An issue that has continually created tension in today's society is whether the death penalty serves as a justified and valid form of punishment. The rapid increase in the national crime rate over the twentieth century has brought about endless debate on this topic. According to a 1985 study by David Woehr, "a murder takes place every twenty-three minutes, a rape every six minutes, a robbery every fifty-five seconds, and a motor vehicle theft every twenty-nine …showed first 75 words of 716 total…

…showed last 75 words of 716 total…the country in determining the consequences that criminals deserve. This is needed to ensure the safety and moral values of society. If this is the case, there is no need for us to consider the expenses involved in the death penalty. Certainly human lives are more important, for it may easily be yours. We should not abolish capital punishment, but hold our country accountable for properly exercising the death penalty upon those who deserve it.