In the USA, the death penalty has been one of the most disputed issues for decades. Since its reinstitution 1974 it has been in the focus of American public attention. Today it is more controversial than ever before and divides the American public into two factions; one group being supportive of capital punishment, the other group opposing the death penalty.
Supporters of the death penalty often quote from the bible to justify their conviction. Nobody will deny that it says in the bible "A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, a life for a life." But we must also consider that it says "Thou shall not kill." Furthermore, there are various other arguments against the death penalty in the bible that outweigh the arguments supporting the death penalty.
The pro-death penalty division also believes that the death penalty is a deterrent that keeps people from committing capital crimes. Recent studies have shown, however, that there is no evidence that would back this assumption since individuals who commit a murder are often under the influence of drugs or alcohol, act out of fear or rage, or panic while committing another crime such as kidnapping or robbery. In this state, people are often unable to consider the consequences of their actions. Thus, only in the fewest cases death penalty serves as a deterrent. Surprisingly, statistics show that the states that abolish the death penalty have lower homicide rates than the states whose jurisdictions are eager to sentence people to death in the United States. Maybe it would be easier to sympathise with death penalty supporters if capital punishment was carried out fairly and equally. However, this is not the case, either. Ninety-five per cent of all perpetrators on death row could not afford their own defense lawyer. The case of O.J. Simpson also shows that money can buy freedom. But this actor was one of the few colored Americans who did not receive a harsh punishment just for the fact that they were being non-white.
