There is much controversy over whether the death penalty should be legal or not. It is widely used, and only 18 out of 50 states have abolished it, but should it be allowed, regardless of its popularity? The answer is no. It should be abolished because it belittles life, it is cruel, prison is a better punishment and it is not effective. Steve Earle once said, “My objection to the death penalty is based on the idea that this is a democracy, and in a democracy I am the government, and if the government kills someone, then I kill someone.” The death penalty diminishes life. It makes life seem like something that can be thrown away if you do something wrong, when in reality it is something that should be carefully kept safe and preserved. If the offender has committed murder, then by continuing his life, rather than ending it, he will have the opportunity to understand the importance and beauty of life and never kill again. Death is always at least a little painful, there's no way to do it any other way. For this reason it is considered...