Capital punishment has been the center of much controversy dating back to its origins. Although the roots of capital punishment can be traced as far back as 1697 BC, arguments over its effectiveness and morality continue in the midst of its existence today. There are many people who have come up with reasonable arguments for both sides of the issue. Most people who believe that the death penalty is a fair punishment use the argument, "lex talionis", meaning, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, an arm for an arm, a life for a life." (Hooker, 1996, p.34). While most people who are in opposition use the argument that capital punishment is a cruel and unusual punishment which violates the eighth amendment to the United States Constitution.

In the times surrounding the origins of capital punishment, it was used for a wide variety of crimes. Capital punishment...