OT: You Might Be An Idiot If

[Ran-Taro]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
You know, when you check out the people who get involved in 'kiddie porn' you usually find that they were abused themselves. Maybe a lot of people need help rather than more abuse? The revenge model of 'justice' has never solved any problems. Back when everything from picking pockets to stealing a loaf of bread was punishable by hanging it didn't affect the crime rate. People committed those crimes out of necessity. Changing the conditions of society is what reduced the crime rate. Similarly, I think it would be far more productive to get people treatment for their sick sexual behaviors than to torture and mutilate them. Not only for the actual 'perps' but for society as a whole.

Dead set spot on.

Todays victims are tommorrows perpetrators.

Violence begets violence.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Plus lots of other true cliche's

Just because someone does something awful, this does not excuse us for sinking to a similar level, or justify inhumane acts on our part as an act of revenge.

The point is to act in such a way as makes things better.

Violence, retribution, revenge, lack of understanding - none of these achieve this aim. They only make things worse. We throw criminals into a brutal jail system where they become more violent and more criminal. Then we let them out, and give them very limited opportunities outside of crime. In what world does that make sense?

It does not come naturally to treat someone who has done something awful with compassion, but often this is the only way to make things better. Contrary to popular belief, then, compassion takes far more courage than revenge.

To quote the Song 'Where is the love?'

[edit:grammar]

[ October 16, 2003, 17:43: Message edited by: Ran-Taro ]