56 year old Leon Taylor was scheduled for execution 4 days ago, but was executed early on wednesday November 19th. He was charged with robbing a Phillips 66 and killing the gas station attendant Robert Newton in 1994. He waited in Jail for 10 years before finally being executed. Earlier this year 35 year old Mark Christeson was scheduled for execution, but was put on hold because he got bad legal counsel. He was charged and found guilty of three acts of 1st degree murder. He was found guilty of killing Susan Brouk, her 12 year old daughter and and 9 year old son in Maries county in 1998.

The Death Penalty is a sensitive subject that many people have different opinions about. Senior Austin Beck thinks Missouri should have the death penalty.

“I am a fan of a eye for an eye, so if someone kills someone the punishment should fit the crime,” said Beck.

Beck also thinks the death penalty is a worse punishment than life in prison.

“If someone kills someone they are already a little sick in the head, so they won’t show any remorse,” said Beck.

Other students don’t have the same opinion. Junior Megan Duffy thinks that life in prison is a worse punishment than the death penalty.

“Life in prison is much worse because you would have a miserable life, but death just ends your life,” said Duffy.

Sophomore Carlo Miller agreed with Duffy he also thinks life in prison is a worse punishment than the death penalty.

“Life is worse because if you are killed you are free, but life you are confined in jail which is kind of like staying in a cage,” said Miller.

History teacher Adam Weiss agrees that life in prison is a worse punishment.

“Most of those criminals want to die in the process, putting them in a cage for the rest of their life is a worse punishment than the death penalty,” said Weiss

States in the U.S. have a minimum age for the death penalty. Which means if they are younger than the minimum age than they can’t be get the death penalty. Students at South have different opinions on whether or not Juveniles should get the death penalty. Miller thinks Juveniles shouldn’t get the death penalty.

“They are just kids and 50 or 60 years in prison is a good enough punishment because that is most of their life,” said Miller.

Beck agrees with Miller he thinks they shouldn’t get the death penalty.

“Juveniles don’t have the emotional intelligence to know what they are doing,” said Beck.

Not all students agree with them. Junior Grant Reager says Juveniles should get the death penalty if they commit a bad crime.

“Everyone should be able to be up for the death penalty it shouldn’t matter about age,” said Reager.

Duffy also agrees with Reager that juveniles should be able to be up for the death penalty.

“With them [Juveniles] growing up in today’s society, they should know better, and even though they aren’t adults they still killed someone,” said Duffy.

Another hot button topic involving the death penalty is the botched executions. A botched execution is when there are errors with the execution. For example, in Oklahoma Inmate Clayton Lockett was sentenced the death penalty. They used a lethal injection to kill him, but he didn’t die until 43 minutes after the first injection. One of the doctors on the scene had said that his vein had exploded from the injection. History teacher Adam Weiss doesn’t like the death penalty for a couple reasons.

“There have been to many botched executions, and later evidence proves their innocence,” said Weiss.

In the past 5 years the U.S. has killed on average 40 people a year from the death penalty and South has a wide range of opinions on this.

“It’s a low amount we should kill more people because inmates get the death penalty, but have to wait 5 years before they are executed” said Reager.

Not all students at south agree with Reager.

“That number is a accurate amount because we don’t want to kill so many so frequently, but we don’t want to have a bunch of guys just waiting to die either,” said Duffy.

Others at South think we should kill any in the U.S.

“ Advanced civilization shouldn’t have to resort to killing it’s people it should always persue the right to live,” said Weiss.

Weiss doesn’t think we should have the death penalty because the government says you can not kill another person, yet we still kill our own citizens.

“The death penalty should be preserved for acts of war against the country. The government shouldn’t use it against its citizens,” said Weiss.

Another debate about the death penalty is whether it is cruel and unusual punishment or not.

“It is not cruel and unusual punishment like it would be to stone someone like in the olden days,” said Reager.

Terrorists we capture can also get the death penalty. Miller thinks that even though they are from another country they are still should be punished for what they did.

“We need to get rid of bad people, so they don’t harm any people or commit more crimes,” said Miller.

There and many different opinions on death penalty. People just want to have justice, but do not want someone to suffer.

“As long as the punishment fits the crime I don’t see a problem,” said Duffy.