The Death Penalty

I think that Clifford Boggess should not have been executed because by executing him they are giving him what he wanted. After all of the pain he has brought to the two families and the communities that were affected by the murders he doesn't deserve to escape that easily. His punishment should be life in prison because he wouldn’t be a threat to society and it would force him to think about the destruction he has caused. By having the death penalty Clifford Boggess could escape the things he has done on Earth and in most cases the murderers aren’t afraid of death so it isn’t an effective punishment.

Some may think that Clifford Boggess has changed during his time in prison but I don’t believe that. I do believe that people can change but I don’t think that Mr. Boggess truly can. He killed two people simply to get money to pay for school. This thought would never have crossed an emotionally stable person. He did have a troubled background but that is no excuse for his actions. Clearly he has some serious problems and that is never going to change. I think that he turned to religion simply because he was afraid of what was going to happen to him after he died. I don’t think that Boggess had anything to contribute to society in terms of his artwork or his religion. But, I do believe that he could contribute to society by allowing doctors to study his brain and the brains of other murderers to see what triggers these extreme responses. By having the death sentence we cannot explore these problems.

I think that the families were definitely relieved after his death, but I also believe that they would have been just as relieved if Clifford Boggess had spent his life in prison. Unfortunately, their loved ones didn't have the opportunity to decide when they would die, so, Clifford Boggess shouldn't either.