Mencken argues that a prisoner has the right to a speedy execution, just like they have the right to a speedy trial, " The real objection to capital punishment doesn't lie against the actual extermination of the condemned, but against the brutal American habit of putting it off so long." Mencken points out that it is crueler to put a man in jail with the knowledge that he will die than it is to hang the criminal immediately. "But it is one thing to die, and quite another to lie for long months and even years under the shadow of death. No sane man would choose such

Mencken argues that all victims require a katharsis for closure, that in order for their inner turmoil to be resolved, they require a "healthy letting off a steam." Mencken states that people require some form of revenge before they can be satisfied. " The thing they crave primarily is the satisfaction of seeing the criminal actual before them suffer as he made them suffer. What they want is the peace of mind that goes with the feeling that accounts are squared." The victims of a crime can not be content until they know that the person that wronged them has been punished. Katharsis is required for the victim to attain peace of mind. "Until they get that satisfaction they are in a state of emotional tension, and hence unhappy. The instant they get it they are comfortable. I do not argue that this yearning is noble; I simply argue that it is almost universal among human beings." According to Mencken, this desire for recompense can not be ignored, he believes that it is a fundamental aspect of human nature. " What I contend is that one of the prime objects of all judicial punishments

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 732
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)