Since this essay was found in The New Republic, Koch most likely wrote this essay to high society, politically minded people that were deciding if they should support the death penalty or not. Koch also wrote this to people that supported the death penalty but weren't exactly sure how to convince others of it. That's why Koch gives the possible arguments against capital punishment and then a detailed counter argument for capital punishment.

Koch organizes his essay well. He begins by telling the readers about the execution of Robert Lee Willie. Robert Lee Willie told his executioners that they were no better than he, if they continued the execution. Koch goes on to state that Robert Lee Willie only then understood the sanctity of life. Then the author placed his thesis on the t

indeed precious, and that even after examining the arguments of his opponents, he still supports the death penalty.

Another story used by Koch was of Lemuel Smith. While serving a life sentence in prison for kidnapping, robbery, and murder, Smith lured a female corrections officer into the chaplain's office, killed her, then mutilated her body. Koch made the point that a man's punishment can't get any worse serving a life sentence. Prison does not rehabilitate the prisoner

Other effective arguments in this essay are summaries of research. Numerous times Koch states political and religious sources and even sourced the greatest thinkers of our time. For example, the author states that the political leaders Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin endorsed the death penalty, and even Lincoln executed deserters in the civil war. Koch notes that the greatest thinkers, Kant, Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Mill, agreed that "natural law properly authorizes the sovereign to take life in order the vindicate justice.(Koch, 342)" Koch covers every aspect of human culture with these examples. The author aligned himself with religion, logic, morality and the greatest national leaders of this country, and the greatest thinkers of all time; it would be almost foolish to contradict these arguments.

Koch not only effectively argues that life is precious and capital punishment defends the sanctity of life, but also the fact that t

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 972
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)