Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment

Capital punishment, also called the death penalty, is "death by

execution" as stated in The American Heritage Dictionary of the

English Language. The death penalty is a sentence given to criminals

charged with first degree murder, although most often than not, the

majority of inmates on death row live years in a state penitentiary

before their execution takes place. There are many historical changes,

religious beliefs, and opposing view points held with the subject of

capital punishment.

The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the reign

of King Hammaurabi in the eighteenth century B.C. There were as many

as twenty-five different crimes all punishable by execution. Death

sentences were performed by drowning, burning alive, stoning,

crucifixion, impalement, and being beaten to death. Approximately 900

A.D., hanging lawbreakers became a much more popular method of the

death sentence. The death penalty in America was introduced when

European settlers came to the New World in the early 1600's. Specific

crimes would sometimes guarantee a death sentence: suspected

witchcraft, atheism, heresy, and homosexuality. However, present day

governments worldwide have developed laws requiring quick and fair

trials preceding the execution, dissimilar from the past when such

orders were dealt with on- the-spot. The methods used currently differ

greatly from earlier periods of history. The most common method of

execution favored by most countries is lethal injection; other legal

options available also include the electric chair, gas chambers,

hanging, or a firing squad. Execution by asphyxiation, crucifixion...

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...n, that one wrong act

condemns a person to death. However, there are those few neutralists

that accept the death penalty a justifiable punishment, but that the

criminals should be put to work while awaiting the "death-date." Any

money earned by the inmate will go towards reimbursing the victim's

immediate family.

In April 1999, the United Nations Humans Rights Commission passed the

Resolution Supporting Worldwide Moratorium on Executions. The

declaration demand countries that have not abolished the death penalty

to restrict its use of capital punishment. Presently more than half of

the countries worldwide have abolished the death penalty, either

completely, de facto, or for ordinary crimes. At the moment, over 75

countries still keep hold of the death penalty, including the United

States, China, Iran and Vietnam.