Capital Punishment - the Legal Infliction of Death

Capital Punishment is the legal infliction of death as a penalty for violating criminal law. It has been around for thousands of years and still continues to execute people today. Capital Punishment is inhumane and in some cases sentences the innocent to death. It is obviously the most severe form of criminal punishment. Being morally unjust, the purpose of it has no significance. Killing a person for their wrongdoings does not in anyway help our society. Capital Punishment must be abolished.

Capital Punishment originated in Ancient Times. The first evidence of capital punishment is from Hammurabi's Code, a book of Babylonian Law, from 1700 B.C. Hammurabi himself suggested: "an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth." Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. This is one form of capital punishment. The bible talks about capital punishment. One example of capital punishment in the bible is "Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death" (Exodus 21:12). It also suggest stoning a woman is she has unmarried sex. By the end of the 15th century, England had recognized 7 major crimes that deserved the death penalty. Throughout the 1800's more than 200 crimes were recognized as punishable by death. Many countries in our present day world applied the death penalty throughout the past. Some reasons for the death penalty include betraying the King or Queen, going against ones religion, cheating on your spouse, theft, murder, burglary, rape, and arson. Also, in early Egypt one could be put to death for disclosing the location of sacred burial sites. Some methods of capital punishment include crucifixion, stoning, drowning, burning at the stake, impaling, beheading, and the electric chair. Today, capital punishment is accomplished by