system since the earliest of times. The Babylonian Hammurabi Code(ca.

1700 B.C.) decreed death for crimes as minor as the fraudulent sale of

beer(Flanders 3). Egyptians could be put to death for disclosing the

location of sacred burial sites(Flanders 3). However, in recent times

opponents have shown the death penalty to be racist, barbaric, and in

violation with the United States Constitution as "...cruel and unusual

punishment." In this country,although laws governing the application

of the death penalty have undergone many changes since biblical

times, the punishment endures, and controversy has never been greater.

A prisoner's death wish cannot grant a right not otherwise

possessed. Abolitionists maintain that the state has no right to kill

anyone. The right to reject life imprisonment and choose death should

be respected, but it changes nothing for those who oppose the death at

The death penalty is irrational- a fact that should carry

considerable weight with rationalists. As Albert Camus pointed out, "

Capital punishment....has always been a religious punishment and is

life with absolutely no possibility for parole.

becomes an issue in a campaign, the candidate favoring capital

victims repeatedly stated they wanted the murderer to die. One of the

80). Judges and others are reluctant- as they should be-to shorten the

population as a whole are black(Flanders 25). In cases with white

-The event occurred during an attempted robbery.

effective shield against tyranny of the majority and is inconsistent

The majority of death-row inmates were or are represented by

that eventually led to their demise:

Some common words found in the essay are:
Human Rights, Camus Capital, Political Analysts, Dick Perry, Supreme Court, United Constitution, Hammurabi Codeca, California April, death penalty, Ray Rector, capital punishment, Capital Punishment, dick perry, mentally retarded, death row, cruel unusual punishment, -the offender, clutter family, unusual punishment, white victims, innocent people, criminal justice system, white victims black,
Approximate Word count = 1460
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)