Capital punishment has existed all throughout the history of mankind, long before the creation of the court systems. As civilizations progressed through the years so did our justice system and the American people incorporated capital punishment into our laws. Our laws first started with an eye for an eye. Years later the Bible encourages the practice of capital punishment. There are several scriptures in the Bible that speak about punishment, such as: Matthew, Corinthians, Peter, and Hebrews. These are just a few; there are several more. The English used the Bible as a guide for crimes that would seem just under the punishable by death rule. Most of the laws and court structure in the United States are based on the old English system.

Our society has become increasingly violent. I remember my parents saying that they used to leave their house open and their cars unlocked. You definitely cannot do that now. Your neighbors used to help out but now they just look away. People are so busy and really don’t have enough time to know who is suppose to be at one’s house so they just don’t bother. Family values and morals are declining. Drug abuse, child abuse, domestic violence, and gangs have risen. Just in Florida the number of violent crimes has risen 1.7% in the past year. Guns are almost as easy to get as candy. Children are not safe even at school. Society seems obsessed with sex, and music and movies have more violence in them than ever before. The artists and producers are targeting teenagers to support their efforts. It seems some members of society place little value on human life.

With the crime rate increasing, crimes worsening in severity, and society’s killers are becoming younger and younger, the United States used to outlaw capital punishment. Over the past few year, some states have brought capital punishment back into the justice system. Capital punishment is the highest punishment that the courts can impose to a person who commits severe crimes, such as; murder, espionage, or treason or as part of military justice. In the earlier days they would just hang you. In some Muslim countries adultery, sodomy and spostasy (a religious crime) are sentenced to death. When a person is sentenced to death their life will end in a prison by lethal injection or by the electric chair. Most countries have stopped sentencing people to death except for the United States, Guatemala, and some of the Caribbean).

Capital punishment has several pros and cons. Many people believe that this type of punishment deters crimes. However, others argue that it doesn’t deter more than life imprisonment. It violates human rights, leads to people being executed that are innocent, and discriminates against minorities and the poor.


It violates the Thou shalt not kill commandment.

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