When you think of an extreme crime you think of murder. When you think of extreme punishment you think of the death penalty. Crimes of this severity sometimes deserve equal punishment and we as a society accept this. However, Supreme Court Justice William Brennan argues that society seriously questions the appropriateness of the death penalty. It is true that over the years since the death penalty was first applied it has undergone some changes, but this does not suggest that we believe the death penalty is unacceptable. Justice Brennan states his argument as follows: 1) If there was a subsequent restriction of the death penalty, then society seriously questions the appropriateness of the death penalty today. (implicit)2) There was a subsequent restriction of the death penalty. (a) The methods of inflicting the death penalty have changed, as have the circumstances surrounding executions. (b) Fewer crimes involve the death penalty, so it is imposed more rarely. 3) Therefore, society today seriously questions the appropriateness of the death penalty. The order and logic with which he presents his argument is quite reasonable. However, I believe that is not a valid argument. Its first premise implies that because the death penalty has been limited to more specific circumstances, we believe it is unacceptable. This is absolutely not true. The death penalty has been limited to spare those who have committed crimes that are not comparable to murder or rape. In the past you could be executed for something as petty as theft. This obviously does not deserve the death penalty. Laws were changed when society felt the punishment did not fit the crime. The second premise suggests that because methods of inflicting death have changed, we question their appropriateness. The methods have changed, this is true, but it is still inflicted. Methods have changed to reduce the pain and suffering involved in executions. They have been modified to fit the modern definition of human. Subsequent restrictions on the death penalty have made it a more appropriate punishment for the crimes attributed to it.