bone in their body on the rack, as has often been done for such serious offenses as heresy and witchcraft?" (Green, 1967:50). In the 1930s, surveys showed that approximately two-thirds of the public supported capital punishment. But by the 1960s numerous surveys indicated that public opinion shifted against the penalty.
The recent resurgence in public support for executions clearly seems to result from a steady rise in the crime rate. All forms of crime have risen dramatically in frequency since the late 1960s (following a long decline since the 1930s). Just in the period of 1979 through 1985, criminal activity nationwide increased 42 percent (Council of State Governments, 1985:415). These crimes have tended to become more vicious and senseless as well. Homicide rates are at an all-time high, and Americans in earlier historic epochs rarely knew of mass murderers who acted for no reason, let alone those who targeted a school playground. Popular acceptance of capital punishment has grown, hand-in-hand with society's frustration over crime.
JUSTIFICATIONS FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Proponents of the death penalty have justified their position through several different arguments. These arguments range from retribution to protection of society to deterrence. Retribution is the concept that a person who commits an offense against another deserves punishment of equal or greater proportions. It is argued that anyone who viciously and willingly takes someone's life deserves execution. Often considered too much of an emotional model in academic circles, this argument probably has its
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