Have to write a term paper, need some comments

[Judd Quarles]

OK, so I have a term paper due on August 1. It's time I get started so I don't overload myself. So, which ones of you guys would like to tell me what you think "justice" is? It doesn't need to be overly long or complicated, I just need to compile various opinions of the meaning. I just need your name and what you think. Thanks for your help

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Uhm, agh, why are you asking a bunch of nimrods like us?



Since it's due Aug 1, I assume it's high school summer school, or college. If college level, I think you should be pulling from established sources, such as biographies and literary works by notable figures from history, like supreme court justices, founding fathers, rights leaders, etc.



But, since you asked, justice is (as a set of bullet points):



- essentially the righting of a wrong

- blind

- fair

- never vengeful

- an elusive goal rarely ever truly obtained



The first bullet is essentially what justice is and should be, the next three are ideal properties of justice, and the last bullet is the reality that we live in as we seek justice. The reality is that justice as sought by humans is often NOT blind, is NOT fair, and IS vengeful, and often NEVER really rights a wrong.



TJR

 

[Patrick Bajtka]

Justice to me is quite simple: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."



If someone steals something, they should lose a hand. If someone kills someone, they should lose their life.



If someone keys your Sport Trac, they should receive a thousand lashes before being hung in public.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Hellhound94 made my last point for me... Thanks HH!

 

[C B]

Following the "rule of law" versus vague platitudes like "social justice".

 

[Andrew Tollison 3]

I agree with hellbound "an eye for an eye"



check the link it might help also.

 

[P M]

Interesting subject. One of those open to a fair amount of interpretation. I would disagree that justice attempts to right a wrong. If someone is murdered or raped I don't think any penalty can right the wrong. I do think it can attempt to deal out a consequence proportionate to the crime or action. Certainly the consequence should be fair and not vengeful adn if possible right a wrong. While I wish it could right the wrong, that can rarely happen in the case of serious crimes as you mentioned.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

PRM, I agree with everything that you said, but I stand by my claim that justice "rights" a "wrong". Sure, sometimes it does that through punishement, but if you look at the roots of the word, you will find it rooted in other terms like: "right", "just", "fair" and "law"...

Justice is derived from the Latin word Justus which derives from Latin jus (the genitive form of which is juris), which means "right" or "law".

So, when "wrong" is done, "right" must be done. Applying laws is that "right". It may not make things the way they were, but "right" is done.



TJR

 

[TomT]

I think justice should be decided by those that are wronged, or their families. If someone say killed a child of mine, I think I should decide their punishment. (And I can guarantee it will be a punishment worse then death). That, to me is justice, not the panty-waist ACLU, bleeding heart liberal justice of today that gives more rights to criminals then victims.

 

[Judd Quarles]

Thanks, this is for college summer session II.



TJR- the only reason I am not pulling from established sources is that I need the opinions of at least five people. But, then I have to pull from established sources and use my own opinion so it is somewhat time consuming.

 

[Roy Smith]

The ACLU is the worst thing to happen to this contry(next is the media)justice is --can you steal from me AND out run my bullets?? lawers are also a hinderance to justice,don't care what is right or wrong,what can I do for me.:angry:

 

[Mark B]

Chuck Norris.







I don't need to say more but for the sake of the term paper...



Justice and karma seem like similar ideas. You do something and, consequently, something happens to you. Like karma, justice occurs when the outcome of an action seems appropriate. You work hard and receive a pay raise, that's justice. You commit murder and the state takes your life, that's justice. It's not about righting a wrong. It's the idea that reward should follow from good deeds and vice versa.



Oddly enough, the 'My Name is Earl' guy is on SNL as I write.

 

[Ron N]

Working in the Texas dept of criminal justice, I have seen alot of things from inmates that have gotten caught at just one thing, for many things they have done. The inmates that have worked for me have ranged from being so high the they forgot to load a weapon in a robbery to drunk driving for the 4th time. All in all it is how the Gov't thinks they should serve.In the last testement it says that man serves man's law,I know that is not what it say's word for word. What I think is justice should be, is what you take from someone, is what you have to give.

 

[A K]

My recommendation would be to look up the perspectives of "retributivists" and "utilitarians" as to justice and punishment. These are the two schools of thought (ignoring any hybrids). Once you read up on these, you'll be able to peg the title on almost anyone.

 

[Johnny O]

Then there is my cousin, a former district attorney, who once told me that you shouldn't confuse the legal system with justice. :lol:

 

[Bill V]

Glad to hear this is a college thing--because if it was high school, I'd say that justice is your teacher getting a serious, debilitating infection from the paper cut he got while reviewing the term paper he assigned you to write during summer break!!!!