>So every innocent punished
>in such a system generates resentment, disillusionment, and cynicism about
>the society in possibly dozens of others, for whom the deterrent effect
>likely won't work because they know justice has not been done, the innocent
>has been punished and the guilty has not. After a while you're going to
>have a reservior of people in this society who know the system's idea of
>"justice" is a load of crap. People with that attitude, I'd think,
>wouldn't be deterred from anti-social behavior, in fact they'd be more apt
>to offend against the society in some way...again, a vengeance model in
>reverse...
How do you mean "in reverse"? Those people are perfectly entitled to kill someone under the vengeance model of justice, surely. Especially those who have been personally wronged. Clearly if they feel they have been wronged by society as a whole it is merely retributive justice for them to, say, take a planeload or two of the members of that society and fly it into some more of the members of that society they hate?
I can relate to that, even if revenge isn't something I would advocate or support. What I don't get is why people who have not been personally wronged are entitled to take vengeance? Sure, we can all understand why a victim might feel hatred and a desire for bloody revenge, but I can't help thinking its a bit sick for people who don't even know the victims of crime start start demanding blood.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas