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Touchstone 1.2 English
Mohammed AlshaghathirahComment by Eackloff, Robyn: Hi Mohammed,I am pleased to evaluate your assignment today.
Sophia Learning
English Composition II
Research question: Is death penalty a more effective capital punishment than life imprisonment without parole?Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: You have chosen a relevant and debatable topic.
Thesis statement: Although there are arguments that death penalty strongly deter people from committing serious crimes, life imprisonment without parole should be used instead of death penalty because it is ethically questionable, it is costly and it is irreversible in case an innocent person gets executed. Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: The working thesis statement takes a stance on a debatable topic.
Detailed Outline
I. Introduction
A. A Hook with a brief history, religious details and facts on the death penalty globally.
B. Briefly discuss the dilemma surrounding the death penalty. Source: Shona olalere on “The Dilemma of Death Penalty.”
C. A working thesis statement: Although there are arguments that death penalty strongly deter people from committing serious crimes, life imprisonment without parole should be used instead of death penalty because it is ethically questionable, it is costly and it is irreversible in case of an innocent person gets executed. Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: The thesis statement will be the last sentence of the introduction.
II. Ethical argument
A. On the grounds that the society has some moral obligation and religious views on human life, death penalty is ethically questionable.
1. Societal obligation
2. Religious views
3. Worldwide view
4. Supporting sources:
a. ACLU (2012). Revised- THE CASE AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY
b. Olalere, S. (2019). “The Dilemma of Death Penalty.”
III. Cost argumentComment by Eackloff, Robyn: Ensure that these major headers align with the thesis you develop.
A. The complexity, the length as well as finality of death sentence is more expensive than upkeep coast of an individual in prison.
1. Reasons why death penalty is costly
2. Supporting sources:
a. DPIC report (2022) – Cost of death penalty.
b. Perez (2022) – Legal expert explains cost behind a death row sentence.
IV. Irreversibility of death sentence
A. In case of any human error, it is impossible to reverse death penalty.
1. Inevitability of errors in criminal justice system
2. Errors that can occur death penalty cases
3. Wrongful execution cases- there are several cases of innocent individuals being executed.
4. Supporting sources
a. James, Jeff and Vaerie (2022), DPIC- Technical errors can kill
b. PHILLIP MORRIS- INNOCENT ON DEATH ROW: HEAR THEIR STORIES. : Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: Good work on the sources – keep in mind that the most credible and relevant sources are those that are from .edu, gov or scholarly sources and are less than 10 years’ old.
V. Advantages of life imprisonment without parole
A. Scales the punishment in an effective way
B. Errors in the case can be corrected
C. Less costly
D. Supporting source
1. Bagaric, M. and Svilar, J., (2022)- A (Partial and Principled) Defense of Sentences of Life Imprisonment- 695
VI. Counter Arguments
A. Death penalty deters crimes in the societyComment by Eackloff, Robyn: You include a section for the counterargument. Good.
1. No evidence on this claim.
B. An individual that commits murder, through their action, they forfeit human rights, thus their life right should be forfeit too.
1. Violets the moral order
C. Supporting source
1. Death penalty information center (2022)- Deterrence
VII. Conclusion
A. Life sentence without parole is a better punishment compared to death penalty because not only is it less costly but is more ethical and help present innocent execution.Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: You will restate the thesis in the conclusion.
B. It is important to consider the concepts surrounding death penalty and the its impacts in the society
Reflective Questions
1. Learning to conduct research is important because it is a skill you will use both in academia and in your professional life. It improves critical thinking and empowers you to find information for yourself. Consider the process of researching as a whole. What was the most challenging aspect of the process for you? (2-3 sentences)
The most challenging aspect in the research process was selecting a research topic and organizing all the sources. Selecting a topic is not only the first step in the process but also it is vital for it to be done well or correctly. On the other hand, there were various sources on the topic, thus analyzing each source to find if it is credible for the topic was very difficult.
2. The working thesis statement is a proposed answer to your research question. It should clearly identify an arguable topic and take a position on one side of that topic. Analyze the effectiveness of your working thesis statement. (3-4 sentences)
My thesis statement is a one sentence statement, which provides a focus to my argument. In other words, it develops my position clearly under sentences. It is also not too narrow or too broad, thus it can provide enough information to be able to cover the entire topic in one paper. In addition, I tried providing a general opposing reason on the topic, an alternative or recommendation on what else could be done and my supporting reasons in one sentence. Thus, this makes the thesis strong.
3. A detailed outline is an effective tool for laying out the progression of an argument. It allows you to consider the arrangement and organization of your ideas, as well as choose places to incorporate outside source materials. Review your detailed outline and summarize the argument you've presented. (3-4 sentences).
For my outline, I began by providing the introduction outline, where I have also added the thesis and supporting source, then have outlined each of the reasons, which presents all the arguments. Each part of the reason outline, which includes, ethical argument, cost argument and Irreversibility of death sentence, I have provided a topic sentence, sub-topics and presents all the sources and evidenced use to support my arguments. Then counterarguments, which are very important in an argumentative essay and I have outlined two of them and stated the opposing view. Finally, the conclusion, which provides a short summary of the main points, as such, I think the organization of the work is good enough to present all the information effectively.
4. You will use the same topic on three of the remaining Touchstones in this course. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are specific questions you might have as you go deeper into the research process? (2-3 sentences).
