What is Justice?

Since the beginning, justice has been described as "Good happens to good, bad happens to bad," but in my opinion, that couldn't be farther from the truth. That's just revenge. Why would a person stoop down to the level of the criminal just to extract what they feel is right? When you kill a person, and someone kills you back, that doesn't revive the first person. That just makes 2 dead people. It's like they say, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Maybe it's because I'm becoming more and more of a liberal each day, but my belief holds strong that justice is not making sure bad things happen to bad people, but making sure bad things don't happen again. Our heart cries out for revenge, but at least our brains should be crying out for justice.

Wooh, that was artsy. Anyhow, what's your opinion?

I believe in what you don't, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Justice is best served with a side dish of revenge.

Originally Posted by ragingspeedhorn

I believe in what you don't, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Justice is best served with a side dish of revenge.

You'd have to kill the executioner, and his executioner, and so on for that to work.

Unless, of course, you know a way to bring the victim back to life.

Do you?

And just what will you get out of fighting fire with fire? More fire?

If someone cuts off one of your fingers then you cut off one of his and the matter should be forgotten, that is the way that justice should work.

massive fines on every crime (along with prison sentences or whatever). money is what supports life now days, without it its hard to survive, the worse your crime the worse your fine. money goes to the victim.

Originally Posted by ragingspeedhorn

If someone cuts off one of your fingers then you cut off one of his and the matter should be forgotten, that is the way that justice should work.

And just what does this accomplish? The man's finger is still cut off. It isn't getting any better.

And what do we do about murders?

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Executioners are not executed, because they were tools of justice.

I think justice is cold and unfeeling. If someone does something bad, you punish them, if they do something good, you reward them. That's the purpose of justice.

If you want to prevent bad things, that's not justice, it's compassion.

Originally Posted by Hakeem

Executioners are not executed, because they were tools of justice.

But humans, therefore murderers nonetheless.

Originally Posted by Hakeem

I think justice is cold and unfeeling. If someone does something bad, you punish them, if they do something good, you reward them. That's the purpose of justice.

But punish for the purpose of what? If you don't do it for the sake of making sure they don't do the crime again, then for what purpose does punishment exist?

Originally Posted by Hakeem

If you want to prevent bad things, that's not justice, it's compassion.

If practicality is what you want, then I guess your view on compassion is more sensible in law than your view on justice.

Why would you want to stoop down to a person's level when you don't condone their actions? If this is justice, then justice is nothing more than a pathetic attempt at appeasing one's own emotions.

If they shouldn't be punished for their crimes, then what do you propose should happen to them mr. liberal.

Originally Posted by ragingspeedhorn

If they shouldn't be punished for their crimes, then what do you propose should happen to them mr. liberal.

I never said they shouldn't be punished for their crimes, Light Yagami.

Then what sorts of punishment do you suggest if it is not to be what it is today.

Originally Posted by ragingspeedhorn

Then what sorts of punishment do you suggest if it is not to be what it is today.

Well, there is no perfect form of punishment, but we have jails, don't we?

I'm only saying the death penalty is cruel and unusual.

Justice = The fair fulfillment of just laws, and the rewarding of those who obey just laws.

But punish for the purpose of what? If you don't do it for the sake of making sure they don't do the crime again, then for what purpose does punishment exist?

Punishment exists for two purposes:

Make sure they dont do it again: To Learn.

Recompense the victim: Equalization

Well, there is no perfect form of punishment, but we have jails, don't we?

Mankind cannot create a perfect form of punishment, one reason is because what we think the perfect punishment is...is different from what another group thinks.

I'm only saying the death penalty is cruel and unusual.

The death penalty these days is more humane than what some other punishments are these days, in my opinion.

Death Penalty should be inforced more than it is being these days. If you murder someone outside of direct war and for no reason then you should be punished by death aswell.

Originally Posted by Elenai

Justice = The fair fulfillment of just laws, and the rewarding of those who obey just laws.

Rewarding is a gray matter, in my opinion. You shouldn't have to reward them, on one hand, but it would help prevent crime on the other. To be quite honest, there shouldn't be a reward, as it is more of a pact. The government serves you, and, in turn, you serve the government.

Originally Posted by Elenai

Punishment exists for two purposes:

Make sure they dont do it again: To Learn.

Recompense the victim: Equalization

Exactly.

Originally Posted by Elenai

The death penalty these days is more humane than what some other punishments are these days, in my opinion.

In a theologically neutral point of view, I think no amount of suffering can equate to the negative impact of death.

Originally Posted by ragingspeedhorn

Death Penalty should be inforced more than it is being these days. If you murder someone outside of direct war and for no reason then you should be punished by death aswell.

You say "for no reason", but what do you call a "reason"?