003. 4 Jun. 2013 <http://www.balancedpolitics.org/death_penalty.htm>

"Death Penalty Focus." 2011. 9 Jun. 2013 <http://www.deathpenalty.org/article.php?class=20&list=class&all=1>

"Death: The Death Penalty - Library - ThinkQuest." 4 Jun. 2013 <http://library.thinkquest.org/16665/deathpenalty.shtml>

"Do prisoners have too many comforts, such as cable ... - Debate.org." 2012. 9 Jun. 2013 <http://www.debate.org/opinions/do-prisoners-have-too-many-comforts-such-as-cable-and-internet-while-incarcerated>

"Death: The Death Penalty - Library - ThinkQuest." 4 Jun. 2013 <http://library.thinkquest.org/16665/deathpenalty.shtml>

"Do prisoners have too many comforts, such as cable ... - Debate.org." 2012. 9 Jun. 2013 <http://www.debate.org/opinions/do-prisoners-have-too-many-comforts-such-as-cable-and-internet-while-incarcerated>