The death penalty has existed for centuries. It dates back to when Hammurabi had his laws codified; it was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. Capital punishment in America began when spies were captured, tried, and hanged. In the past and still today it is argued that the death penalty is cruel, unusual punishment and should be illegal. Yet many people argue that it is actually justifiable and is not cruel or unusual. Capital punishment is not cruel and unusual; the death penalty is just and there is evidence that the death penalty deters crime. Much of the abolitionists' argument is that the death penalty is not humane. They insert Amendment 8, “…nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” What the victim suffered were in fact "cruel and unusual punishments". The death of murderers is not cruel. The people will demand justice for what they have done (Bidinotto 19). Hanging and the electric chair are more reasonable topics to discuss, but now, because of lethal injection, capital punishment has become more humane. The death penalty is not barbaric, the pain and agony the victim suffered is barbaric. Abolitionists were greatly disturbed in 1996 when rapist and murderer John Albert Taylor was shot; they said his death was barbaric (Feder 32). Charla King, the poor 11 year old girl he raped and strangled with a telephone cord, her death was barbaric! It makes no sense to think that John Taylor's death was barbaric or inhumane. He wouldn't even hear the bullets fire; his victim suffered more pain than any justice system could have inflicted on him (Feder 32). The death penalty has been contested in the past, it has always been denied, lethal injection is fair enough (Johnson 43). In the past there have been inhumane ways; people should be grateful that we use lethal injection instead of electrocution as our first choice (Johnson 43). Honestly, the death penalty is a pretty gross pain that can be inflicted legally, they get what they deserve (Bidinotto 19). We will not use the death penalty to take revenge; legal systems would not tolerate the victims' family using it for revenge. It means seeking justice, not settling scores (Bidinotto 20). Second, the death penalty actually deters crime. New York, 1990, the murder rate was about 2,650 people, every year it decreased, in 2009 there were only 778 murders.