Through the course of time, society has been confronted with the problem of what to do with its worst criminals. Society has been faced with this particular conflict and having to decide what is considered just for each particular crime. Many societies have used capitol punishment in on form or another. But no one is really sure of what culture enforced capital punishment first. One thing is certain, many historians believe that the death penalty has been around for as long as humans have been living on earth. The earliest known forms of capital punishment was brought out by the Babylonian Empire in the year 2000 BC The code they used ordered the death penalty to be enforced for many criminal offenses the government believed people should be executed for. "According to Hammurabi's code, a person could be put to death by burning, drowning, or impalement on sharp stakes"( ). The death penalty has been practiced in many different ways and forms by diffe!
             rent cultures throughout the course of time. In France, after the guillotine was introduced there in 1792, beheading became very popular. Another common form of execution was drawing and quartering which was popular in Europe. This method took place by tying each of a convicted person’s limbs to horses running in opposite directions. Although all of these forms of execution are totally cruel and unjust, earlier forms of government did not believe there should be a kind and friendly way to kill a murderer.
             There has also been a change in the attitude and acceptance regarding the death penalty throughout the course of time. When dealing with this issue, the biggest question regarding the death penalty is brought up; is the death penalty really moral wrong, and is it totally contradictory to execute a criminal to set an example for society.
             Many people agree that human life is special and sacred and that a person has certain rights. One of tho...