Vengeance

After a long hiatus, this week's Mustard Seed returns with vengeance. The concept of an eye for an eye goes back at least to Hammurabi's code of 1771 BC. But does retribution restore justice?
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth may seem fair at first — but is the eye of street-sweeper equal to the eye of a surgeon? Is the tooth of a teen balanced by the tooth of an octogenarian? If a man with five sons kills one of another man’s two, is the second man entitled to slay one of the first man’s sons or half of them? Is that justice for the sons? What of Jean Valjean who stole bread to feed his family? The bread has been eaten; there is nothing for the baker to take in return.  An eye for an eye is better viewed as a limit to, rather than a prescription for, retribution.
     Politicians debate at great length to create laws which define crimes and determine punishments. Judges hold lengthy trials and deliberate for ages to assess the damage caused, determine the perpetrator's intent, identify any mitigating circumstances, and weigh the need for deterrence. Then appropriate penalties are imposed. Perpetrators tend to find judges too harsh and victims find them too lenient. Even when justice is equitably meted out, overall good diminishes. Once harm has occurred, it cannot be undone. Two wrongs will never make right. In many cases it is impossible for a victim to recover their previous state. Even in cases where direct restitution is possible there are additional real and opportunity costs. Time spent resolving any conflict can never be recovered. The total costs to victim, perpetrator, and society will always exceed any benefit the perpetrator realizes from his crime.
      Justice may appear to validate vengeance but no amount of retribution will eradicate the act which earned the debt. Vengeance might balance the scales of justice between immediately involved parties but it will never maximize good.  
      Next week:  A better means of restoring equity.
                                                                      God bless.

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