America and the Death Penalty

Texas, being the largest state in the United States, has the most executions by state at 518. In 2013, executions had decreased almost 10 percent since 2012 and 60 percent since they peaked in 1999.
             In the early 1900s, there were a lot of mixed emotions on the death penalty. In 1903, Thomas Edison demonstrated the power of the electric chair by electrocuting animals (Guernsey). By 1917, nine states had abolished the death penalty during the second Great Reform Era (Reggio). These states had all abolished the death penalty because of the cruelty that it came with. Many laws were passed limiting the death penalty because of the cruel and inhuman ways that were used. The last public execution was carried out in 1936 because it was cruel to make people watch others die (National Public Radio). Between 1957 and 1972 even more states abolished capital punishment for the same reasons the other stated did. Many new laws were made after this. The U.S. Court passed a law in 1977 stating that the death penalty was too excessive for rape crimes (Finkelman). Another law passed by the U.S. Supreme Court stated that executions of individuals under the age of 16 years old is ruled unconstitutional (Gibbs). In 1982, Texas performed the first lethal injection and soon after the last execution by gas chamber was performed (Time Magazine). In the 2000s many new laws and opinions were established on the death penalty. In 2005, the death penalty for offenders under the age of 18 years old is ruled as unconstitutional (Reglio). Three years later in 2009, New Mexico repealed the death penalty. In the same year Ohio Performed the first execution with one-drug intravenous lethal injection (New York Times). Between 2012 and 2013 Connecticut and Maryland both repeal the death penalty resulting in 18th state against it (CNN). .
             The death penalty gives most people a sense of security in many states. Many people believe that putting a criminal on death row with ensure safety in society.