In Class Work 9/17

Introduction paragraph for Essay 1:

Do some people deserve to die for the crimes they have committed, and do we have the right to take their lives? This is a question that people have asked themselves for centuries, and with the death penalty being passed into legislation in some states and not in others, the question continues. Pulitzer Prize winner, Nicholas Kristof, in the New York Times editorial titled “When We Kill” (June 14, 2019), argues that there is no actual evidence that the death penalty deters crime and it costs more to put someone to death then it is to house them for life. Kristof also argues that there is a racial bias to the death penalty which undermines the legitmacy of our judical system. Kristof supports his claims by including real life anecdotes of people who have been sentenced to death, which provides unique evidence to backup his claims. Kristof also provides specific data that shows that the death penalty does not deter crime. His purpose is to persuade his audience that the death penalty does more harm then good and that we as readers are misinformed about the death penalty. Kristof writes in a passionate tone that shows his dedication to this topic. He also uses many real life anecdotes that evoke emotion in the reader. In this essay I will analyze the author’s use of rhetorical strategies to persuade his audience that the death penalty does not deter crime, costs more money then life sentences, and has a racial bias.