"What I know"


The social issue I am researching is the death penalty. I've heard different perspectives on this topic. At this point I'm not sure where I stand. In some cases I think it's wrong but other times deserving.

"If we execute murderers and there is in fact no deterrent effect, we have killed a bunch of murderers. If we fail to execute murderers, and doing so would in fact have deterred other murders, we have allowed the killing of a bunch of innocent victims. I would much rather risk the former. This, to me, is not a tough call."
John McAdams - Marquette University/Department of Political Science

I somewhat agree with McAdams, but still have other opinions depending on the situation.

What I need to find out is what the severity of the crime has to be in order for the death penalty to be put into effect. Once I learn this, I think I can compose my opinion and then create a thesis statement for my research paper.