Have you ever asked yourself what would you do if you were the family.

             member of a murder victim? Some people may agree that capital punishment is.

             the right punishment; therefore, the law "an eye for an eye" should apply.

             to those murderers. Why should anyone have compassion, for a person, who.

             did not have compassion for his or her victim? After all, this is the risk.

             the predator took when he or she decided to pull a trigger or plunge a.

             knife into a victim thinking they would never get caught. So, what should.

             anyone do? Although capital punishment may seem like the only way to get.

             justice for the families of the victims, there are several factors to.

             consider such as humanist objection, no convincing evidence, no crime.

             reduction, waste of resources.

             Public Opinion Against the Death Penalty.

             "In an April 2001 poll of 1,003 adults conducted by International.

             Communications Research for ABC News and The Washington Post, a majority of.

             Americans (51 percent) supported a national moratorium on the death penalty.

             while a commission studies its administration" (American Demographics,.

             2001). Annual surveys show that support for capital punishment steadily.

             increased between 1967 and 1997. This translated to ¾ of the American.

             people.

             .

             Today, surveys reveal that two-thirds still support the death penalty.

             while the other third is against it. According to American Demographics,.

             for a moment the numbers seem to have decreased due to the advances of.

             technology, such as the introduction of the DNA, possible discrimination.

             and executions that generated high publicity among the public. Statistics.

             suggested a waning support for capital punishment from 59% in 1976 to 42%.

             in July 2001 (American Demographics, 2001). Highly publicized and.

             sensationalized executions, scandals and other controversies appear to have.

             diminished support for the death penalty, now lower than the levels which.

             peaked for the last 30 years. The trend reflected the lack of awareness or.