From: Michael Lorrey (retroman@together.net)
Date: Sun Jan 04 1998 - 09:56:53 MST
Yak Wax wrote:
>
> Re: Future Technologies of Death
>
> Michael Lorrey <retroman@together.net> wrote:
>
> > > Can you give examples of justice that isn't revenge?
> >
> > While victims families may feel like they have avenged the death of
> > their loved one when a murderer is put to death, but as far as I can
> > tell, the death penalty serves two functions: a) it is supposed to
> serve
> > as a deterrent, and b) it permanently removes from society in a manner
> > that is far less expensive than life in prison those individuals who
> > have proven their in ability or unwillingness to function in society
> > with respect for the right to live of others. You may call it
> revenge, I
> > call it evolution in action.
>
> Any form of justice (imprisonment, death penalty, lynching, shunning,
> etc.) has two additional functions:
>
> A) They impose the idea that the "crime" is unjust which, although it
> may act as mild deterrent, also leads people to believe that the crime
> is "wrong" and "shouldn't happen" which hinders their want to defend
> themselves. We have been made to believe that criminal behaviour
> isn't meant to happen, the problem is just because we say something
> isn't meant to happen it doesn't go away. Our legal system relies
> solely on the blind faith of all people in the system - you have to
> abide by these laws, and hope that everyone else does the same.
>
> B) They cause more of the behaviour that has been deemed "criminal" in
> the first place. Enforcing law creates enough lawlessness to break
> the system.
>
> Justice is the need for revenge - when someone commits a crime against
> you, what reason do you have to contact the police? The crime has
> been committed, and unless the assailant has taken something
> irreplaceable you have little or no reason (other than revenge) to do
> anything.
>
I highly doubt and dispute the idea that the only reason we see justice
for murder as a need for revenge. If it is not made a strong meme in
society that ending anothers life without cause is wrong, morally
ethically, and legally, then those with sociopathic and psychopathic
tendencies will feel free to act out in the open, and the mayhem
resulting will bring utter chaos. Not to mention that being permissive
on ending another's life puts our own at greater risk of being ended.
-- TANSTAAFL!!! Michael Lorrey ------------------------------------------------------------ mailto:retroman@together.net Inventor of the Lorrey Drive MikeySoft: Graphic Design/Animation/Publishing/Engineering ------------------------------------------------------------ How many fnords did you see before breakfast today?
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