Corporal punishment and executions have been around during the ancient times.

Crimes such as murder, rape, and treason were death penalty worthy. It was the paradigm for living back then. Now in the 21st century, people are now opposing it, saying it is too cruel and criminals should be given a second chance. Supporters of the death penalty argue that its more humane to offer the lethal injection than force them to solitary confinement, where they have at least thirty to fifty years to think about the crimes they committed. Instead of suffering emotionally, a person would rather take the easy way out. Removing a threat from society would make the world a happier place. Take Suddam Hussein for example. He still had influence over Al-Qaeda followers during his imprisonment. Thus, he was deemed too dangerous to live and was sentenced to be hanged. The main goal of the death penalty is to bring justice to the people who are suffering. Without justice, the world would be engulfed in chaos and crimes would run amok. A judge might find this type of punishment fitting because a convict wont be able to hurt anyone again. On the other side of the argument, critics of the death penalty say that this system is applied unfairly and this practice should be abolished. The race of the defendant and the victim could determine whether the defendant receives the death sentence. In a 1990 report from General Accounting Office, a person is more likely to receive a death penalty if they killed a white person over a black person.

http://akorra.com/2010/03/04/top-10-arguments-for-the-death-penalty/ http://www.deathpenalty.org/section.php?id=13