s as well. In a biblical argument by Walter Burns he discusses several passages in the Bible that indicate the enforcement of the death penalty, but after careful canalization he determines that the passages can be interpreted in many different ways. To read this passage from Genesis one might think that the death penalty is supported who so sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed. Although this passage may seem to support capital punishment the act of banishment, or in modern sense life imprisonment from society, is also discussed (12). Despite this on going argument, banning capital punishment in America could create many unhappy citizens, and a division of the U.S. government.By enforcing the death penalty deterrence in crime could occur. If death is the punishment for murder then criminals are not gaining from their crimes, but receiving the punishment they have inflicted on others. The crime rate is lower in the states that do not invoke capital punishment, but as Walter Burns stated the number of murders tend to rise with the crime rate in general and not only in America, (105). Capital punishment is maintained to hopefully show criminals that by killing others they are truly only killing themselves. By enforcing the death penalty the government could be trying to scare criminals from their crimes, and in some cases it has worked. When the death penalty was restored in Kansas, for example, the homicide rate dropped considerably (Bedau 122). According to research done by Bedau the crime rate continued to sore between 1960-1969 when capital punishment was rarely being used in most states (127). As a whole, capital punishment has worked to maintain a minimum of homicidal crimes and deter criminals from illegal actions.Capital punishment could help to keep repeat offenders off the streets. In some states the common belief is that imprisoning the murders of society in penitentiaries will keep them from killing ...
