The death penalty has been an ongoing debate for many years. Each side of the issue presents valid arguments as to why someone should be for or against the topic. One side of the argument talks about deterrence, the other says there is a probability of putting an innocent man to death; one says justice, punishment and retribution; the other side claims that the execution itself is murder. Crime is an unmistakable part of our society, and it's safe to say that everyone would agree that something needs to be done about it. Most people know the risk that a crime runs in their lives, but the problem lies in the techniques and actions with which to deal with it. As the past teaches us, capital punishment, meaning “the use of death as a legally sanctioned punishment,” is an adequate and effective means of deterring crime. Today, the death penalty is an effective method of punishment for murder and other heinous crimes. I personally believe in the expression "an eye for an eye", which means I am in favor of the death penalty. However, I believe that there are only certain circumstances that justify this type of execution, for example: a premeditated crime (serial in nature), a murder (especially of children), a person committing a terrorist act, etc. If someone has done something so serious that it poses a threat to others from that point on, then I simply don't see why that person should bear the expense of keeping it covered by the law-abiding community. They should be detached painlessly, for eternity (since an unconditional guarantee of guilt is respectable). If someone shows a general disregard for regulations and the community, then why should the community care about them? Methods of execution... half of the document... ace of the mind. Works Cited Acker, J. ( 2003). THE DEATH PENALTY: AN AMERICAN STORY. Contemporary Justice Review, 6(2), 169-187. Retrieved from EBSCOhost."Execution Methods." Welcome to the Clark County Prosecutor's Office. Np, ndWeb. April 17, 2011. http://www.clarkprosecutor.orgRubin, P. H. (2009). Don't abolish the death penalty. Criminology and Public Policy, 8(4), 853-859.doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2009.00598.xSteiker, C. S., & Stetker, J. M. (2010). CAPITAL PENALTY: A CENTURY OF DISCONTINUOUS DEBATE. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 100(3), 643-689. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Vollum, S., Longmire, D.R., & Buffington-Vollum, J. (2004). TRUST IN THE DEATH PENALTY AND SUPPORT FOR ITS USE: EXPLORING THE VALUE-EXPRESSIVE DIMENSION OF ATTITUDES ON THE DEATH PENALTY. JQ: Justice Quarterly, 21(3), 521-546. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.