Did Clifford Boggess Deserve to Die?

  I am completely against the death penalty. I believe that killing others to show that killing is wrong is a statement that makes absolutely no sense. However, hearing the details of Boggess' case and forming an emotional attachment to it makes it difficult for me to say that I believe that Boggess does not deserve to be executed. After hearing his side of the story, it has only made it harder for me to argue against the death penalty. He showed me that he did not change. I would like to believe that people--even bad ones--have the power to change, but Boggess, unfortunately was not one of those individuals. He never showed any grief or regret towards his immoral actions. In addition to that, he was content with himself in prison. Since I firmly believe that Boggess deserves no right to happiness, the only other option would be to execute him. However, it is important to remember that I cannot let the emotional arguments get in the way of the most important fact. As much hatred people may feel towards Clifford Boggess, we must still remember that no one deserves to die, and the death penalty further teaches murderers that killing is moral.
   I believe that everyone individual has the right to live, and even if they don't use it, they have the potential to be of some value. Boggess might have been a terrible and sick man, but he was also an incredible artist. His value lied within his artistic abilities. It is wrong to kill him, and by doing so, the world misses out on the art that he could have provided. In addition to his value in society, the fact that the victims' families recieved no justice after the fact further proves that Boggess should not have recieved the death penalty. After watching Boggess get executed, one of the victim's granddaughters expressed that she still felt empty and hurt about her grandfather's death. She explained that Boggess got what he wanted; he picked the day he wanted to be killed and prepared himself so he was ready to die. The victims' families didn't recieve justice because killing Boggess did not bring their loved ones back.
   Am I happy that Boggess is no longer alive? Yes. But do I believe that he deserved to be executed? No. The death penalty sends out the wrong message by teaching others that killing is allowed. Even though Boggess hurt many people through his cruel actions, that does not mean that he should be killed as well. Everyone deserves the chance to change. Even though Boggess might never have grown into a good man, he deserves the change, just like all other individuals have. Executing Boggess did nothing for anyone; most importantly, it did not give the families the justice they were after. As hard as it may be for me to say after seeing and hearing about Clifford Boggess' insane mind and terrible crimes, I still believe that the death penalty is wrong and immoral.