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What I thought was interesting was that I thought executions didn't start until after the pilgrims and all that I didn't know it went back further than that. I knew that in the earlier times that they lived in a system of theocracy and that not believing in god was punishable and strict laws like that. But its amazing how they had all the other absurd laws they had such as bestiality, and how even today the ridiculous nonhomicidal crimes legislators want to introduce back into the system to be punishable by death. Also what I found interesting was the issue on public hangings, how it was a big party so to speak and all this went on decades ago right here in Amherst. Also it was interesting to learn that young black males commit a big proportion of criminal homicide. I always figured that men committed more criminal homicide then women and that probably a substantial amount would turn out to be African American, because that’s all I really hear in the media. I just wasn’t aware that it was at such young ages that the crimes were being committed. Also what I had absolutely no idea about was the fact that whether your black or white that the substantial amount of executions that have taken place is ones in which the victims were white, and that the racial lines in homicide aren't crossed often. Its kind of sad that more I think that the implementation of the death penalty in America has changed but really not that much. I mean back in the day people would be executed for the pettiest crimes ever. I'm pretty sure in today's society some things just won’t find there way back into the system like the death penalty for thievery, or adultery and crimes such as those. Also back in the colonial period’s people believed in more of a theocracy, which we have separated according to government. I think though that some of these religious views are still associated with the death penalty just so deep some don't realize. I think that today America has tried to be more civilized with there executions or less barbaric even though some states still use executions seen as barbaric such as hangings and firing squads. A definite change was doing away with public executions though some would like to bring it back. I think the reasons for these changes is that America wanted to seem more civilized and when we separated from the system of church and state punishments that went along with that were automatically done away with. It seems that the south has a stronger tie with the death penalty. One reason that I would think is because some parts of the south have strong ties still with church and which goes back to the colonial periods of church and state death penalty practices. Also it has been said that the attitudes of the native white residents of the region can be tied back to slavery, and how the death penalty is just an acceptable form of old black codes and the lynch law (Bedeu 23). This is an example of how history will always just repeat itself even if it’s not in the same exact form it was in years ago. Texas seems to have the highest number of executions and a high crime rate, its hard to make sense of all of this seeing as how states who don't have the death penalty have lower criminal rates even though the numbers do fluctuate. It’s hard to find a correlation between the two. Many people think as I have in the past that the death penalty is racist and that it targets mostly minorities. That really doesn't seem to be the case in most areas. For the most part it just seems that the killing of whites is what will get you the death penalty regardless of your race. I don't know if maybe killing a white person is seen as more of a crime than killing a minority or more or less a black person. This also if you really think about it can be traced back in time to slavery days where it wasn't considered a crime to kill a black person, no matter what color you were but to kill a white person meant almost certain death. Also its interesting but makes sense that more whites are executed than blacks but seeing as how homicide rarely crosses racial lines I guess now it understandable. I think a lot of people would be really surprised to learn these facts. In comparison to the rest of the world the United States is one of few that still practice the death penalty. Many countries around the world have either abolished the death penalty or do not practice it. I don't think the US really cares to follow the trend that has been developing in international law in the abolishing of the death penalty. I think its time for the US to follow by example because no matter how they execute its going to be barbaric to anyone who looks at it who is against the death penalty to begin with. Conclusions that I have drawn about the death penalty is that most of America feels that a way to punish someone who has killed is to kill them. Even though people appose the death penalty its going to be a hard struggle to get people to realize its wrong and to have it abolished. The death penalty was suppose to be seen as an effective way of fighting crime. But to me it just seems as a way to gain retribution, or to just get rid of the problem in a easier way than dealing with it. Bibliography: Word Count: 1078
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