The death penalty was used as far back as the eighteenth century B.C. Rules and regulations regarding the death penalty have been changed around the world over time. Currently thirty-eight states in the United States allow crimes to be punished with a death sentence. This sentence is only given to those who commit heinous crimes, usually involving murder. Methods include lethal injection, electrocution, gas chambers, firing squads, and hanging. Lethal injection is most commonly used today (Death Penalty). The majority of Americans feel that capital punishment is a good idea. I however am opposed for many reasons.
Those who agree with capital punishment say it discourages crime. They believe that the fear of dying will scare them out of committing crimes. This has not been proven true. Thorsten Sellin conducted research on the topic in 1959. He compared the rates of homicide in states upholding the death penalty to those without the death penalty. He found that states with......
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