Capital Punishment: The Legal Punishment Of A Criminal Essay, Research Paper

Capital Punishment: The Legal Punishment of a Criminal

Capital punishment is what I consider , ?the legal? punishment of a

criminal. Capital punishment has been used as a form of punishment for many

years. At modern time, capital punishment is more controlled. Although, when

capital punishment is mentioned it brings shivers down the back of most of

society. Being it is a factor of death, capital punishment , should not be

taken so lightly.

The term capital does not represent or signify any ideas in the negative

aspect. Capital is defined as first or foremost; first rate or excellent.

Punishment, on the other hand, is defined as the rough handling or penalization

for a wrong doing. Neither of these terms, when mentioned individually signify

anything in the negative aspect. Although when these two terms are combined

there is alot more meaning to them than just excellent or penalization. These

now strictly signify, death.

Capital punishment has been a form of ?disciplining? since 1750 B.C.,

when it was part of the code of Hammarabi. The bible itself, also prescribes

death as a penalty for any of thirty crimes committed. The crimes ranged from

any between murder and fornication. In the 18th century more than two hundred

capital crimes were recognized, and as a result over one thousand people a year

were faced with the sentence of death.

Now at modern time, the death penalty, has been rekindled. Although,

it is not as barbaric as it was. Now the law only allows itself the use

certain types of ?disciplining?. In the early 18th and 19th century the death

penalty was inflicted in many ways. Some ways were, crucifixion, boiling in oil,

drawing and quartering, impalement, beheading, burning alive, crushing, tearing

asunder, stoning and drowning. In the late 19th century the types of

punishments were limited and only a few of them remained permissible by law.

In the 19th century capital punishment was to only be inflicted by the following

methods: hanging, electrocution, the gas chamber, firing squad and lethal

injection.

The opinions brought upon us stating that the death penalty is a very

strong deterrent against crime holds allot of water. It is a proven statistical

fact that states that have reinstated and now enforce the death penalty show no

difference in their crime and murder rate. In some cases, states that do impose

the death penalty have a higher crime rate than the states that do not impose

this ?disciplinary? action.

?Whosoever shed man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed?(Genesis

9:6). With this statement from Genesis, some people could almost feel as if

they are doing something religious. In the use of the death penalty the

concern of executing the innocent remains abroad. The death penalty has also

been known for being used in unfair ways. For instance, women are rarely

sentenced to death, although twenty percent of homicides are committed by

women. Also, an inappropriate number of non-whites have been executed. In the

20th century, when the death penalty was used for rape, no white men were

executed for raping a non-white women whereas most black offenders who raped

white women were executed.

As a person against capital punishment, I feel more thought should be

placed on a matter that involves taking someone’s life. In my mind and the

mind of many others the death penalty will always remain defined as ?

?disciplinary? execution.