I cannot say I envy the position Governor Quinn is currently in. He has a month and 10 days, until March 18, to make the decision on whether our state will have the death penalty.

The death penalty has always been a controversial topic, and despite the decision Quinn makes, a large group will be left unhappy. Both sides have strong arguments to support their point, but soon the debate will be brought to an end.

The fate of the death penalty in Illinois now rests on one man’s shoulders. I have my own clear opinions about the death penalty, but I would not want to be the person to make this decision for an entire state.

Those who think Quinn should rid our state of the death penalty have many strong arguments on their side.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Illinois has removed 20 wrongly convicted people from death row since 1987. That makes Illinois the second-highest state for the number of innocent people found on death row.

Since 1976, Illinois has only executed 12 people-a smaller number than those who have been wrongly convicted.

Illinois currently has 15 people waiting on death row. In the past 10 years, our state has spent more than $100 million to send these 15 men to death row and keep them there.

Worldwide, the number of people sentenced to death each year is dropping. In 1994, 313 people were sentenced to death worldwide. In 2010, that number fell to 112.

The world appears to be gravitating away from the death penalty as a form of punishment.

According to the 2009 FBI Uniform Crime Report, the South has the highest murder rate, yet the South accounts for 80 percent of the executions in the United States.

This suggests that the death penalty does not deter murder, which is often one of the arguments used to support the death penalty.

All that being said, an opposite, equally strong side to the argument can be made.

One of the strongest arguments for the death penalty is that, in certain cases where all the evidence leads to the suspect and the crime was heinous, no other punishment seems reasonable.

If Quinn completely eliminates the death penalty, then the option to give the death sentence is no longer there, even in the most heinous crimes. The death penalty would no longer be an option for crimes such as multiple murders, heinous crimes against children, etc.

The death penalty also serves as a final act of justice for the victims and their families, rather than the families having to know that the person who killed their loved one is still living.

Most state prisons are already beyond their population limit, if the death penalty is eliminated, then prisons will have to house even more criminals. Even though those who are put on death row can remain in prison for several years, that is still a shorter term than remaining in prison for life.

Both sides have valid arguments as to why Quinn should or should not abolish the death penalty. Many people are anxiously awaiting his decision on March 18.

I commend Quinn for taking the time to weigh both sides before making a decision. I know I would not want to be the one carrying the weight of the state on my shoulders.

Quinn is asking for the public to send him letters with their opinions on the death penalty. If you have as strong feelings as I do about this topic, mail a letter to the governor at: 207 State House, Springfield, IL 62706.

Abby Allgire is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812

or [email protected]