To Kill or Not to Kill?

The article "To Kill or Not to Kill" by Patricia Smith is about the great debate for or against the death penalty. It also gives the history of how the death penalty was distributed and how it has changed over the years. The author wants the reader to know about the debate going on nationwide arguing whether or not the death penalty should be banned. She does this by giving examples of scenarios where people have been given the death sentence. Also, she provides different point of views from people on whether or not they believe the death penalty should be banned.

One way that the author made the readers think about whether or not the death penalty should be banned was by giving a history of the death penalty. For example the author informed us of the ways the death penalty used to be distributed. The article states; "The death penalty in the U.S. dates to colonial times... hanging was the most common method. By the 1950s, most were using either the gas chamber or the electrocution. This also shows how the death penalty has changed over time. The death penalty is not as brutal as it used to be.

Another way that the author made the readers think about whether or not the death penalty should be banned was by providing scenarios in which the death penalty would have been given to get different point of views. For example, "Christopher Simmons was 17 when he and a friend robbed, bound, and gagged a women in Missouri, then pushed her into a river." He was given the death sentence. This might help people form their opinions on whether or not the death penalty should be banned.

In conclusion, the authors purpose in writing this article is to make the readers think about whether or not the death penalty should be banned.