I was trying to make the case against deterrence. You're right, it is hard to draw any conclusions about the effectiveness by looking at murder numbers alone.

I was trying to make the case against deterrence. You're right, it is hard to draw any conclusions about the effectiveness by looking at murder numbers alone. It seems most experts would argue against deterrence being effective though and I would agree. If you can't say for certain whether or not something such as the death penalty is effective, then I think it is best to error on the side of not killing people.