Rene HicknerMrs. PolehankiEnglish 1221 March 2014Euthanasia is not the answerMurder, Rape, Betrayal, what do these three crimes have in common? These are all examples of capital crimes and in some states if someone is convicted of these crimes or any other capital crime they can be sentenced to the death penalty also known as euthanasia. The death penalty is wrong, life imprisonment is much more effective. The history of the death penalty in the United States can be traced back to the country's founding in 1608. When the Pilgrims arrived from Europe they brought with them many of their beliefs, including the death penalty. Capital punishment laws were very different in colonial times. People could be sentenced to death for anything from petty theft to improper trading (Introduction to the Death Penalty). Over the years, euthanasia has evolved a lot but it is still very painful and inhumane. until the end of the 19th century, hanging was the most widespread form of euthanasia. Delaware and Washington are the only two states that still use hanging as a means of putting someone to death. When a person is hanged, they are sometimes weighed the day before so that a test fall can be performed using a sandbag. This fall is used to find the correct rope length. If the rope is too long, the fall may be too powerful and cause the prisoner to be decapitated. If the length of the rope is too short, it will not cause a strong enough fall and the prisoner's neck will not break, forcing him to stay there until he suffocates. Just before the prisoner is executed, the rope is boiled to make it more elastic and the knot is lubricated to ensure it runs smoothly and effortlessly. the prisoner has his hands tied behind his back and he is distracted... middle of paper... unjust and innocent or mentally ill people have been suppressed. To make matters worse, who is and is not sentenced to death is based on the race of the victim. 77% of all people executed since 1977 were found guilty of killing whites while African Americans made up half of the murder victims (Facts About Death Penalty). Our justice system is not perfect. So, as long as the death penalty is legal, an innocent person could be put to death. cost taxpayers about 10 times more than keeping an inmate in prison for life. 139 people were wrongly convicted and released from death row. Euthanasia of a homicide does not help the victims' family in any way. the death penalty absorbs millions of dollars that could be used to help the victim's family cope with the death of their loved one (Live Free or Die Alliance).