Death and Justice How Capital Punishment Affirms Life by Edward I Koch
The essay "Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life," by Edward I. Koch, is a rather conservative outlook of the death penalty from a member of the Democratic Party. It first appeared in The New Republic, a magazine that is known for its controversial articles. In the essay, Koch effectively argues the fact that capital punishment is not only a deterrent for crime, but also affirms the sanctity of life. Since this essay was found in The New Republic, Koch most likely wrote this essay to high society, politically minded people that were deciding if they should support the death penalty or not. Koch also wrote this to people that supported the death penalty but weren't exactly sure how to convince others of it. That's why Koch gives the possible arguments against capital punishment and then a detailed counter argument for capital punishment. Koch organizes his essay well. He begins by telling the readers about the execution of Robert Lee Willie. Robert Lee Willie told his executioners that they were no better than he, if they continued the execution. Koch goes on to state that Robert Lee Willie only then understood the sanctity of life. Then the author placed his thesis on the t
He stated that even though the death penalty seemed to be wrong because it is a state sanctioned murder, it wasn't murder. Koch was logical, straightforward, and to the point. If he knew the penalty was his own life, Rosa's life may have been spared. Then Koch states in his thesis that life is indeed precious, and that even after examining the arguments of his opponents, he still supports the death penalty. Most of his arguments were fact or dealt with extremely easy logic. While serving a life sentence in prison for kidnapping, robbery, and murder, Smith lured a female corrections officer into the chaplain's office, killed her, then mutilated her body. For example, when Koch was stating that capital punishment strengthens the value of human life, he insisted that if you lower the penalty for rape, that it would be a clear signal that you lessen the regard for the victim's suffering and humiliation, and applies the same logic for murder. Another story used by Koch was of Lemuel Smith. Koch also reflected on the morality of the death penalty. An example that Koch used is taxation. This statement, and others like it, where written to cause the reader to agree with him simply because logic dictates it. The state has the powers to dispense justice. The author proves that capital punishment is a necessity to stop the murders, though even the death of a murderer is tragic. The author aligned himself with religion, logic, morality and the greatest national leaders of this country, and the greatest thinkers of all time; it would be almost foolish to contradict these arguments. He uses this story because it is a down to earth example of how the death penalty might have turned a situation for the better.
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Acceptance Essays
