Capital punishment has been the center of much controversy dating back to its origins. Although the roots of capital punishment can be traced as far back as 1697 BC, arguments over its effectiveness and morality continue in the midst of its existence today. There are many people who have come up with reasonable arguments for both sides of the issue. Most people who believe that the death penalty is a fair punishment use the argument, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, an arm for an arm, and a life for a life. While most people who are in opposition use the argument that capital punishment is a cruel and unusual punishment, which violates the eighth amendment to the United States Constitution.

In the times surrounding the origins of capital punishment, it was used for a wide variety of crimes. Capital punishment can also be found in the Bible. The Bible prescribed the death penalty for crimes such as murder, kidnapping and witchcraft. By 1500 AD, in England, only major felonies carried the death penalty: treason, murder, larceny, burglary, rape, and arson. (Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia, 1989) The United States inherited capital punishment from European settlers in the seve

nteenth century. They promoted the idea that heinous crimes deserved severe punishment. And this is what brought capital punishment to its present standing. In the United States justice system a proportionate punishment is achieved, in the case of a person who committed a crime, when the death penalty is enforced. (Williams, 2000, p.17-24) By 1800 Parliament had enacted many new capital offenses, and hundreds of persons were being sentenced to death each year. Today, in the United States, there are approximately 3,500 people currently on death row (as of 5/04). (ProdeathPenalty.com, 2004)

When it comes to capital punishment, most people find themselves wondering if it is a fair and effective punishment. Arguments for both sides are very strong. Those who oppose the death penalty fight against it because they think it is unfair and unjust. They also believe that no one should have their lives taken away as a punishment. They also believe that the argument that capital punishment is an effective deterrent to crime is invalid. Because only fractions of people on death row are actually executed, most criminals would take the chance. They also believe that life imprisonment is as much of a deterrent as the death penalty. People on the other end of the argument believe in criminals receiving equal punishment for the crime that they commit. The only punishment in proportion to murder is execution. No matter what side a person chooses to take, the argument over the fairness of the death penalty will continue for many more years to come. The United States government has many regulations regarding the death penalty. All of those rules oppose using the death penalty in an unfair manner, but do not prohibit the death penalty completely. Therefore it is up to the individual states to decide what they feel is the best way to handle things in their own states. They must always keep in mind what they risk by keeping it or getting rid of it. If those states who use capital punishment got rid of it there is a good chance that they will see their crime rates increase and more and more people would fear for their lives. On the other hand, if the states that use capital punishment keep it they face the possibility of executing an innocent

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