One, I usually hear that old chestnut being attributed to Ghandi, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was one of those things that no one in particular said and it gets attributed to lots of people.
More importantly, it’s wrong. An eye for an eye makes people not go around poking other people in the eye.
Let’s just accept that it’s not always necessary to choose a side when bad things happen. Sometimes, both sides were bad.
I watched the video, the sad part is that treating kids like that wasn’t even illegal in most places until recently. I think even in the US child abuse wasn’t really taken serious until starting in the 80s or so. I’m glad the dad experienced the same treatment though.
The legal system is nothing more than organized revenge.
Like it or not, you need revenge for society to function. When experiments are done and cheaters cannot be punished, people stop cooperating. You bring punishment back in, and people start cooperating.
Granted I hate how vengeful we as humans are capable of (all of us are evil in some ways). And people seem to really enjoy witnessing life destroying retribution over minor infractions if you look at facebook or read the comments of news articles (people seem to enjoy brutality and violence as retribution for verbal insubordination for example, lots of people are scum sadly). Plus the way we punish people who are victims of circumstance (born into poverty and abuse, mentally ill, addiction, etc) leaves a lot to be desired.
But having said that, you do need it to keep society moving. And this whole mythology we have created that revenge is wrong but the justice system is ok is bunk. It is all revenge, doesn’t matter if an individual does it or the state does it.
And another law and order supporter weighs in!
When your only tool is the world’s tiniest bow…