The debate over capital punishment is not about to drop dead anytime soon. Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and former Illinois Gov. George Ryan went head to head in a debate Thursday, arguing the legalities of capital punishment in front of an audience of professors and law students.

While there is no simple solution to the issue and no visible end to the argument in the near future, we believe capital punishment is not an efficient or humane method of discipline.

The first problem with capital punishment is its high cost to society.

A Duke University study found that in 1993, North Carolina spent $2.16 million more to execute a prisoner than it would have if that prisoner served a life sentence.

Obtaining the legal right to execute someone for a crime requires a lot of time and money, as the sentence has to go through many appeals.

The cost of capital punishment also extends beyond monetary values, as it promotes potentially inhumane treatment of the offender.

Whether the prisoner is to die from lethal injection or the electric chair, there always is the possibility of something going wrong at the time of the execution.

It is possible for a prisoner to have a reaction to the drug in the lethal injection or for a mishap to occur during an electrocution. Both situations can be torturous to the prisoner, which is cruel punishment and unnecessary.

Another flaw in the system is the possibility of innocent people dying at the hands of capital punishment. There always is the risk that a prisoner sentenced to death might be innocent.

But execution is not a reversible sentence. A prisoner might be killed and later found to be innocent of his or her crime. Our judicial system cannot afford to make such mistakes.

Michiganians are fortunate to live in a state that does not use execution as a form of discipline. But there are 37 states that do allow capital punishment.

Many argue that capital punishment helps to deter future crimes and keeps the rest of the public safe.

But there are ways to punish a criminal other than taking his or her life.

A life sentence in prison is less expensive and potentially has more impact to an individual than the death penalty.

People sentenced to life in prison are rarely, if ever, given parole.

Maximum security prisons usually allow inmates little contact with other humans and few privileges - which would be incredibly harsh when forced to experience that type of environment for a lifetime.

The debate between Owens and Ryan was refreshing, because it allowed individuals to argue about a highly controversial issue in a controlled environment.

Debate promotes understanding on such subjects, which is important if we want to progress as a society.

We should be beyond wanting ultimate revenge. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.