9781422281291

In many ancient cultures, people who committed serious crimes were executed by stoning. Members of the community would take the transgressor away from their settlement and throw rocks at the person until they were dead.

Capital punishment has been used by societies throughout history. Today the death sentence is most commonly used as a punishment for very serious crimes, such as murder, terrorism, and rape. Whether or not an offense is judged to be a capital crime—a crime that is so terrible that the criminal deserves death—often depends on the culture or religion of a particular state or country. Capital punishment is an issue that has stirred a great deal of debate in recent times. There are many opponents of the death penalty as well as many others who believe that it is a just form of punishment. In this book, we will look at the argu- ments for and against capital punishment. We will ask whether it is right for a government to order someone’s death and whether this acts as a deterrent to other potential murderers. We will also look at what life is like for those condemned to death.

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Capital Punishment