The death penalty has existed as long as humans have existed. The quote "an
             eye for an eye" is found in the Bible. In the middle ages fines, public
             humiliation and imprisonment were appropriate punishments for all crimes,
             and death penalty for all murders. Today, Federal law states that the death
             penalty is to be enforced with convicted criminals for: treason; deserting
             armed forces during wartime; murder committed by a soldier; kidnapping and
             murder that involves crossing state lines; murder committed during an airplane
             hijacking; and of course, homicide. The death penalty is also called for
             punishment of for: attempting to kill anyone investigating or prosecuting his or
             her activities; advising, directing, authorizing or assisting in the murder of
             someone. Also, The Anti-Drug abuse act of 1988 calls for the death penalty
             for all drug related killings. Along with that, The bill amending sec. 848 to
             controlled substances act calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for
             certain drug offences possession of 10 or more kg of heroin, cocaine,
             phencyclidine or analogue. Added to that, The drug kingpin act sates the use
             of death penalty for convicted major drug dealers caught with huge quantities
             of drugs, over 66 lbs. of heroin and 330 lbs. of cocaine. Even though there
             are these federal laws requiring the use of the death penalty for the crimes,
             State laws only consider one crime, murder, to be a capital offense. In the
             United States alone there have been 4047 executions since 1930, and 188
             were from 1977-1996. In 1996, ...