Capital punishment.

     In the last 42 years, 1,468 people have been put to death in the United States under capital punishment, or the death penalty. Currently, 31 out of the 50 states have legalized the death penalty. There are five legal ways to execute this penalty; lethal injection (all 31 states), firing squad (Utah and Oklahoma), gas inhalation (Wyoming, Missouri, and Arizona), electrocution (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia), and hanging (Washington only). Capital punishment has had a rocky history with the judicial branch, often conflicting with the eighth amendment. The eighth amendment states “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” (Constitution, 1787). Many abolitionists’ main claim is capital punishment is categorized under “cruel and unusual punishment”, and therefore is unconstitutional. There are many pros worth looking at within the issue of capital punishment, including the fifth and sixth amendment. Under these circumstances, capital punishment should remain in use, however, the federal government should regulate its use rather than the state to ensure acts remain constitutional. 

     Within a world like today's, the safety of the innocent should be top priority. The United States has a strong military force to protect the country from outside invasions, and laws or punishments, like capital punishment, to protect the people within the country. Capital punishment is widely conversed, but with the power of the federal government, specifically under the watchful eye of the judicial branch, capital punishment can be considered an accepted punishment used to protect innocent American citizens.