DiscussionThe death penalty has been a widely controversial topic in America as it is illegal in 27 of the 50 US states. Only 21 of the 50 states were part of this movement, including Texas, Alabama, etc. In the 1970s, this document explains why it should have been legalized in New York. Written by former New York Mayor Edward Koch “Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life.” He wants the death penalty to be legalized due to the high murder rate during his term in office. However, it should be legal in all states, but with one condition that the victims' family or close friends are the only ones who can choose who lives and dies. He calls this method "barbaric", but considers murder to be a "disease" that must be cured and therefore requires compromise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Edward Koch was mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989, but as mayor he added condos for the homeless and rebuilt homes for the next generation. During his time as mayor, new problems arose due to the AIDS epidemic, increased homelessness, and rising racial conflict. With the best intentions, he worked to eliminate anything that could harm the city. In the document, it is clearly explained that if the death penalty were legal, the suspects would no longer have caused victims as before. As this could not happen soon enough when they were released from prison, more innocent lives were lost in the process. In rare cases in the past, a person may be innocent and even be sentenced to death by lethal injection or electric chair. As we have seen previously, mistakes can happen and it would ruin the lives of the family members and the person who has served a prison sentence. Edward Koch refers to the logos in this document because he was once mayor of New York City at a time when murder and crime rates were high. By the end of his term, New York had one of the highest numbers of murders at 2,605 in 1990. Even when he was in office, the death penalty was illegal in the state because he believed that it would save more lives. Compared to the totals from 2012 to 2016, they have slowly declined over time. In this case he was wrong several times because in 2016 it was reported that 630 murders were recorded, which is less. But he was still right since other murderers have killed more people when they got out of prison, which in some cases could have been avoided. He then mentions someone capable of this crime by calling him "Mr. Willie, had previously been convicted of aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping and the murder of a Louisiana deputy and a Missouri man." » Again, for a prisoner named “Lemuel Smith who served 4 life sentences... lured a female prison officer into Chaplin's office and strangled her. He then mutilated and dismembered her body.” This was not just in New York State, but at the time in the United States. Some infamous serial killers have become famous for avoiding the death penalty in these states, even though they have cost dozens of lives. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The judge or lawyer should talk about the death penalty to the victims' family, not to a group of strangers serving as jurors. The death penalty should only be legal on the sole condition that it is the family concerned who tells the judge whether the/9780231150330