Death Penalty Erases Nothing

THE DEATH PENALTY ERASES NOTHING Death; the one thing everyone is aware of, but has yet to experience. Penalty; a consequence one would receive if they’ve done wrong. The two words combined make up a horrific consequence to unacceptable actions; the death penalty. This occurrence refers far back in history. The death penalty first began in the 18th Century B.C. in the Code of the King of Hammurabi in Babylon. During this time, the death sentence was a penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty carried on over the centuries and became more gruesome; by the 1700s, about 222 crimes in Britain were punishable by death. These deaths would include boiling, beheading, burying at stake, crucifixion, burning alive, drowning, beat to death, and hanging. People were killed for reasons such as treason, marrying Jews, and several others. The British heavily influenced America’s use of the death penalty. With so many European settlers, they brought the practice of capital punishment along with them. In the new colonies, breaking any moral and martial laws would result in the death penalty; things such as trading with Indians, stealing grapes, and killing chickens. However, from 1823-1837 100 crimes were eliminated from being punishable by the death penalty. Today people still receive this sick and cruel punishment. No matter the crime, no human should lose their life as a consequence; this only teaches violence as opposed to a true, moral lesson. The death penalty is not only morally wrong, but legally wrong as well. All Americans have human rights in which they receive as being citizens in America. These rights are written in several documents; among many, is the Declaration of Human Rights. Within article three of this Declaration it is stated that “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.” This quote explains that everyone has a right, in which they were born with, to live their life. There are no ifs or buts in the Declaration, it is a

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