Why Does Meursault Deserve Death

To conclude, Meursault does not deserve death, nor any punishment at all. While it is true that Meursault murdered the Arab, the defense maintains that the execution of Meursault would be more unnecessary bloodshed. For is the life of a thuggish, violent Arab equivalent to the life of an educated, hard-working Frenchman who works for the greater good? The clear answer is no. Shooting the Arab is the same as removing a stain from our great nation. Dozens of Arabs are currently locked in prison, wasting their supposed potential. If anything, Meursault did a favor to the Arab, saving him from a mundane, imprisoned life, where he would undoubtedly go after persistently pursuing the warehouse manager, Raymond.
The prosecution repeatedly reminds us of Meursault’s lack of emotion at his mother’s funeral, but the jury must remember that Meursault is on trial for murder. To fire or not to fire comes to absolutely the same thing; the Arab would have died eventually. Meursault has always acknowledged the fragility—and consequently the meaninglessness—of life. Punishing this man would be an attack on the freedom of belief, specifically existentialist belief. Why should the jury impose their view of living on Meursault who
When Meursault’s mother died, life for her son and everyone around her continued as usual. People can accustom to anything, and Algiers too will accustom to the death of the Arab. Why shed more blood by executing Meursault when the Arab’s death did not have a significant impact on society?
To execute Meursault is to execute the freedom of belief. Existentialists believe that individuals must find meaning in their life as there is no universal meaning. For Meursault, his life and the life of others are meaningless. The jury must not judge his life choices based on their own personal beliefs. Does the jury want Meursault’s blood on their hands when Meursault clearly does not deserve to