by Tabathia Grooms

Created on: December 22, 2009

The death penalty has been used in America since 1607. This instance occurred in Jamestown when Captain George Kendall was found guilty of mutiny. This punishment has been used multiple times since then. In the earlier years it was used for just about anyone charged with a felony. Now it is reserved for the worst of criminals. 

The question asks whether or not the penalty should be banned, but the question that most people have is who determines that another human life should end. What justifies killing someone because they ended a human life? Aren't those who put the criminals to death also committing a crime?

Our country has long used Christian beliefs to determine what's morally right. Many try to use the Bible to fight against the death penalty but the Bible states in Exodus chapter 21, verse 12 " He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death." Therefore if someone is proved guilty of murder the Bible says they should be put to death. In conclusion those fulfilling God's word  (putting to death a murder) are indeed not committing a crime themselves.

Another thing to take into consideration is the family of the victim. Reasonably, anyone who loses a loved one to an act of violence would seek vengeance. No one can fully understand this situation till they themselves have lost someone due to murder. Those without this personal experience only view it from the perspective of the criminal or the family of the convicted. Not a single person wants to have another's blood on their hands, but if you view it from the eyes of a father whose little girl's life was ended too early or the little boy who has lost his mother to a psychotic gunman then maybe you too would understand the psychological effects these actions have on the survivors. They only want justice for the people they lost. This is where the government comes into play. People consider it the nation's responsibility to provide justice. They want things handled in a way that will bring justice and punish those who commit these crimes. This is a huge decision for the government because if they put the convicted to death, it is a very costly procedure, but if they don't accomplish what the victim's family finds fair then they may take the responsibility in their own hands. An example of this occurred in Alabama several years ago. A little girl was heading home from the local grocery store when two men picked her up and took her into the

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