Ethical Inquiry Debating Capital Punishment

Students will be divided into groups according to whether they support or oppose capital punishment. Discuss and try to agree on answers to the following:

1. What do you think are the most powerful arguments used by the opposing side to justify their position? (In other words, if you support capital punishment, I want you to say what you think are the best arguments against it. If you oppose capital punishment I want you to say what you think are the best arguments in favor of it.)
2. How would you try to answer (rebut, disprove, criticize) those arguments?