Convicted killer Ronnie Lee Gardner recently became the first person in the US to be executed by firing squad in 14 years. His execution by marksmen in the state of Utah may seem extreme, but the US is one of several countries where the death penalty is still supported and legal in some states. How do young people feel about the death penalty?
Capital punishment for murder in the UK was abolished in 1969, after the last execution took place in 1964. The death penalty raises many moral questions and can evoke strong opinions in people. It is important that the subject is approached sensitively. Do young people agree with the death penalty? Why? Does execution have a place in today's world? Or should people be rehabilitated instead? Ronnie Lee Gardner was sexually abused at five years old, addicted to hard drugs at 10 and pimped out at 14 by a paedophile who would later become his foster parent. Can the fact that he committed murder be explained by his past? Do young people think he could have been rehabilitated? Can his past excuse his actions?
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