Some reasons why this is so, is the deterrence or lack there of. Another reason is how easy some innocent person can be rushed through the system and executed. My final reason is constitutionality, should the state or government be allowed to execute people at all. I will explain those reasons n the following paragraphs why I"m against the death penalty.
The first reason why I"m against the death penalty is the deterrence that it should cause. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, "The report noted that the Texas crime rate rose 4% in 2001, nearly five times the national average, and the state posted a 7.6% increase in homicides. At the same time, the total number of executions in Texas is more than three times that of any other state in the nation" ("Facts" 3). That says that even though Texas has the highest executions, their crime rate has not gone down but up. In Lenhoff's article "Debating the Death Penalty" says, "Opponents of capital punishment point to studies that indicate that the murder rate does not fall when the death penalty is used heavily" (Lenhoff 6). That means exactly what its says. Another quote from that article says how some crimes are made in the heat of passion. "the death penalty has no deterrent effect on most murders because people commit murders largely in the heat of passion and/or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, giving little thought to the possible consequences of their acts" (Lenhoff 6-7). A different quote points to the higher homicide rate in states that have the death penalty than states that don't have it. "A new survey by the New York Times found that states without the death penalty have lower homicide rates than states with the death penalty" ("Facts" 6).
Another reason why I"m against the death penalty is the possibility of a wrongful execution. In a quote describing McGinn's problem, "Absent and unlikely delay, he will die without the benefit of the latest genetic and mitochondria DNA test, which for a thousand dollars could irrefutably prove his guilt -or point to another assailant.