Justice? Just is?
Posted by Allison Mack | Filed under Blog
This is something that I really struggle with. I would like to hold an altruistic view, a belief and a way of living that truly upholds humanity in every moment. But the truth is, sometimes it feels really good to punish. Sometimes it feels really good to think that “justice has been served!”
Not exactly a humanist approach and not exactly compassion-based or humanitarian. Now to think of justice, to think that justice is more than merely a way to “justify” or feel better about punishment we seek to play out is, in my opinion of course, to simply disregard an objective viewpoint of the way you are living your life. I feel that many of you nailed it on the head when you discussed the concept that everyone’s perception of right, wrong and equal is different. I do believe in consequence and I believe in karmic justice.
I believe that living with the knowledge of you and the way you conduct your life is truly the only justice we have that is not tainted by some inhumane twist on reality. Given this thought I also believe that punishment reinforces the need for punishment, and that we do indeed live in a world that has spawned this viscous cycle. So to get out of it would take patience and time. Both things I am not sure I have.
But to conceptualize the idea is indeed the first step. To recognize the times in our own lives when we seek for “justice to be served,” when we enforce prejudice against the prejudiced, and to consciously choose another direction. To re-arrange our patterned habits and replace them with habits of compassion and patience.
That is truly the purpose and task of my life. Oye…heady and heavy handed. Sorry guys, it is raining and I am feeling maudlin.
On a lighter note! A new mack event!
My friends and I picked up a book on a little vacation and it was filled with 6 word autobiographies.
Your life story in 6 words! GO!
Tags: justice, MackEvent, punishment
157 Responses to “Justice? Just is?”
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Basil Rathbone Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 10:55 pmOn a lighter note! A new mack event!
My friends and I picked up a book on a little vacation and it was filled with 6 word autobiographies.
Your life story in 6 words! GO!Life sux, then you die!
ok by.
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Kyle Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 11:05 pmYeah, its hard to have selfless view of justice, simply because of how much INjustice is in the world. But actually, is closely linked to another thought you mention a lot in your blogs — balance.
Justice is really about balance. And what’s interesting is people are born with a sense of justice. A small child knows wrong when he sees it, doesn’t he? Anyways, real justice should satisfy what is “right” not what you feel is right — since that can be obscured from time to time (we aren’t perfect, after all).
There is a similar sounding word to justice that means the complete opposite — Vengeance. Vengeance (also where the word vigilante comes from) only satisfies personal gain and interest. Not justice at all. Hopefully, we can distinguish the two because justice can be satisfying but not all the time.
My life story in six words?
“I fell, but got up twice.”
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skahahoo Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 11:35 pmIf people have different perceptions of right and wrong, is there such a thing as good and evil? Not good and evil acts or good and evil behavior, but good and evil as referred to when people say things like, “Human beings are inherently good,” or “Satan is evil incarnate.” Almost as though good and evil were some type of intangible, mythical life force forever in tension with each other. Does good and evil exist in this sense?
I’ve heard of the 6 word memoirs from postsecret.blogspot.com. Wasn’t it a best-selling book? Anyway, here’s mine:
Job’s plan B. Lottery’s plan A.
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Jendi Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 11:39 pmI DRUNK TO MUCH LAST NIGHT!
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Jendi Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 11:42 pmAm in a taxi, so on blackberry, interesting thoughts will try and jump on laptop tonight when at hotel and bored…if my head starts to except bright lights again…. don’t you hate when a boss is buying drinks then puts you on a plane the next day….now was that freewill??? infact is that justice???
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alphakitty Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 11:53 pmi’ve come to learn that there is no justice in this world. it is simply not possible.
i think you are on the right track when you say:
“I believe that living with the knowledge of you and the way you conduct your life is truly the only justice”there is nothing –no punishment, no rehabilitation, no silver lining — that can repair the damage from a crime/offense.
the offender will never really understand the toll their actions have taken. how can they? they are not you. and no matter what they do, how much they suffer, how much they repent, your life is forever altered, and can never be returned to its previous state.
you cannot un-know what you know.
not that punishment or rehabilitation is not deserved, but does it really equal justice? not to me.
to me justice would be an equal and opposite reaction. but that is simply not possible. too many variables.
you steal my watch. i steal yours. not necessarily equal and opposite. my watch was sentimental, yours was stolen from someone else. it’s not going to generate the same feelings in both of us. the same lessons won’t be learned. so it’s no use. punishment should be doled out, but there’s no justice for me. my sentimental watch is still gone. and now i’m a criminal too.
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Allie Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 11:55 pmI find justice a tricky subject too. So often I also find myself looking at things that I wish could be corrected only to see the faultiness of my reasoning. Only to see that if punishment was dished out, how is it any different than the crime that was originally committed.
I think that true justice is hard to explain. It’s not retribution, or vengeance. I think a good chunk of what it is about is trying restoring what was lost. Which I believe in most cases is people’s hope in humanity itself.
I’d like to bring up the movie The Dark Knight (warning, if you’ve never seen the movie and don’t even want to know plot line or be spoiled in any way, you might want to skip reading this…because it is possible that I might put some of the plot in the lines that are about to follow) but I would like to kind of use it to talk about justice because there are some excellent examples and things to draw on in this movie. (Yeah, I know, I’m a nerd who makes references to various super-heroes and a plethora of movies in their everyday life. So sue me. Lol
)The whole idea of Batman is that at first he’s after vengeance, what he would call “justice” after his parents are killed. But when he comes face to face with it, he realizes that if he were to get his “justice”, he would ultimately be no better than the criminal. And in The Dark Knight this idea is challenged by someone so over the edge, someone who really just wants to watch the world burn and doesn’t care for anyone. The Joker. I like to look at the Joker as a character who shows us the worst, most vile parts of humanity, without even a ray or a hope within him. And The Joker challenges the heroes of the story. Going after Batman, Police Chief Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent, the new DA. He’s out to prove a point. That even the best fall down and cross the line. That even people after true justice, people who simply want to restore hope, can stray away into more of the vengeance definition of justice. And scarily enough, but so true to real life, he succeeds in breaking down one of the heroes.
So yeah, basically I think when we are abruptly faced with the evils around us, it can be so easy to just turn it into vengeance, rather than working to restore people’s hope. Which is not easy, you have to be willing to take a lot of crap, to embrace people who you may not feel deserved to be embraced.
Anywho, hope that was clear….and understandable…I took some cold medicine because I’ve been sneezing all day, so who knows, it could read like a Faulkner novel run through a paper shredder. Lol.
Yeah, but I think I CAN manage at least a coherent 6 word biography!
“Born, got taller….and kept growing!”
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Rachel531 Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 11:58 pmOK, I missed the last couple of deep thought discussion threads, but I’ll jump in here…I actually think people become a product of their surroundings, and your sense of justice or injustice is formed based on what you are exposed to. So if you live in a society where all you know is death and destruction, then I think that would definitely skew your perception of justice and injustice. It’s sad but true because this exists in parts of the world today where groups are fighting for what they believe is justice to them, but in actuality, others perceive them as bringing injustice to innocent others.
What we can do is to try and bring perspective to others to help them see a situation in a different way and to make their decisions in a way that does not harm others.
As for my 6-word autobiography…
“Loves routine but will try anything!” -
alphakitty Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:10 ammy genes shackle me to depression
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Puffy Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:22 am“Alas, food does not equal happiness.”
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Medina Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:28 amDalai Lama (Kundun) ay that we can forgive the human. We can have friendship for the person, but your acts, your crime need justice.
My six words
I wanna do many cool things
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candace Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:28 amThe 6 worded life story of me!…(drum roll please)
“Innocently born to gradual reality check”
is justice killing a murderer to show others that murder is wrong?
There is no justice in society for we do not have the authority to judge what true justice is…only revenge.
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skahahoo Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 1:02 amAllie! I agree that one of the goals of justice should be to maintain or restore hope.
And I like your 6 words. AND I really like your clock poem. I already said this in an earlier post. lol. Anyway, the double-rhyming within a single line and the mood…niiiiiiiice!
And if taylor nikole reads this…if you ever have any math questions, ask away. I spend many hours every week helping high school students with math, science, and the SATs, and it would be an honor to help you free your inner math geek.
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David Hayes Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 1:15 amReference the “Dark Knight” movie, what Allie pointed out seems to follow the team of Alan Moore’s classic Joker tale “The Killing Joke.” The Joker tries to show that when faced with the ultimate horror, even the best will break down. He wants to prove that because he became insane rather than face the tragedies in his life and will feel justified/vindicated if others do the same.
Seeing the title of this blog really surprised me, because very strangely enough I was thinking of the components of the word “Justice” and came to a deeper understanding of why it is so lacking in the world. If you break it down, the word “Justice” becomes “Just Ice.” When I go to a restaurant, I hear people order beverages or beverages with no ice or water or no beverage, but I have never heard anyone order “just ice.” In this world of supply and demand, if there is no demand, the supply eventually dries up. The only time anyone once just ice is when they have suffered some injury and think it will help make the swelling go down. But often all they get is heat instead … and that only makes the swelling worse.
If this seems profound to you, I suggest that you go back to bed a little while longer like I intend to and think about it again when you’ve had more sleep.
As to six words for me, I’ve heard this challenge a lot and never attempted it mainly due to apathy, but I will give it a little thought tomorrow as I rush through my day, but for now I’ll settle for:
He came. He saw. He died.
For future reference, do contractions count as two words? Next challenge (tied to the Haiku challenge), the 6 syllable autobiographies. Mine still qualified.
Here’s a more personal and painful one that might fit better (but doesn’t meet a 6 syllable limit):
Mother’s love lost. Life without meaning.
With
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David Hayes Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 1:17 am[Don't know how that "With" got in there. Maybe someone's trying to tell me something. Unconsciousness break over. Back to bed.]
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Jendi Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 1:41 amhhhhhhhhhmmmm okay justice…..I think i can be an angry person, perhaps it was my upbring, but when you say the word justice my first thought of the meaning is…what follows a crime…
I flick on the news at night and I hear that a small child has been beaten to death and plain and simple I want justice; i want whoever is responsible to be held accountable
Accountable I think thats what justice is to me, infact I think accountablity stems into much more than just justice; but i wont dive into that today!
You can go on and on all day about giving people second chances and allowing them to change but first they need to be held accounable for there actions; thats what I see justice as!
Then theres the otherside of the table justice doesn’t make eveyone better, but thats not the job of justice is it?
oh i don’t no…These are all just questions and thoughts… but I challenge you all to think of a time where yuou where hurt or something happened that effected you achieving or participating and tell me that you didn’t want to see justice of some shape or form???
my six words:
MY HEAD STILL HURTS DAMN MY FREEWILL
(okay thats 7 words …not a maths major!)
Major that leads me to another thought, one of my majors is Anthropology; now justice is so very different in different cultures so who do we see that? I mean if you steal in Pakistan in some areas your hand/s will be cut off….is that Justice??? if you ask me it is if thats the beliefs and values of that culture??? tough love ah?
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Jendi Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 1:45 amApologise, just read that post and the spelling and grammer is that of a newborn, not acceptable for me sorry!
oooohhhh standards, what standards do you set for your self and why?
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StephenK Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 3:51 am“Born, Lived A Good Life, Died.”
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The Friday Philosopher Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:05 amI would have to agree with Jendi on this. People see justice differently depending on their location. If a man was to murder another in certain parts of America he would be sentenced to death, if a man was to murder another in Great Britain, he would spend a maximum of seven years of his life in prison.
There are other major differences, while a man waits to die on death row, he would be detained in a state penitentiary with some of the worst criminals in the country; the British man would spend those seven years in a building that would be considered a five star hotel in most third-world countries.
The definition of Justice is different across the globe, each individual Justice system founded on the beliefs of the individual nation. There’s nothing wrong with this, but there cannot be true Justice with so many different variations. In my opinion, the differences usually depend on the relevant governments views on Human Rights. This is certainly a discussion for a different day, but we have to ask ourselves:
Why, sometimes do the rights of the accused seem to outweigh the rights of the victim?
Friday
My life in six words!
Better to have come from nothing…
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Jimmy Valentime Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:36 amYour blog goten really “Heady” lately
You doing ok ?
Six Word BIo
Fight The Future / God Love Us
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Robert Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:51 amMy Six Word Bio is…
Live to Love / Love to Question
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I'm Rachel Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:57 amEarth family gone, hope is lost.
That is if they were gone.
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Stephanie Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 5:16 amMy Six Word Bio:
“love to learn, learned to love” -
Ron St.Amant Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 5:33 amStay at home Dad, perfect existence.
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Henriette Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 5:50 amJustice is a topic I often think about. I mean, as you said, there are two types of justice. The justice based on a human decision like a magistrate is doing justice to a criminal and the justice in life at all which could be called balance.
Do we all get what we deserve? Is there a justice or balance in our lives? And if the answer is yes, how would you explain that to a little childe who is born in the developing world?
So I don’t think there is a justice at all.Unfortunately the Lady Justice has no blindfold anymore. Financially better situated people have better chances and people from the streets get prejudge to often.
It’s a difficult situation and topic.“Unable to make them all proud”
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George Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 5:52 amHey wheres my comment?
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George Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 5:56 amCan we not swear on this site?
Allison Swears all the time.
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Josh Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:01 amDon’t be stagnant, learn something new.
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Annie Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:14 amAccept your crazyness, reality is relative.
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arash Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:16 amI know some turkish, my favorit word is;
Cekoslovakialastramadiklarimizdanmisiniz
so can I do my 6 words in turkish?
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lena Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:18 amMy 6 word autobiography: ‘Always looking to expand my horizons’
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DEFORT Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:21 amAbout justice. Is not present on justice light in my opinion. As you will look news with news about that that what ?????? the pedophile-murderer has received only 20 years so largely you are sorry that is not present at us in the death penalty country. And in general it would be necessary to send all criminals to Siberia as Peter did. Who does not know there as in a zone of phantoms always an awful cold, a solitude on many kilometres and it is a lot of a lot of snow.
Mine 6 words:
???? ??????, ? ?????? ???? ??? ?????(to Live well, and it is good to live even better)
Well in English more than six words it has turned out certainly.
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DEFORT Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:24 amIn Russian it is impossible that for discrimination, I will try Cyrillics
Git horosho a horosho git esche luchshe)
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Jennifer Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:35 amMy six word bio
Born,Learned,Stumbled,Kept Moving Forward.
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Gnome Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:16 amI think that justice is just a pretty word that we invented to hide its real meant: revenge. That kinda masquerade the guilty for have this kind of feeling. It’s just a hypocritical way to hide the bad side that exists in each one of us. I am not saying that we are bad people by our very nature. I’m saying that we have this latent side that can or cannot) to come to develop itself. That doesn’t mean that you, necessarily, are gonna turn out being a serial killer or something like that.
The difference between revenge and justice is in who apply it or desire it. It’s more or less like this:
- If you will are a mean person your wish goes for revenge.
- If you will are a good person your desire goes for justice.Both aim at a retraction direction. Even if achieved through somebody else hands.
Well….. that’s how I see….
But you can´t expect much of a person who doesn’t believe in logic….OK then,
My 6 words are:
“Addicted to life but went rehab…”
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AJ Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:21 am“Geek gamer not finding any love”
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Lydia Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:59 amI believe in ‘justice is served’. I cannot accept that people who hurt or kill other human beings for pleasure and without regret would get away with it.
Punishing them is the right thing to do.
But, every crime is different, every person has his/her own story and we should take everything into consideration. I think there lies our humanity and compassion, that is, being able to listen first and act accordingly, within the law.“I am on a beautiful journey”
Allison, what are your 6 words?
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Joel Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:25 amMy 6 words:
Joy. Fun. Meaningful. Purpose-”ful”. Maturing. LOVE…….
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Amanda Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:26 amI agree with Jendi, when I hear justice I think crime and punishment.
If I’m being completely honest here, I have a hard time feeling compassion for someone who has molested kids, raped or murdered. Is living with their actions their greatest justice? Do they even recognize the depth of what they’ve done? When they show no remorse? I don’t want them to live a comfortable life in jail. Where they have a roof over their head, three meals a day, and cable tv. I guess justice will never be perfect because it is handed out by imperfect people.
ok–i’d like to say that I was known by my unconditional love for others but since I’m not there yet my autobiography will be:
Jesus loves everybody but I’m trying. =)
ps arash, I love your turkish word.
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Terence Sullivan Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:30 amWell Allison I agree with you on the time, patience, and compassion model but I still believe that punishment is necessary at times; because we don’t realize that punishment and sometimes wisdom are connected to one another. If you think about it, when you were young you didn’t know the difference between right and wrong and sometimes without knowing you’d commit a wrong. Well I don’t know about you but when I did something bad I either got put in my room or got a nice spanking. At the time it wasn’t enjoyable but without it I probably would never have learned the difference between whats right and whats wrong. I know people conceptualize the idea that every man is born evil but thats now what I’m supporting here. I believe that every person is born with a war raging on inside of them and without proper guidance and wisdom and sometimes a little punishment we’ll never choose the better of the two sides.
Even though I am supporting punishment I still do believe in unprecedented grace and compassion for the insolent and wrong. So in certain situations I believe justice might be required but in others grace and mercy. So I do here you Ali and wish people would live more patient and compassionate lives. Keep rockin on girl.
Oh and I guess my life in six words would be: “A beautiful song for Christ Jesus”
Atleast thats what I want it to be.
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Sean Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:44 amJustice lives between the lines of black and white, with the grey area between getting blurry sometimes. If a man kills someone on the street he is a killer, if the same man kills a man in war he is a hero? If someone steals for luxury vs. someone stealing to put food on their families table, are they the same? On a piece of paper yes, but hopefully in ones heart and mind no. And there is the grey area!
Life’s journey is hard but amazing.
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Jackie Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:47 amFUN CRAZY LOVEABLE BUT SOMETIMES SAD
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Kodama Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:48 amWell this is my first time on this site, let me say a little about myself. My name is Vilo, Im in the army and currently deployed to Fallujah, Iraq. I guess this article hit a little close to home as in “seeking justice”. I guess no better way to fight justice then to try and come do it yourself. Well I just wanted to say that its pretty horrible over here, it realy does suck haha, But the last month for some reason someone gave me seasons 1-7 of smallville, and i am just addicted to this show, just started season 5. Your my favorite character on the show, and I relate you to my dad who is an investigative journalist. Its great to have something to look forward to after a mission. Well I’ve rambled long enough, again thank you from a soldier in iraq…
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Amanda Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 9:58 amWhen I was posting earlier I had a hard time choosing between this bio and the one I posted earlier. It’s hard for me just to use 6 words–or maybe I’m just too wordy. Either way, here goes:
Loved God, Family, Friends, Alabama Football.
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Anthony V. Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 10:07 amI do feel that sometimes I want to deal my own sense of justice. I guess the first thing that comes to mind when I think of justice is the movie “Daredevil”. When in the beginning the criminal got let go, and Daredevil went out and did his own sense of justice (I believe he killed him). Of course I would never do anything that extreme, but there are times whenever I feel like a friend of mine has been wronged or something along those lines.
I think whenever we try to seek our own justice, we just make things worse. We dont like to see people who do bad things get away. Its hard to do. I think sometimes the best thing we can do is not worry about it unless we’re involved. I’ve seen it before, where someone does something and gets away with it. But eventually, they do get in trouble for what they do. So, perhaps its not our business to catch someone, but just let nature take its course.
As for my six words:
Independent Different Kind Spiritual Random AdventurousHehe, i was very tempted to put ninja as my last word but, i found another word to put down.
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Michelle19 Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 10:23 amAllison here is my six words:
“Lived life according to God’s will”
(Which pretty much says that my life was full of hope, excitement, joy and peace. The best life you could hope for)
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Aubrey Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:16 amMy 6-word bio:
“Finding a place in this world.”
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Lexie Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:19 amLydia: I love your six words! Life is a beautiful journey, isn’t it?
I have tried a lot of things in this life, but I’ve come to the conclusion that: Life in Christ surpasses everything else.
That’s what I have learned and what I would want to pass on to others if I were to die today. Thus, my six word autobiography.
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taylor nikole Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:20 amaw thanks skahahoo
aggh I can never type on my phone keyboard *sigh*
but I’ll keep that in mind
you’ve offered so much help and support6 words… 6 words
“usually im a bit too optimistic”
describes me id think
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Aubrey Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:27 am“Can we not swear on this site?
Allison Swears all the time.”
-GeorgeYeah, not to sound rude in any way at all, but I think we should all minimize the swearing since there may be younger peeps on here.
Just my opinion. =) -
taylor nikole Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:27 amaw thanks skahahoo
aggh I can never type on my phone keyboard *sigh*
but I’ll keep that in mind
you’ve offered so much help and support6 words… 6 words
“usually im a bit too optimistic”
describes me id think
last night my friend described herself as ‘just a body’….
wow
I can’t believe I let that get to me….
its weird how people can think things…
I guess it kinda goes back to ‘life is beutiful’…. at this oint shes refusing to recognize it… and im not going to be sad… if that makes sense -
taylor nikole Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:30 amaw thanks skahahoo
aggh I can never type on my phone keyboard *sigh*
but I’ll keep that in mind
you’ve offered so much help and supporto and I did whole debate with a friend on justice and ill have to find that and give my thoughts
6 words… 6 words
“usually im a bit too optimistic”
describes me id think
last night my friend described herself as ‘just a body’….
wow
I can’t believe I let that get to me….
its weird how people can think things…
I guess it kinda goes back to ‘life is beutiful’…. at this oint shes refusing to recognize it… and im not going to be sad… if that makes sense -
Vegas911 Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:31 amIce cream is FOOD damn it!!!
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Vegas911 Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:36 amAubrey,
Swear words are woven into the fabric of the english language unfortnatly, I get were your coming from though, and agree, good luck with your campaign!! -
taylor nikole Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:42 amo wow my phone is like spazzing
it didn’t post prt of my comment then it did in another post…
as for cursing and language and whatnot… im 15 and I have horrible bad mouth
can’t say im ashamed either….
in school there is much worse stuff going around….
language is inevitable…
mybe toning down isn’t so bad but then gain we also come here for fre expression….
allison creates the blog.
we read… shes just expressing herself as all of us are.maybe cursing isn’t exctly pretty but they are just words…
and sure (i guess) we can find other ways to describe how were feeling…im going to respect everyones opinions on this subject… sooo there is mine
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taylor nikole Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:46 amholy crap… so many errors.. sorry… blme the phone
we need accounts and edit buttons
pftt -
Brittany Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:48 amHey Allison! Wow, you expressed your opinions on justice in a wonderful way! What you wrote was really reflective, creative, very optimistic and I completely agree with : “I believe that living with the knowledge of you and the way you conduct your life is truly the only justice we have that is not tainted by some inhumane twist on reality.” My life in six words. Wow that’s a tough one. Here goes. “Acting, dedicative, musical, and amazing.” These words are the very adjectives to my life. No worries for the swearing Aubrey, I think the youngest here are the 15 year olds? If not give me the insight! Bye! Much love and support, Brittany
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Brittany Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:49 amOops not six words, ” Acting, dedicative, musical, inspirational, and amazing.”
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Gail Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:10 pmI am lucky to be alive!
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Vegas911 Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:12 pmTaylor at 15 you may hear worse things at school then the liberal language that we post on this site…..Allison can cuss as much as she wants…..but it does not excuse the rest of use from behaving in a moraly responsible way……and I knew what was what when I was your age…But who is to say you are the youngest person visiting these blogs?
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Melissa Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:24 pmHi Allison…another great topic to talk about,but I’m going to write a small topic this time because I’m in school,my teacher and director of the school are mad with my class because some silly throwed a condom in front of the class and they won’t let us free from school ‘until they find the ones who did it,so……Justice for me is a way to start a war…..because some of us believe that we are the good ones doing good things, which is totally false,and we think we have to bring justice to the people we think are the bad ones…..we don’t make justice,we can’t fight to bring justice because justice is for everyone,bad or good people,everyone,and we can’t force to bring justice whenever we want,time will show us justice,patience will be the word follow by justice……
And my life in 6 words…”Keeping alive all day and night”
Bye,Meli. -
Robin Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:25 pmHi Gang,
6 words, ok here I go,
Selfdoubting Lucky Friendly Silly Hopeful Daydreamer…
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Brandon Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pmI just wanted to know what you think about suicide. You are so up on what life means to you and analyzing the universe by “conceptualizing” you thoughts that maybe you could use that brain power of yours to help people with thoughts of killing theirselves. You have it good girly but a billion other people have it terrible; so terrible that society really could give a flying fuck what suicide really means to them. I have thoughts of it all the time, but i dont have the balls to actually do it yet. I know life could be worse like growing up in a 3rd world country scrounging for scraps or maybe born with a incurable disease like AIDS. Your life may be worth living deary but can you honestly give a blog post on the value of life of the wealthy and fortunate to the lives of the unlucky ones out there. America discriminates and so does the wealthy. It makes me sick and i think about it everyday, about how my mundane living conditions will never end and miracles just dont happen to people like me that have enough hate for America to supply the US Army that i used to work for. But what else is there to say but oh well screw it, someday i will die and there’s nothing i can do about it but keep existing until then.
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Vegas911 Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:35 pmThere is no such thing as right and wrong…just diffrences of opinion.
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I'm Rachel Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:49 pmI’m changin my 6 lettered life story. Here it is.
“hard times can’t bring me down”
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David Hayes Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:52 pmYou shouldn’t take a right angle turn in an SUV while driving 90mph … but that’s just my opinion. It depends upon what results you want.
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mar1013 Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 1:20 pmI thought that 6 words weren’t enought to describe me but… here is my try
i’m still learning to know me
Hugs from a very sad Spain
Mar
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Sherann Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 1:21 pmI’ll just use six words to explain my life.
Dreams, Adventure, Hope, Experience, Passion, People -
Aqgalaxy Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 3:11 pm6 words huh?
A smartass, and proud of it!
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Janelle Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 3:12 pmMy 6 word biography(as of this moment, cause it could change at any given period in time.)
The passion is in the photograph.
Based entirely on my newly rediscovered passion for photography.
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Timothy P. McGee Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 3:18 pmMy life in six words? “It’s been an uncontrollable roller coaster.” I think that simplifies it enough.
So you don’t give power to vigilantes? What about the ones you work with?
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Kirk D. aka "SPARTACUS" Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 3:37 pmA thought on justice:
I feel like the 3-4 year old that keeps asking, “Why?”.
What makes justice, justice? Is there some hidden law that just randomly is?Anyways. Meanwhile back at the ranch.
I think of that awesome song by U2, that says, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”
Here is by 6 word autobio,
“Found what I was looking for.” -
Kirk D. aka "SPARTACUS" Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 3:39 pmSorry, that should say, “Here is MY 6 word autobio.”
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Ana_Sullivan Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:17 pmJustice and injustice? Today in Spain, my country.. is a day of mourning, a very sad day…. injustice it’s the word. More than 150 people have died in a plane crash. The worst thing is that the company knew that this model plane was obsolete…. Why nobody did anything? I still don’t know if one of my best friends went on that plane… so I’m very concerned.
My 6 word autobio:
“search for love, finding love, losing love” (my life is very complicated to resume in 6 words I think..) -
Krystal Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:20 pm“Music, My Love, has healed all.”
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mar1013 Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:38 pmAna, espero de corazón que tu amigo no fuese en ese avión.
Hoy, realmente ha sido un día muy triste.Un abrazo muy fuerte
Mar -
Carol UK Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:46 pmAnother huge issue to discuss. I agree that here in the UK our justice system is weird. I know you only ever get half the story in the newspapers but it does seem as if, for example, an abused wife who finally flips is often treated the same way as a psychotic or drug-addicted random murderer. That certainly doesn’t seem like justice to me.
I don’t believe that as individuals we should be vengeful – if we harbour anger and bitterness and seek revenge then surely we are giving the person who has wronged us an even greater ‘hold’ over our lives. If we can move on, perhaps even forgive the person who has wronged us, then we can get on with our lives and be free from the emotional effects of whatever they have done.
I do believe that justice is necessary in the case of crimes that are against the law of a country. If there is no justice and ‘punishment’ then there is no deterrent and some people would take advantage, leading to at least a degree of anarchy. On a much smaller scale this is true in all sorts of areas of life. As a teacher, I’m thinking particularly of school life. If young children do not see unkindness punished, even if it only with a short timeout, then some will take advantage, whilst others will be saying “It’s not fair”!As for my six words, I’ll go with -
‘Loving family, amazing God, everlasting life’Carol x
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paul Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:58 pmskahahoo:
“If people have different perceptions of right and wrong, is there such a thing as good and evil?”Excellent point! To me, “evil” is a theological term, having little practical relevance. Satan is evil– a being who recognized perfect good (God) and chose to defy that perfect good. Criminals and miscreants, it seems to me, usually have a deviant definition of “good”. That’s a different thing entirely from evil.
It seems to me that “justice” is a process, not an absolute. A justice system is a way to resolve differences between people, who inevitably have various definitions of “good”… some of which are socially unacceptable.
A fascinating insight into these issues is provided by some of the Norse sagas. These Icelandic tales describe a society without formalized laws or government– a truly barbaric society– coming to grips with communal justice and injustice.
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Kevin Pratt Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 5:08 pmDescribe my life in six words: sadness, loneliness, college degree, missing mom
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Lisa Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 5:32 pm“If people have different perceptions of right and wrong, is there such a thing as good and evil?”
This can be a question if you are looking at middle of the road offenses, but in big deal things like murder, or rape, or anything with that intensity, would you really wonder if it’s good or evil?
We have two things that give us some answers: one is religion, which gives us some guildlines (especially for moral right and wrong), and if you are not into that there are our laws made by society.
You break the law you get punished. What’s wrong with that? We have systems to decide what kind of punishment is fair. If you were brutally raped by a sociopath would you call putting him in prison an ‘inhuman twist on reality’? Do you think there is a gray area for that kind of offense?
I think the wayyou are thinking about this Allison is a way that would only work if everyone in the world didn’t have problems. Would I love to live in that world? Sure! But let’s be realistic here. There are many reasons why people do bad things, all of which still have consequences. What would keep someone from killing someone he hates if he knew nothing would come of it? Okay, it’s morally wrong to, but what if he doesn’t believe in punishment after you die?
I feel very strongly about this subject because one of the things I would like to do with my life is be a prosecuter. Prosecuters speak for the victims, especially when they have no voice. That’s what I am basing my opinins from – from someone who has known people who were victims of vicious acts of violence and cruelty and have no problem with sending people to jail for what they do. If that’s just another way of taking revenge to you, then so be it. I still don’t feel bad about it. I won’t feel bad for punishing someone that has ruined lives. If putting the criminal away keeps him from hurting another person, who are you to say no to that?
I don’t think this makes for good ‘justice’. You can never get even for the things people do to hurt other people, so in that respect justice is impossible. No amount of time served or money paid will get a life back or a bad experience forgotten. But it does hell of a job to help victims get through their trauma.
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taylor nikole Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 5:50 pmhmm well good and evil…
good and bad…
positive and negative… where is the point at which we decide what something is?…
sure bad affect on us… would be ‘negative -
taylor nikole Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 5:56 pmhmm well good and evil…
good and bad…
positive and negative… where is the point at which we decide what something is?…
sure bad affect on us… would be ‘negative’ but what if it had a ‘positive’ affect on something or someone else… can we still decide? haha wow that went on to something a little diferent…
sorry for my scattered mind which veers in every direction…ohh and I never said I was…. I’ve noticed aot of people seem to underestimate what ‘young people’ hear say or do…
maybe its not my place to say anything though…. -
simon/fluffy Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:03 pmcalm,calm,angry,depreesed,bad spelling
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Bouroux Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:20 pmHi Allison.
You expressed your opinions on justice in a wonderful way! What you wrote was really reflective, creative, very optimistic and I completely agree with.
Justice is what compels us to stay on the right path. Justice is based on human values of each society. Failure to respect these values leads to consequences. The purpose of consequences is to convince the person not to repeat. It is important that the consequence is appropriate. If it is not strong enough, he starts again and if it is too strong, it is an injustice.
Often I am shocked by the weakness of the punishment. We forget that more punishment is long, the person will have the difficulty to rejoin society. The error is human, everyone has the right to a second chance.
Repeat offenders deserve more important sentences. They do not respect the rules of the society voluntarily. What to do then? Try to understand them and be patient. Unfortunately for some, there is nothing to be done. It is a hereditary problem. In Canada we have a bill of rights which often serves the interests of guilty and not those of the victim. To enforce its rights often requires great courage. Each person has a different tolerance for injustice. When injustice affects us directly, our human values are often in second place. There is so much easier to be compassionate when you’re a spectator.
Justice involves my beliefs, my judgement, my values, my responsibility, my accountability, good and evil, God and especially myself.
It is fascinating and disconcerting.Bye
Claude. -
annette Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:37 pmMy 6 word life story is simple and true:
She brought joy to all she met -
Marie Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 6:54 pmMy six words:
“Just fighting to never give up.” -
Marie Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:05 pmMy six words:
“Just fighting to never give up.” -
Marie Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:13 pmsorry guys, I just did a little test under Marie name just to check to see if any body can misrepresent themselves on this blog apparently not, Just wanted to say I had good intentions.
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arash Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:14 pmshoot, it is arash Okay.
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Allie Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:19 pmLol, thanks Skahahoo! I did get the other comment, but I was so busy packing for college that I totally forgot to write back! But thank you!
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shinefloyd / luigi Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:29 pm6 words… 6 palabras
never is too late to learn..
nunca es muy tarde para aprender…. -
arash Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:42 pmMy life story in 6 words;
Yada yada yada here I am. -
skahahoo Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:54 pmHey Lisa! I respect that you want to work to have the victims’ voices heard. I think that’s a very noble goal to have…to help those who can’t help themselves. Especially in the oftentimes convoluted justice systems of today.
I don’t disagree that severely traumatizing acts, such as murder and rape, can be labeled as evil actions. But to me, evil actions and evil in and of itself aren’t the same thing. I was wondering if there was such a thing as good and evil…you know, as they are often portrayed in stories of mythic or epic proportions.
You reminded me of a news story here in NY. Some random guy broke into a Columbia University student’s apartment, and proceeded to torture her (including raping her multiple times) over the course of…I think it was a 24-36 hour period. Then, when he was about to leave, he stole some of her belongings, and set her apartment on fire, with her still tied up, essentially leaving her to die. The student, amazingly, kept her wits about her throughout the entire ordeal and never gave up, and somehow managed to free herself and escape. Thankfully, they caught the guy, and a jury found him guilty and sentenced him to jail. But since this wasn’t murder, eventually he’s going leave prison.
Here is my issue. I think it is important that the victim should have some closure and be given the best chance we can offer at regaining her sense of security. To that end, isolating the criminal is a no-brainer to me. What concerns me is what happens after the prison term is up. What good is it to strip someone of his freedom for a set period of time if he’s going to go back to hurting people? I know that the U.S. tries to rehabilitate some of its prisoners, but it’s a far, far cry from what it needs to be. And I wonder if more isn’t being done in this area because so many people focus on the punishment side and not so much on what happens afterwards and, even more importantly, on the forces that push so many people toward crime in the first place.
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Sam Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:09 pmYou are brave to write a blog on the general concept of justice. I am not brave enough to comment on justice, as I fear that anything I say would only be a small misguiding fragment of my view. If I was to talk on justice, it would likely be an epic essay before I was satisfied that I had fairly stated my thoughts on justice.
But to respond on something briefly hinted at on this blog…
I still think that excess attention to meaning in one’s life is destructive of the existing quality and purpose of living.
I’m not backing excess hedonism and thoughtlessness either. I just think that to question one’s own purpose alone in excess is damaging, as people often question the meaning for existence alone and out of context of the good in themselves and quality of their lives.
I guess it’s one of those “moderation in everything including moderation” kind of things.
My six words:
Knock
Who’s there?
Opportunity
Go away!Just kidding.
Here they are:
Living life avoiding “perfection”… it’s perfect.
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Melissa Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:45 pmHey Ana_Sullivan I know all my sense condolence with you…I’m from Peru,last Thursday I came back from Madrid to Peru,I went to visit my parents and brother and sister,they live in Madrid….and I can not imagine the pain of the family of those people who were in the accident and died…I think that this is where the word “unjustice” comes here…..but only God knows why this happened,we cannot go against life or destiny…..it is the way it is no matter if this means to lose someone you love….it’s horrible….it sucks I know…..you just hope for anything like this happen again but again this happen….today my parents called me from Madrid,and they asked how I feel about flying in a plane again because I’m going to return to Madrid this October and they wanted to make sure how I was feeling about the accident,they’re still thinking I’m scared about being on a plane for the fifth time…you know it’s normal they think I’m scared ’cause i’m 16 so they still think I’m a kid…..I love them so much….they are my guard angels…..they’re really cute about being protective about me…I love ‘em so much….Well my condolences are with all Spain….
Bye,Meli. -
Diana Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:48 pmJustice is not just putting bad people into jail. Justice is caring for the oppressed, the poor, and those who are ill.
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Lori Bennett Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 9:01 pmmy life in 6 words: shy, naive, growth, matured, independent, strong.
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alphakitty Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 9:43 pmDiana Says:
“Justice is not just putting bad people into jail. Justice is caring for the oppressed, the poor, and those who are ill.”thanks for the fresh perspective!
more to think about now…
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Brad Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 10:09 pmI had to think about this one for a while! I came up with:
“Do what you love, fuck the rest”
I have to confess it is from the movie “Little Miss Sunshine” and I took out an and so it will fit, but I can’t think of a quote more perfect because spending your life doing what you love, no matter what anyone else thinks, is so important.
There’s always going to be someone who doesn’t approve of something, but the most important thing is to do what you love and be happy. -
christa link Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 11:51 pmi have a friend who is a pedaphile, he served 5 years. he was actually supposed to serve 7 years but got out early for good behavior. he wouldnot admit he did anything wrong for a long time. he is now going through therapy for sex offenders. in that case justice was served. when someones wife or husband dies from a drug that should have been racalled, would just getting a lot of money give you piece of mind. my 6 words would have to be my love, my life, my child. iam really looking forward to seeing you soon on smallville, and also good luck on your directing debut.
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alphakitty Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 12:09 ami think both of christa’s examples show just how inadequate the legal system can be when it comes to serving justice IMHO.
i’m sorry, but 5 years, for the violation of a child just doesn’t cut it. legally, yes justice was served. but on a human-soul-gut level, i find it hard to reconcile that punishment was near harsh enough to fit the crime. i don’t have a better solution, but it just seems like the victim’s life is now way harder FOREVER, than 5 years in prison.
and as for compensating the death of a loved one with money. that is the only thing that the courts have to dispense as punishment, but it certainly will not bring the person back. the company won’t likely go bankrupt. and spending that money would probably seem very strange and tinged with guilt.
well, like allison started the post with, i guess the best we can do is live “with the knowledge of you and the way you conduct your life”. live the best you can so that you do not commit injustice towards others. if we all do that, then hopefully there will be less of a need to “even the score”.
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Man Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 12:09 amWalked around but never went in.
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alphakitty Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 12:20 ambtw, i’m all for swearing on the site. i got moderated too george (and probably brad). as elegant and poetic as language can be, sometimes simply nothing else will do like a good ol’ swear word
in fact, i revise my 6 words to:
sometimes, just say f*** it all! -
Kennaz Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 1:18 amWe live in a fallen world. People hurt each other in the worst possible ways every moment, and even take pleasure in it. Evil is as real as the light from my overhead lamp, and as absolute, but also as incomprehensible. Yes, I can see by the light of my lamp. I can absolutely say that it is there, that its glow allows me to see and be seen. But there are limits to my understanding of its actual substance – and not just because I’m not a physicist. As Goethe said, though we study our entire lives, we remain exactly as clever as we were before. We cannot understand the entirety of the universe. Not yet anyway. Barring some kind of cosmic revelation, we cannot see clear causal relationships in life’s interactions. There will always be multiplicity of motivation beyond our ability to comprehend. Thus, as private individuals, with an incomplete understanding of any situation, we do our best to forgive, to love, and to move on from evil that is incurred upon us. But as a collective, we must protect the weak, the innocent, and yes even the criminal with some form of justice. The judge/jury of peers/law based system we work with in the States is flawed yes; but then, so are we. And so far, it’s the best we’ve come up with. Until we find someone with absolute knowledge of the soul of every human being and the ability to dispense justice with mercy born of unconditional love for all parties, we shall simply have to be the best citizens we can be and do everything in our power to keep our justice system – and rehabilitation system – moving towards an ever more perfect balance between justice and mercy.
p.s. Clark Kent would seem to come pretty close to the ideal someone i mention above. think you could get him to take the job, Chloe
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Kennaz Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 1:23 amp.p.s. I am in no way implying that the US has an exclusive monopoly on said justice system or even the most effective form.
and my six words are:
Lived, loved, lost. Now try again. -
Alvin_D_Chipmunk Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 2:29 amHi Gang,
For those of you who are not phobic of reading religious texts, here’s a link to a chapter that delves into not only justice, but its counterpart, mercy, and the interplay between the two, while addressing crimes, punishment, atonement, and other themes:
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/alma/42
In short, the concepts of mercy and justice can potentially “rob” from each other, which is why the powers that be have a third mechanism in place. That mechanism of course has an eternal view of things, as opposed to each of our limited mortal view. However, there are other concepts that I like, that are interwoven with justice and mercy, but I would clumsily butcher my presentation of those ideas when compared to the web reference I gave above.
So yes, I like to refer to experts who can better phrase what I’d like to say. That doesn’t mean I don’t have an opinion of my own though. I try to not re-invent the wheel every time, just when it’s really necessary…
Now as for the 6 word challenge, I’ve got two phrases that could describe me, but not my life so far:
1. Artistic, analytical, meditative, ninja, chipmunk, programmer
2. “The” Alvin guy from Comic-Con!
As for the life phrase, how about??…:
Intersects with reality and life often
As for news on myself, I am barely ready to head back to college, amongst other things. At least I was able to catch up reading some of Allison’s and a few other people’s posts here on her blog. Also got some new pics of armor that I hand crafted and debating whether or not I should post a couple of those pics here, since our dear Ms. Mack wants to see the artistic talent of us Mack-Fans.
Grant me permission and a place, and I shall post said pictures here, but not any sooner.
So now, off to bed, to try to rest before first day of college…
With Warm Regards,
Alvin -
magic coco Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 3:34 amwould be the change I wanna see in the world !!
ok not 6 words but …. -
kerrieanne Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 4:38 amborn, hard times, good times, balanced….the simplest way to describe my crazy, wacky life.
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The Friday Philosopher Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 5:20 amI’ve been thinking more on this subject throughout the night, and like most, I see the word “Justice” as the short fallings of the judicial system. Yet as some have said, the system is flawed because it was created by a flawed race. There’s not much we can do about that, it’s just something we have to get used to.
To be totally honest, I would never have considered guilt to be a form of justice before reading the responses to this topic Having never actually committed a crime myself, I made the mistake of assuming that all criminals were impervious to they’re own guilt. This is of course ridiculous, some may not suffer with it, but the vast majority of crimes are committed by desperate people suffering through desperate times; despite making some obviously bad choices, these people are still human, they still feel the same emotions we all do!
I especially like the way that Allison has described it;
“I believe that living with the knowledge of you and the way you conduct your life is truly the only justice we have that is not tainted by some inhumane twist on reality.”
After much deliberation, I couldn’t agree more with this statement, we know that most of the Worlds prisons are nothing more than Hotels that the residents can’t choose to check out of, but perhaps it is only in the solitude of incarceration that guilt can truly provide an equal and balanced form of justice. Certainly the victim of any crime deserves justice but what about the criminal? Do they not deserve the opportunity to change?
As I have said before, I have not always been a nice person, but if it was not for those offended individuals giving me the opportunity to wallow in my own culpability, I may still be that person. In my personal experience, community service is the best form of punishment. If a person was to hold up a convenience store, then that person should work in that very store; let them experience the other side of their actions for a while. Let their guilt take root!
Community service isn’t the answer to every crime of course, there are certain transgressions that require a higher level of punishment, and these of course are discussion for a different day. I have said previously that the judicial system is flawed, maybe it is, but now I realise that it is the best that we as a flawed race can do!
Friday
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Liam Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 8:58 amI don’t like the term Justice, mainly as it’s such a broad term. For example:
A Judge sentences a man to life in prison for murder…that’s Justice in the laws eyes.
A family member of the murder victim kills the murderer…that’s justice in the eyes of the victims family.
The difference being, one is lawful and one is not, though both are deemed to be acceptable forms of Justice in certain peoples eyes.
Obviously you’d argue the lawful way is the right way…or would you? In that situation which form of justice would you prefer? It’s easy to say the lawful choice now, but what if?
Of course the non-lawful way is an act of revenge which is an emotional response to the scenario at hand and should not be an acceptable form of Justice, but in their mind it is, and afterall you’re looking for Justice for the victims family.
I don’t know where i’m going or have gone with this, but my opinion is that Justice means something different for everybody, and a simple change in scenario can change a lawful act of justice into vengeance in the name of Justice.
This I feel makes it difficult to punish someone, also it doesn’t help that with all the different rules in different states/countries it’s impossible to give a fair verdict.
In one state you could recieve the death penalty, and it’s Justice, but if you had been tried a few hours down the road in another state, you’d of been given life in jail for the same offence, I don’t see how that can be called Justice when we can’t even decide on a series of punishments that are agreeable around the same country letalone the world.
This has gotten long-winded, but i’m sure the point I had intended to make is in there somewhere.
Punishment =/= Justice
Not when you can have different punishments for the same crime based on Geographical location.
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Brittany Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 10:07 amHey, Bouroux I don’t know if you noticed, but your first 2 sentences are the exact same as mine! Ironic! Hehe, just notcied that, Ok well I’m going to go! Adios! Bye!
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Audra Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 10:33 amI think I am jumping in a little late on this thread, but here are my 2 cents:
I don’t think there really is universal justice in the world. It is humanly impossible to make sure everyone has their needs meant and feel justice has been served. While I maybe happy about it, you could feel you got nothing. It is all about perspective. As many people have said already, we are products of our environments and that is what shapes our perspective of justice.
As for my 6 words..
For I am who I am. -
David M. Kennedy-Farner Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 10:53 amThis is my first trip into a blog. I cannot tell you how surprised I was to find such a deep subject matter being discussed. I am not very old, just 20 years old, and I read every single comment left by you all. And now I feel… smarter. You can’t give a broad definition to justice. Justice is individual to each situation to which it is applied. However, you have to think, everyone wants justice. So every individual has a different view. We have our current definitions of justice based upon those who make the rules. That’s why some places have the death penalty and don’t. The higher ups create our definitions until we become one of them. Some families tell their kids not to color on the walls, while some encourage them.
We each have different concepts of right and wrong. It is what makes us individuals. Justice began as “An Eye For Eye, A Tooth For A Tooth”. And as you all have pointed out, that doesn’t the same effect on both parties. Suppose a person only has one eye. Someone makes it go blind, you make one of his eyes go blind as well. That isn’t Justice. He still can see with another eye. It’s not an equal and opposite reaction. Well then maybe if you make him as blind as you it will be correct. Not true. That would be considered overstepping your bounds. It isn’t even.
And that’s exactly how it starts turning from Justice to Vengeance. Trying to get EVEN. Nothing done to punish someone for something will ever be even. He kills your son, you kill his. Seems even doesn’t it? But what guarantee do you have that he felt exactly the same way about his son as you felt about yours? And how will that ever fill the hole that’s left now that your son is dead?
Justice can only be determined by something that is not man-made and that Allison mentioned… Karma. No man or woman can determine a true punishment on their own. There is no greater punishment than one inflicted upon oneself.
Many people who have been brought to “justice” are being punished in a way that does nothing to properly make them realize the severity of their actions. They relax in prison eating good food, making connections, and planning their next crime. It seems to me the only way to properly make them confront themselves is to put them in a room that has nothing but a mirror. To me this seems fitting. Make them look at themselves. Make them have nothing to do but look at themselves and think. This might make them go crazy, yes… but the only way to make them see themselves for what they are. Most of them are crazy in the first place anyway…
Think what you like of my ideas, let me know if you think I’m wrong or right.
I’d also like to thank Allison for making me think about something. I hardly do that anymore. In this world of Family Guy and South Park, truly thinking is a rarity. I have relished the experience even though now my head hurts a little… heh heh.
Now for my six word bio…
Humor, love, heartache. Find me again…
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David M. Kennedy-Farner Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 11:52 amHumor, Love, Heartbreak. Find me again…
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Kris Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 11:58 am6 words:
I was broken, now I’m not
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Danielle Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 1:51 pmInquisitiveness and reflection were her friends.
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Sherann Johnson Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 3:32 pmMy life in 6 words…wow.
Dreams, Passion, Excitement, Hope, Strength, People -
andrea AM Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 4:12 pmYou,dreams,friends,you,you and you!!!!!
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Hoover Monkeys Says:
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:54 am“Seen Things I Shouldn’t Have Seen!”
huhuhhu… that’s my life in 6 words!!! sad but true, life’s a bitch! -
Tommy Says:
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:29 pmMy life story in 6 words: life is like a rollercoaster it has it”s up”s and down”s: well 11 words
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Miranda Says:
August 23rd, 2008 at 1:58 amsix word bio:
Lost in fairytales. Decided to stay.
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Sasha Says:
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:34 am‘A unique mix of genes and circumstance’
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Marcio Says:
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:38 amYou don’t mind how much people have feelings like yours. But the time would fragment the ideas, or destroy our senses. It’s like an self-punishing feeling that is move you to do something about it. If you really can do some, i think that you have to go forward. Not as an visionary, that see what the others don’t, but as a friend advicing your owns to prepare themselves for themselves.
(sorry, my english is not too good yet, but i hope that could help you)
Bye, have a good week..
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Jim Says:
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:48 pmBorn, lived, loved, laughed, cried, died.
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Jim Says:
August 23rd, 2008 at 9:01 pmWe all have to admit, as I see most people have been doing, that justice differs from person to person. What is justice? When a criminal goes to jail does the justice happen when he goes in? Does it happen if he rehabilitates? Does it happen if he gets hurt and therefore punishment or retribution has therefore “taken place”? Justice is a word. It is something we feel we need in order to be a working and growing society. Without “justice” what is there to make people not commit a crime, or make people feel better if a loved one is hurt? We say justice has been done and hopefully that makes someone feel better or deter them from doing something. What is sad is that we need something like “justice” to work as a society. I wonder if every culture has a word that means what “justice” means in our society and if there is one without it I’d love to know how they thrived. I dont know if I just wrote something that made sense I just watched Smallville and visited this site and saw this blog topic and decided to write something. Sorry Allison I didnt even read yours all the way through. Although it is really nice for you to take such an active role with your fans and get them actually thinking. Anyway being in law school gives you a different approach on the theroy of justice…it sort of seems like it isnt real. You have no idea what stupid legal theories have been made or how stupid a case was decided based on a judges differing idea of what justice was. Think about it in the past cases centering around the idea of runaway slaves were decided on property theories and “justice” was served when someone got their property back. Lets forget that we just took people from their family because their property was returned and justice was served. This is why I’m getting into Entertainment Law because I dont know what Justice means today and I probably wont know what it means tomorrow. Sorry for ranting guys I know I made little to no sense but reading law books all day sucks and I had to vent.
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Sasha Says:
August 24th, 2008 at 7:12 amwithout the ‘a’ lol!
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Jack Says:
August 27th, 2008 at 1:29 pm6 word bio…mmm thts a hard one
i laugh, i learn, i love
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ErinKatie Says:
August 28th, 2008 at 10:54 amMy six word bio? Robert Frost said it best:
“Miles to go before I sleep.”
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Olivia Says:
August 28th, 2008 at 11:48 amI am not of this world!
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FrenchFox Says:
August 28th, 2008 at 2:41 pmhmm… my life in 6 french words :
“je crois que je suis amoureux”
or
“ça pourrait vraiment être bien pire”
depends of the day -
Brendan Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 6:42 am“know the facts to pervert them”
-Mark Twain -
crzsocglkpr Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 12:29 pmWow, i love the style of this site, it’s so pro thought. Okay, so the issue of crime and punishment can be incredibly toiling, possibly leading to head trauma, thus Allison’s blog. But what i believe she’s getting at is the fact that as a people our instinct is survival, and when that survival is threatened, or even taken away, whether it be our own, or that of those for which we care, it becomes personal, and the line between justice and revenge is irrevocably distorted. The question is, what do we do about it? Can we all really allow murderers to walk the streets in which we live? In doing this would we all be turning a blind eye, living in ignorance, an attempt at a perfect world, a uptopia that can never be? Or is it that some of us simply crave for what JUSTICE was truly founded upon, innocent until proven guilty? Because today it is anything but. Predjudice clouds our judgement, leaving nothing but hatred and the boiling of our own blood to clear the skies. So is seeking a way out of this never ending cycle of kill mine i kill yours overly idealistic? Or is it simply that the proclamations of right and wrong have been erased and rewritten so many times, twisted by media and goverment, that no one really knows what justice is?
My 6 words:
My Past is my Present, Today -
Scott Says:
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:05 pmHrm, I got on the train late.
Trials by fire, soul slimly survives
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Steven Says:
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:35 pmMy life in six words…”Fell down, MANY times, kept running.
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JoNNy Says:
September 7th, 2008 at 3:07 amLife in 6 words is the following:
Our Love Brings This Planet Together
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Megan Says:
September 7th, 2008 at 7:30 amI loved, lost, Cried. I’ve Learned.
(I’ve doesn’t class as 2 words does it?)
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Loren Says:
September 8th, 2008 at 9:00 amC.S. Lewis says Mercy without Justice is an exercise in futility, and justice iwthout mercy is cruelty.
This is my first post on this site, so I hesitate to get too wordy… but I just want to throw this out to the aether for whoever may see it.
The most important things you’ll ever learn are how to truly apologize for something you’ve done, and how to truly forgive something done to you. The strongest relationships are not those that have traveled an easy road, but the ones that have survived a few crashes and reconciliations.
If you have done something wrong, abase yourself, don’t try and avoid the blame, apologize and ask for forgiveness.
If someone apologizes to you, do not levy them with conditional absolution or demand compensation. Forgive them, they need it, and so do you.
My life in 6 words:
Learned to sing, forgot to stop. -
Forever Searching Says:
September 9th, 2008 at 10:10 amMy Life in 6 words:
What’s left when Honour is lost?note: This is a quote by Publilius Syrus that I think sums up my life and the struglle to be the most i can be while never betraying myself.
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jason Says:
September 18th, 2008 at 6:43 amwilliam, jordy, mckenna and darla! (my family)
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Taryl Says:
September 27th, 2008 at 4:01 pmFinding perfection in an imperfect world.
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Joshua Says:
September 30th, 2008 at 1:52 pmI personally believe that the injustice present in our everyday world necessitates a world in which perfect justice is carried out, regardless of human opinion or prejudice. Without exception, each and every one of us are fallible, so this world would have to be run by someone who’s infallible, incorruptible, and unchangable. In other words…God.
Now, I’m not here to start some sort of intellectual debate or war…just to say my piece, and then I’ll leave it at that. I believe that God exists, and that He has set a standard for humanity, which none of us can accomplish without depending entirely on Him. I believe that vengeance ultimately belongs to Him, and that he has the final say on matters of true justice. I also believe that Jesus Christ was sent to pay the eternal penalty which none of us can, and if we choose to trust in Him, He will guide us, day by day, for the rest of our lives.
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Joshua Says:
September 30th, 2008 at 1:55 pmMy life in 6 words: “I’ve failed, but God has forgiven.”
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Peter G Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 12:20 pmOk im a newbie to this but i’ll try my best My life in 6 words without gettin too deep, Twenty Four so far so good. Peter from Birmingham England hope your all good ally x
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neil Says:
October 10th, 2008 at 12:01 pmINstead of “punish” perhaps we should think more to the lines of “rehab and heal”, right?
Today we live in a world where sometimes the ones doing the “punishing” are NOT justified to be doing what they are claiming they are doing as punishment.
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Adrian P Says:
October 17th, 2008 at 6:55 pmhi, ally… first of all this is the first time i write to you… though i read quite a bit on it before posting
and first of all i wanned to tell you that you inspires me to go forward, you see my biggest dream will always be to become an actor… but you see i don’t know how to reachout that goal, since here where i live in Venezuela, there’s too little worry about this art… so i really wanned advises from you to what to do… my plan is to leave the contry to go to canada.
I also love music but i see that my thing is acting… and not be able to do that is a bad thing for me… so, if you can enlight me? plus would be an honor to work with you.now, about the justice thing i agree that each one of us have their own definition of justice… amd the world its really messy sometimes… changing it to make it a better place is difficult but i don’t think it’s impossible…if we all work for that utopia it may come one day.
and well punishment is bad cuz like the bad guys did that wrong thing we shouldn’t do the same to them (will not be better than them), but if we don’t do anything then they’ll do what they wan’t and things can come out of hands…MY LIFE IN 6 WORDS:
living for what you believe forever! -
Erica Says:
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:15 pm“a faboulous journey with loved ones”
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Karlitos Says:
November 14th, 2008 at 5:43 am“Born visible, Became invisible. Seen me?”
Greetings from Argentina.
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Chris Shaner Says:
December 11th, 2008 at 1:07 pmJustice… simply put justice is the conformity to law. True justice would be, to me, making one pay or suffer the consequences for all that he has done wrong regardless of if the said individual is sorry or not. However, being human means we have the capacity for mercy. We have all done wrong at one point or another. Therefore it is up to us to learn from our mistakes and grow as a person and show likewise compassion to others around us. It is not our place to deal out true justice in this world. Though it is true that without some sort of justice system our world would quickly fall into disarray, which is the reason civilizations established rules and laws in the first place. Does it always work? No, but we live in an imperfect world. sometimes the corrupt win. sometimes not. We just have to do the best we can. This is why I love super heroes, Superman being my favorite. Superman could very easily kill lex luthor and be done with him, but he doesn’t. He always stops the bad guys and hands them over to the justice system set in place though he could easily deal out “True Justice” on his own. It’s all a matter of what’s right and wrong. To error is human, to forgive is divine. I don’t know it that makes sense or not. I just sort of went off with my thoughts… Oh well.
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Chris Shaner Says:
December 11th, 2008 at 1:15 pmBy the way, Allison this is the first time I’m actually written anything to you but I just wanted to let you know I’m a big fan. I’ve always had this thing where I want to meet the actors who play my favorite characters to test out a theory of mine. I want to see if the actor is anything like the character. A great actor can make you believe they can be anyone, but only does an actor really shine is when they have similar characteristics of the their character. I hope I get the chance to meet you one day. You seem like a really interesting person.
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Aziza Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 9:02 pmMy life story in six words.
Creating myself within time and space -
Gary hodgson Says:
February 13th, 2009 at 8:21 pmHi Allison.
This is my first time visiting this blog site of yours, and while randomly browsing a few of the topics posted, i found how interesting it is to actully hear the views of someone i have seen for year on tv but never met.
Personalitys of those with celbrity status are usually only heard from interviews and general gossip printed in assorted newpapers and magazines.
So its nice when you discover that behind all the success and fame, is a real person with worries and interests that match our own.Anyway back to the topic of justice.
Im not much of a writer, so anything i write on the subject will only show my poor literacy skills and my total lack of ability to put my thoughts into words in a way that people can make sense of.But i will try your 6 word autobiography
“live and learn, learn to live”
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steve Says:
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:30 pmborn, love, hate, lust, love, reborn
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Guadalupe Lozano Says:
April 10th, 2009 at 6:20 pmJudge not by what you see.
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Beth Says:
April 26th, 2009 at 4:44 amMy life story in six words:
Shy, loveable, broken, on cloud nine. -
Urmee Says:
May 13th, 2009 at 8:09 amin 6 words:
Optimistic but reality keeps barging in -
Urmee Says:
May 13th, 2009 at 8:12 amI always loved Chloe’s character, she’s the type of girl I wanted to become…Actors talk about character evolution but you actually portrayed it with great success and I applaud you for it.
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EG Says:
May 27th, 2009 at 11:24 pmGod came, now I dream big
God with me, nothing is impossible
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