As I write this, many Americans are reconsidering their idea of what 'Justice' means as a result of the Zimmerman verdict.
Depending on your point of view with regard to the facts of the case, 'Justice' might mean sustaining the use of deadly force whenever someone feels threatened, no matter the circumstances; while for others it might be that 'Justice' means revenge for a particular and egregious wrong, or of righting the larger societies' wrongs in a single verdict.
We all have our expectations of what 'Justice' means, and they are usually very personal and specific. Our expectations are based very much on what we 'feel' in our deepest being is 'right' and fair, and these feelings are based on our life experiences and those of others we trust and admire.
But the cold truth is 'Justice' is not a feeling or an ideal; it is a formal process of civil and criminal law that often results in verdicts that don't meet our expectations - and that often don't seen fair or 'Just' at all.
Call it the price of freedom, because that is exactly what it is.
So, if the outcome of the Zimmerman case has left you feeling like there is no Justice, let me assure you that you are experiencing a common feeling when dealing with laws and courts and human frailty. It's a feeling that will always be with us, since Perfect Justice is known only to the minds of individuals and is unknown to a society as a whole. And it is society as a whole that our 'Justice' system serves.
Depending on your point of view with regard to the facts of the case, 'Justice' might mean sustaining the use of deadly force whenever someone feels threatened, no matter the circumstances; while for others it might be that 'Justice' means revenge for a particular and egregious wrong, or of righting the larger societies' wrongs in a single verdict.
We all have our expectations of what 'Justice' means, and they are usually very personal and specific. Our expectations are based very much on what we 'feel' in our deepest being is 'right' and fair, and these feelings are based on our life experiences and those of others we trust and admire.
But the cold truth is 'Justice' is not a feeling or an ideal; it is a formal process of civil and criminal law that often results in verdicts that don't meet our expectations - and that often don't seen fair or 'Just' at all.
Call it the price of freedom, because that is exactly what it is.
So, if the outcome of the Zimmerman case has left you feeling like there is no Justice, let me assure you that you are experiencing a common feeling when dealing with laws and courts and human frailty. It's a feeling that will always be with us, since Perfect Justice is known only to the minds of individuals and is unknown to a society as a whole. And it is society as a whole that our 'Justice' system serves.
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