Edward I Koch Death Penalty Analysis

The death penalty has been a continuous argument that has been debated throughout history. This topic can be seen and heard in novels, articles, journals, essays, and speeches. There seem to be two primary sides on the death penalty. One side argues the idea that the death penalty should be practiced, which can be seen in Edward I. Koch in his essay, Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life. The opposing side believes that people should not permit killing other people as a form of punishment; this is illustrated in The Death Penalty by David Bruck. After analyzing the two essays, I came to the conclusion that David Bruck's essay proves his claim in a more effective and efficient manner than Edward I. Koch. Both sides of the
In the essay, Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life, Koch’s main goal is to make the readers feel that they need to act on this issue. He does this by making a connection between the reader and the neighbors who did nothing when a woman was being raped and murdered. This connection is a little extreme, but it is effective. It makes the reader feel responsible in a sense like they have a duty to protect people (Koch 487). Koch also displays the criminals in the worst possible light. When he displays Luis Vera as showing no guilt about killing someone, it makes the reader feel no sympathy towards him. Therefore the reader feels a sense that he should be killed (Koch 484). Pathos can be seen in Bruck’s essay as well. Bruck makes the reader feel guilty when he points out that if one supports the death penalty, they are in a sense celebrating and encouraging a death of another human being (Bruck 490). He states that Alvin Ford during the year on death-row lost his mind (Bruck 491). The example of Ford makes the reader feel bad or depressed for Ford and his state of mind during the years he had to spend knowing he would be put to death. The two essays tugs on the reader's emotions in an effective