In 1983, Charles Eddie Hartman was convicted, beyond a shadow of a doubt, of a heinous act of first-degree murder. Due to flaws in our judicial system, he still rests comfortably in prison. There are some defendants who have earned the ultimate punishment our society has to offer by committing murder with aggravating circumstances present. Life is sacred. It cheapens the life of an innocent murder victim to say that society has no right to keep the murderer from ever killing again. In my view, society has not only the right, but also the duty to act in self-defense to protect the innocent. The government should continue to allow capital punishment because it helps families cope with loss, it keeps our jails from overcrowding, and it prevents repeated acts of murder.
             First, capital punishment helps families and friends deal with their losses. Death is forever. A person who has lost a loved one to a brutal murder deserves the right to see that justice is done. A family that grieves for the loss of a loved one sometimes think of revenge is a way of getting out. Knowing the person who took the life of a loved one has been executed will definitely help families to grieve. "All that can be expected of...[human authorities] is that they take every reasonable precaution against the danger of error... If errors are...made, this is the necessary price that must be paid within a society which is made up of human beings" (Lowes). "The ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union, an opponent of the death penalty is quoted as saying that, "What families of murder victims really need is financial and emotional support to help them recover from their loss and resume their lives"(Laijas). Although this may be true, money is not the key to everyone's happiness. Death is very hard for families to deal with. Statistics show that 1 of every 12 sentenced to death has had a prior homicide conviction (Capital Punishment Statistics). A person ...