The Death Penalty:Justice for None By: Victoria, Tara, Pouriya, Jack, Sara, and Prince

Introduction Very well written essay with valid and thought provoking arguments Plenty of proof to back arguments made Convincing and overall intriguing essay

Intended Audience Audience: Residents of the United States at voting age who can contribute to the decisions being made. Important Quotes: “When U.S. homicide rates are compared with countries that don't have the death penalty, their rates are much higher.” (Paragraph 6) “In spite of this extensive media coverage, few programs reveal the inequities in the U.S. justice system and the cruel nature of death by execution. Surely, if more Americans knew the plight of Lorenzo Norwood and the hundreds of others like him on death row, they would fight to abolish the death penalty” (Paragraph 12).

Tone and Mood The tone of the essay was serious and thought provoking. Examples: “Some people think it is only fair to kill those who have killed others. However, sentencing in the United States is far from even-handed.” (Paragraph 7) “Numerous international human rights organizations have denounced the execution of juveniles, the mentally deficient, and the mentally ill.” (Paragraph 9)

Use of Language Language was appropriate for intended audience Many Complex-Compound sentences that help the author expand on the topic Example: “Only five other countries have executed juveniles since 1990 - Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen - but the United States executed more on that time than any other country.” (Paragraph 9) Occasional Simple sentences were used to make statements Example: “Inequality also exists in the courts.” (Paragraph 8)

Structure of Essay Very clear and concise with an obvious introduction, body, and conclusion Thesis: The death penalty in the United States should be abolished, because it is inhumane and unjust”. The thesis is placed in the 4th paragraph Methods of development include comparisons, and persuasion or argumentation

Rhetorical Devices Balance- “...who shall live and who shall die” (paragraph 7). Definition: When similar grammatical structures are placed in parallel. Parallel Structure- “...those convicted of murdering white people are more than four times likely to receive death penalty than those convicted of murdering black people” (paragraph 7). Definition: The repetition of a grammatical structure in a sentence.

Alliteration- “The situation is similar in other southern states” (paragraph 8). Definition: Repetition of the same consonant sounds. Anecdote- “Some of these stories are heart-wrenching, like the story of Rolando Cruz who was convicted of murdering a ten year old girl, and spent ten years on death row before being released. Another man had confessed to the crime, but prosecutors had it in for Cruz (paragraph 10). Definition: A brief story that shares an interesting or amusing event dealing with one incident.

Discussion Questions: What are your thoughts on the death penalty? Do you think the victims’ families get a sense of closure knowing a killer has been executed? Should the death penalty be applied to mentally disabled people? Which is worse, life imprisonment or the death penalty?