Capitol Punishment
For most crimes committed in the United States the punishment is a fine, jail time, or execution. However, the death penalty is the most questionable punishment. The questions are, “Is it morally right to kill someone, no matter what the crime?” “Is it effective in deterring crime, primarily murders?” Whether or not you believe it is morally right, one fact still stands strong. The death penalty is not an effective way to stop crime and it does not lower crime rates. The death penalty has existed as long as humans have existed. The quote, “an eye for an eye,” is even loosely stated in the Bible. In the Middle Ages fines, public humiliation and imprisonment were appropriate punishments for all crimes, and death penalty was appropriate for all murders. Today, federal law states that the death penalty is to be enforced with convicted criminals for the following reasons: treason, deserting armed forces during wartime or missing in action, kidnapping and murder that involves crossing state lines, murder committed during an airplane hijacking, and of course, homicide.