THE DEATH PENALTY
Jarret McCluskey
English III
Mrs. Williams
April 8, 1993
McCluskey 1 The Death Penalty
There is no easy answer to the capital punishment issue. Most people feel very
strongly about it, even though their views differ considerably. This has been a
controversial issue for as long as capital punishment has been around.
The death penalty has been used through out history. Before societies were
organized, people would kill others for committing crimes. They decided who was
guilty and the punishment for most crimes was death. Many innocent people were
killed in this manner. Laws came about because these people made many errors in
judgment. They let their emotions decide who was guilty, not the facts (Flanders 4).
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Period the use of capital
punishment changed very little. Most forms were uncivilized and included great pain.
The idea seemed to be that not only should these people die, but that they should suffer
greatly while dying. The offenders were killed by various methods, such
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