For most crimes committed in the United States a fine, .

             sentence of time in jail or execution is the punishment. However, the .

             death penalty is the most questionable punishment. Is it morally .

             right? Is it effective in deterring crime, primarily murders? Weather .

             or not you agree if it is moral or not, one issue remains. The death .

             penalty is not an effective way to deter crime.

             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.