The older generations. . .

Out of all people I didn't see that my dad would be so cruel and opinionated about the death penalty. I was discussing with his after dinner whether or not the death penalty should exist. I decided to play devil's advocate and challenge my father's belief that the death penalty should be used. I personally agree with him, but decided to question him in order to get a better understanding of why he believes this. I asked him which methods seem appropriate for execution and he pretty much responded with "I don't care, as long as the person dies and suffers." I mentioned that Delaware and Washington still use hanging today and he didn't seem bothered by this. I told him that the popular way to execute was with lethal injection. He had no opinion on this, or just chose not to say much. I mentioned that many people are found innocent or granted clemency and he became bothered. He responded, "Whoever gets put in jail, is found guilty, and tried for death penalty, obviously did something wrong. They should die." I argued that it might have been a flaw in the justice system and he disagreed. The juries and judges aren't idiots he said. Not just anyone is taken in for the case. He seemed very opinionated throughout this conversation, but not too defensive. However, I had to keep reminding him that I agreed that there should be penalty and that I was only playing devil's advocate. At one point he blurted out, "Why should I pay for all these prisoners to rot? Kill them!" At that moment I knew this is where the conversation would intensify and heighten. I brought up that many prisoners ask to die and that we would be doing them a favor instead of letting them suffer. And some people are at peace with what they have done and don't even suffer. How do we differentiate between those who should die and those who should rot and suffer? This is almost impossible to do because there is no clear distinction. He mentioned again to kill them all and I fought back saying that that would just put them out of misery. This is where he got really defensive saying, "Well then punish them and make them suffer! If they killed with their right hand, cut their right hand off. Make them feel the pain he caused to others." I was very surprised to hear this coming from my dad. I was playing devil's advocate, I didn't mean to upset him or cause him to get so angry. It kind of made me laugh to see my dad so riled up about a topic, especially because I agreed that there should be a death penalty. I guess he just kept forgetting that I was playing devil's advocate and just trying to challenge him.

I realized that day that the older generations had a stronger opinion on the death penalty, most believing that there should be one. My generation though is mixed; many people are very against the death penalty, while some are still for it, but don't believe in some methods of executions. Those that are for it find lethal injection to be sufficient and the most humane way to do it. The other methods are more cruel. So my generation is different than my father's, but what will the next generation believe? I believe that by then even more states will abolish the death penalty because as years have passed more and more states and countries have abolished it. I am curious to see what will happen in forty years.