Wesley Lowe

In the following viewpoint, writer and webpage developer Wesley Lowe contends that capital punishment can be a strong deterrent to murder. Statistics prove that when the number of executions goes up, homicide rates go down; moreover, murder rates increase when there are less executions. In the United States, however, the death penalty is inconsistently applied, and most murderers realize that they are not likely to face execution. Lowe concludes that capital punishment must be administered to all death-row murderers in order for it to be a truly effective deterrent.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What kind of states tend to have higher crime rates, according to Lowe"
2. According to Stephen K. Layson, cited by the author, each execution deters how many murders"
3. In Lowe’s opinion, how does...