Essay/Term paper: Capital punishment: the legal punishment of a criminal

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Literary Essays

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.