I have learned a substantial amount from the material we have gone over thus far. I didn't really realize how deep the death penalty was and how far it went back. Also I didn't realize that some things that we associate with the death penalty today derived from earlier periods of time, and that the way people think just shows how history repeats itself. What I thought was interesting was that I thought executions didn't start until after the pilgrims and all that I didn't know it went back further than that. I knew that in the earlier times that they lived in a system of theocracy and that not believing in god was punishable and strict laws like that. But its amazing how they had all the other absurd laws they had such as bestiality, and how even today the ridiculous nonhomicidal crimes legislators want to introduce back into the system to be punishable by death. Also what I found interesting was the issue on public hangings, how it was a big party so to speak and all this went on decades ago right here in Amherst. Also it was interesting to learn that young black males commit a big proportion of criminal homicide. I always figured that men committed more criminal homicide then women and that probably a substantial amount would turn out to be African American, because thats all I really hear in the media. I just wasnt aware that it was at such young ages that the crimes were being committed. Also what I had absolutely no idea about was the fact that whether your black or white that the substantial amount of executions that have taken place is ones in which the victims were white, and that the racial lines in homicide aren't crossed often. Its kind of sad that more people don't know these facts. I think that the implementation of the death penalty in America has changed but really not that much. I mean back in the day people would be executed for the pettiest crimes ever. I'm pretty sure in today's society some things ...
