Assignment #2

I’m not exactly sure what we should be doubting or believing in this essay. Should we be believing or doubting his diagnosis of a problem with society or his satirical suggestion for solving it? His solution is peculiar at best but probably necessarily over the top to prove his point. Miller’s thesis is obviously that capital punishment doesn’t work and that the only reason people support it is because they don’t have to see it executed.
First I’ll try believing this argument. Capital punishment may not work in discouraging murderers. If it doesn’t lower the number at all then it actually is counter-productive in terms of number of deaths because you’d have to add in the number of people executed. Many see it as uncivil or barbaric to execute people in the 21st century. Putting someone to death is certainly unmerciful. Probably most of us wouldn’t be supportive of the death penalty if we had to watch each execution or even worse be the one to pull the trigger.
Now for doubting Miller’s position. The punishment, most severely being the death penalty, has certainly got to enter the mind of someone contemplating pre-meditated murder. This inherently means it dissuades criminals. If it lowers the crime rates even a little then it means each one of us is a little safer. As for his other argument that we wouldn’t support it if we had to watch, at least in my own case it wouldn’t deter my support. You support the death penalty because you believe someone who kills deserves equitable justice, not because you want revenge or a thirst for blood.