Currently, 38 states have legalized capital punishment statutes. In
             most states, the reinstatement's of the death penalty were a response to
             public outcry over the perceived increase of violent crimes. There are
             now more than 3,000 people on death row, and more are being convicted each
             Despite this legalized status, a vocal group of opponents have raised
             questions regarding the constitutionality, fairness and effectiveness of
             capital punishment. This paper argues that opponents of the death penalty
             are misguided, and that the death penalty is a sad but necessary tool for
             The first part of the paper is an overview regarding capital
             punishment in the United States. It looks at which states have legalized
             the death penalty and how this punishment is imposed. It focuses
             especially on Texas, the leading state in the number of executions.
             The next part of the paper gives an overview of the concerns of death
             penalty opponents. This includes the arguments that the death penalty is
             unfairly administered to the poor and to ethnic minorities. These
             arguments also include the unconstitutionality of the death penalty,
             arguments for humane treatment and forgiveness and the danger of false
             In the third part of this paper, the author refutes these arguments
             and discusses the pros of capital punishment. It focuses on proving that
             the death penalty acts as a deterrent to violent crime. It also argues
             that advances in DNA technology will make false convictions a thing of the
             past. If administered fairly and judiciously, this paper maintains that
             capital punishment is a powerful tool for ensuring the rule of law in a
             The death penalty has a long history in the United States. It was
             first instituted when the early British settlers brought the practice into
             the colonies. The first execution in recorded American history occurred in
             1608, when George Kenda...