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More formally known as capital punishment, the death penalty has been discussed historically as well as nowadays. The death penalty has been a legalized punishment since Hammurabi, a Babylonian king in 1750 b.c..
Only the crimes, for which the death penalty was used, have changed over the centuries.
In the ancient Greece, someone could be condemned to death for stealing a piece of fruit or just being lazy. Crimes which are nowadays not even punished as crimes. In Ancient Rome, even one who disturbed the peace at night could be sentenced to death. In the time of Hammurabi (whose code of laws is believed to be the oldest surviving) someone could be sentenced to death for robbery, murder and adultery. Even in Biblical accounts, acting in God's behalf, Moses wanted the death penalty for kidnapping and cursing at one's parents.
By the Middle Ages in England, there were a great number of crimes for which the death penalty was reserved, like: murder, treason, petty treason, theft, robbery, rape, burglary and arson.
As time went on, the list of offences which were punishable by death grew dramatically.
By 1600s, 200 offences and by 1780 350 crimes were on this list, known in Britain as the "Bloody Code".
While the modern trend is for the more human way of executing, like the lethal injection, the ancient rule of thumb of more painful and bloodier executions is still present.
The old testament for example mentions stoning as the preferred way of killing disobedient children. But stoning wasn't the worst of the early executions. Convicted criminals were burned, drowned and crucified. Executions in the past were always public in the belief that watching the ultimate punishment would deter others from committing the wrongdoer's crime.
The executions had always a carnival-like atmosphere. People from town wanted to be there very early to get a good view.
Historian's doubt that public executions were not only there to deter people from crime, satiate the desire for pain and blood. Since the 18th century death penalty was also opposed. The abolitionist movement banned the death penalty from some states in the USA. Some states like Colorado experimented with abolition, but it seemed when crime numbers went up again, or if the economy is in a slump, the public sentiment about death penalty was growing.
Although, capital punishment still exists and the trend to make executions less brutal is still going on. In 1997 thirty-eight states in the USA allowed the death penalty.
Only the twelve remaining districts of Columbia do not. Surveys showed, that 75% of the Americans believe that death penalty is appropriate in some cases. It is also true that some people support death penalty because they have lost confidence in alternative ways.
Although, both groups have worthy and thoughtful questions.
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