[anonymous]

[anothersoul]

I would like your opinion on something, community. Let's talk about justice for a moment.


In particular, let's say there is a person who once served the people. They did much good. Then they became a criminal. Not a rebel, not a petty thief because they needed to. A real criminal. Let's say they killed someone in cold blood.

In this example, since this person did much good, what would be a fitting punishment? Would it be merciful for that person, as well as just, for them to be killed? Their victim would be avenged and they would be cleansed of guilt, as well as preventing any further defamation of their good deeds.

No, I'm not talking about the death penalty. I'm talking about if another person went to the murderer and killed them for their crimes. A murder for a murder, out of mercy. Would it be just? Would it be merciful for that original murderer? Or is it just cheating the original victim out of justice?

I'm merely wondering.

Comments

[ghostshippingly]

That's... a really, really difficult question, anon.

But well, if you asked me... I'd say that unless there was really no other choice - like if your world didn't have its own justice system or if the system it did have was so corrupt that it just wouldn't work - it'd be better to help the system try and track them down so they can face a trial for what they've done. That's the reason we have something like a justice system, after all... and if there's one thing I learned from helping out Mr. Nick all those years ago, it's that a lot of the time there's some reason behind what the culprit did, no matter how bad it was.

But, even if that wasn't possible, even then... I'm not sure I could ever say that killing anyone was a good idea. The truth is, I really don't know anymore.

[anonymous]

[anothersoul]

I see. I'm not sure if I agree with you - this is a difficult manner, after all. I'm unsure wether justice is bound to laws and the justice system. There are certain things that perhaps the court can't handle.

[ghostshippingly]

But... but if you start thinking that way, where does it stop? If everyone tried doing things according to what they thought justice was, it could end horribly! Especially since we're talking about something as serious and horrible as killing another person, no matter what they've done. And... even if it was just somehow, I don't think anybody could ever say it was merciful, ever.

[anonymous]

[anothersoul]

Look around the community. Do you think a court could handle all that goes around here? Logically, they can't. In a perfect world, the justice system could handle it all.

Perfection doesn't exist.

[ghostshippingly]

... I never said it did, anon. But the things that happen on the community are completely different to the example you were talking about. Unless you're about to tell me that it happened in a world with magic or one that was hundreds of years behind the way most Earths are here.

Besides... besides, even if the justice system can't handle everything, that still doesn't make taking a life for a life justice. Maybe it's the only possible thing to do in some situations, no matter how horrible that is. But I don't think it's justice.

[anonymous]

[anothersoul]

What's to say that it won't happen on the community? Or that it already did? It's hardly irrevelant.

So I see.

[ghostshippingly]

Maybe it isn't, but it would change some things about the example you gave us.

So does that mean you do believe it'd be justice, then?