Over the past few years, the legality of the death penalty has been questioned by many different people. There are many sides to this issue, and people who once favored the death penalty are now rethinking their decision.

This issue was brought up recently when Clayton Lockett, who was convicted of shooting a 19-year-old woman and burying her alive in 1999, started kicking, twitching, and then writhing and moaning in agony during his botched execution.

It horrified many Americans and renewed the controversy that has the government wondering whether or not any punishment short of death is adequate.

In the United States, many have grown more opposed to the death penalty. Over 18 states have made capital punishment illegal, and 11 more states are debating whether or not to end it. 98 countries around the world have abolished the death penalty.

Some states still have capital punishment; however, they have not executed anyone in over a decade. Even President Obama, who has long been a supporter of capital punishment, called for a national review of how the death penalty is applied.

On the other side of the argument, over 63 percent of Americans still back the death penalty, but support has dropped from 80 percent in 1994. Many death penalty supporters say that capital punishment serves as a deterrent, stopping those who may turn out to be killers because of the possibility of execution.

Another argument is that penalty supporters interpret the biblical phrase, “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” to mean that those who commit a crime should be punished in the same way.

After researching this topic, I felt more informed on the two opposing sides of the death penalty. However, my position on the matter did not change. I firmly believe that the death penalty is wrong and that it is too final of a punishment in a world where mistakes happen every second of every day, though I do realize that capital punishment could bring some closure to the victims

family. But, I have been very blessed that nothing has ever happened in my family that would make me know what it feels like to have a loved one's life taken away and be given the option of having their murderer be put to death to know whether or not I truly oppose or not.