Governments have claimed the legal right to take a criminals life as far back in history as the Eighteenth Century B.C. ("History" 1). English and American history books are filled page after page with death sentences such as: crucifixion, drowning, stoning, beating, burning, impaling, hanging, beheading, and drawing and quartering. Since the Tenth Century A.D. execution methods and means have been changed, banned, reinstated and then changed again. Societies throughout history keep coming back to the death penalty for those criminal exceptions in which there seem to be no other logical alternatives. In the year 2000, 66% of Americans supported the death penalty ("History" 7). It is evident though history that a well defined and properly implemented capital punishment system is wanted and needed in the United States to punish and prevent crime and most of the arguments against the death penalty loose their credibility when measured up to modern statistics. .
There are a few common angles to examine capital punishment. The retributive debate is one that is argued by pro-capital punishment voices. This argument follows a simple cause and effect balance. You commit a crime; you deserve punishment (Fieser sec 2). It is also believed that the punishment should fit the crime. For centuries people have been working together negotiating and fine tuning the legal system for it to better serve its purpose ("History" 2). It is generally agreed upon that a thief and a serial rapist/murderer should not be serving out there punishment side by side. Punishments can range from probation to light sentences, life sentences and, in the utmost extreme cases, the death penalty. When a criminal knowingly and willingly revokes the rites of another, he or she in fact gives up his or her own rights at the same time. Sentencing an individual to life in prison where he or she will be kept safe and fed, when he or she purposefully and willfully did commit this crime, is not fair to the persons in the country that are not safe or well fed through no fault of there own.
