rimes (Winters 85.) This gives the impression that potentially 350 criminals were wrongly executed or were going to be. However, when further studies were done, it was found that only 200 of the cases were even eligible for the death penalty and only 139 of these were ever sentenced to death. Out of the 139 cases, only 23 of these executions were actually carried out. Out of the twenty-three so called wrongful executions, only one took place since 1976 (Winters 86). With only one possibility of a mistaken execution and no proven mistaken executions in over twenty years, the death penalty is a safe tool of the criminal justice department.Death penalty opponents would have United States citizens believe that capital punishment is not a deterrent, is not morally or legally just, and that people are executed wrongly all the time. The reason they argue these points so fervently is to try to hide the evidence the overwhelmingly supports exactly what they argue against. The death penalty saves lives by deterrence and its incapacitating effect. It is morally and legally just for murderers who have no respect for human life. With only one case that has even possibly been wrong in twenty years, it is safe and fair. With all these arguments in its favor, capital punishment should be seen as a reasonable deterrent tool that should be used even more than already to ensure the safety of our nation....
