Proponents and opponents of the death penalty – such as David B. Mulhausen and Semon Frank Thompson in the preceding two essays (pp. 526 and 530) – use statistics, expert opinions, and other evidence to support their arguments. But for many people the issue is a matter only of morality: It is right to execute convicted murders, or is not right? Write an essay in which you defend or oppose capital punishment, explaining as best you can the sources of your views, which may include family, religion, personal experience, and so on.