Monday, January 15, 2007

Respect for life and justice

It is pretty sad, dehumanizing and distressful to see that we as human beings, have societies that demand the killing of people as a form of carrying justice.

1) There is no such thing as justice...if there were then every baby born in a society should have the same set of starting parameters. So lets take that premise away. What we have at best is respect for each other on certain things....Allow others to lead their lives , respect property of others as defined by law (which is not very just in many cases). We have to move towards a more humanizing society with time. May be it will bring more justice but at least it something achievable....almost immediately. Many (if not most) people try tobe good and try to respect the human in others even if the other does not think or believe in what one believes.

2) Society has to be a humanizing entity otherwise we move towards barbarism...we are coming from there should avoid going there. A living human being that can think and wish not to die
should not be killed by society. If that is not the case then there is always justificatin for killing somebody else. And reasons change as we evolve. Some of us thinks our gods are most important, others their pride etc Tomorrow who knows what it will be ...offensive colour of dress ? So are we going to allow killing for that....Life should be a fundamental human right that can be removed only if the individual explicitly wants it so.

3) What about hard core criminals who kill for pleasure or politics. Yes we need to protect people against such individual....but killing them does not help. We hear it gives closure. There is no such thing in violence. Once something horrible has been committed we have to live with it and deal with it. Killing the perpatrator is just act of revenge. Its not justice. If there were justice then would you justify killing of the rich by those born and raised in dirt poverty....because ultimately we who have prevent resources to go to others in one form the other.


In conclusion its not idealism but pragmatism that forces us to have a society that does not kill without the consent of the individual. As justice is a vague word...execution by society the justify killing for a cause....and we don't want to go there...as there is no cause worth a human life.