William Tucker

Executions may not deter “crimes of passion”—such as arguments that escalate into murder—but they do help prevent felony homicides, contends William Tucker in the following viewpoint. A felony homicide is a murder that is committed while enacting another crime. A robber may, for example, make a calculated decision to kill his victim so that there will not be any witnesses to his crime. Twentieth- century homicide statistics clearly reveal that the death penalty deters these kinds of murders, Tucker points out. Tucker is a journalist and correspondent who writes for several conservative periodicals.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Tucker, why is it disadvantageous to use the death penalty for crimes such as robbery"
2. In the author’s opinion, why did the murder rate increase sharply...