Capital Punishment should be abolished

I believe that the death penalty should be abolished. It goes against the most basic human right - the right to life. It is cruel, mistakes can be made, and there are better ways to deal with criminals than death. No one has proved that killing murderers/rapists etc stops others from going ahead and making these crimes. When countries (such as Canada) got rid of the death penalty, there was no increase in crime. …

…given a death penalty. But it is not really the criminals who suffer the death penalty. What about their families and friends who have to go on living their lives. Although these people have committed a serious crime, in reality there is no other explanation for taking their lives. Yes they have done bad, but after all, all killing is murder. And on these grounds I believe capital punishment of any kind should be abolished.