Capital Punishment   Once a suspect is caught and found guilty of a crime, that person probably isn't going anywhere. If the crime were severe enough, he or she could receive a lifetime in jail or the death penalty. Preferences for punishment vary between inmates. Some would enjoy living the rest of their lives with no cost, and others would rather die than sit in jail their entire life. The controversy then boils down to whether it is ethically right or wrong to use capital punishment.   Is the death penalty ethically wrong? A study done by Isaac Ehrlich in 1973 showed that for every inmate that received the death penalty, 7 lives were spared due to others being deterred from committing murder. Deterrence is a measure taken by a state to prevent further hostile actions for similar offenses or crimes. This is a primary reason behind the death penalty.   William Bowers of Northeastern University claims that the death penalty has the opposite affect on society. He states that our society is "brutalized" by the practice, and that it further encourages murder. It is also argued against the death penalty that it is not a deterrent, because the majority of those that commit murder do not expect to be caught or do not analyze the possible consequences. There really isn't any other reason a person would follow through with such an act. Many murders are committed on impulse or flurries of emotion. So it can also be concluded that the death penalty serves no more purpose than lifetime sentences.   Either way, does something need to change? The Supreme Court has decided that a automatic death penalty applied to everyone found guilty of first degree murder would be unconstitutional. This allows juries an amount of discretion in deciding whether or not a person is worthy of the death penalty. More whites have been punished by the death sentence than blacks in this country. But statistically, blacks commit more murders than white people. Also, suspects being tried for murder cannot always afford a decent lawyer. Those who cannot are most often the ones selected for the death penalty. Should such a dramatic and important sentence as the death penalty be decided on how much money the murderer has?   The death penalty is largely an issue of morals and ethics. Some think that not only are cable TV and free meals for life making a mockery of justice, but we are also the ones that pay for it. Others can effectively argue that awarding our government the authority to take life at their discretion is wrong. The grey area that capital punishment sits in right now is growing continuously more questioned by both sides of the argument.   -hot butter