Plethora of Ethical Epiphany

[Guest guest]

The legal system in the United States is wrong.

The criminals are victims.

Their victims are equally responsible.

I realized it in a moment. An epiphany moment:

 

Moab finds me camping alone in the desert for over a week

having to leave [suddenly] the next day

tonight burns the last campfire, dwarfed by the moon and stars

the enormous Wash is tactile in its perfection

 

no more need for surplus food, there is plenty to spare

the first desert mouse appears, to steal a sprouted almond

and then another and another

I move the almonds closer to me

the mice become bolder.

one at a time, I put out a new almond still nearer

a mouse runs out to snatch it, then quickly escapes

Now I hold out an almond between extended fingers

a hero finally strolls up to me and grabs the almond

Wearing a head lamp, such that when I suddenly turn to face him,

the light shines thru him and we both freeze.

staring at each other for eternity,

the fear is unanticipated

I recover first and shake the almond in a gesture to give it to him

he recovers, pulls the almond and runs away

now all the mice see that they will have to take the almond from me

no more isolated almonds to pillage, they have to deal

not all the mice are comfortable with that

the first hero isn't scared of me anymore,

but some of his friends still are

I hand the hero another almond

as he is making his getaway

another mouse attacks him,

attempting to take possession of the almond

the almond that I have given him - My almond

the hero is my friend, I am on his side

hating the thief

I shout 'ey! while they still struggle

the shout is very powerful, because the desert is so quiet

(also, I hadn't said anything in a week.)

The world stops for a split second, then all of the mice scurry

I want to punish the mouse thief

and to protect the mouse hero

I am god - I supply the food, I am all powerful. I mete out justice.

 

 

that's when I get the epiphany

 

there aren't bad mice and good mice

not in an absolute sense

maybe some mice are more likable than others

but in the final analysis, I don't want to punish any mouse

all I want to do is to have everyone get along so we can have fun, live life,

love, learn, and grow

sure I consider making the mouse thief wear a sign with a red star,

or lashing him with a cat o' nine, or jailing him in a hole

or cutting off one of his paws,

but I realize that would be wrong.

 

I am god, and they are as my children:

the bad mouse, the good mouse, the sick mouse, the little mouse, the ugly mouse

I love them all

it is not my desire to punish any mouse

it is my desire to protect all of them [each and every one]

let me extrapolate the epiphany to American justice (sic)

 

Jail is not to punish one man, it is to protect all men

sometimes, jail may be the most humane choice

for example

 

lets say that a man, john, kills a woman, Mary

well, it is possible that Marys people will want revenge

they might naturally respond by murdering john

but god still loves john, and still wants everyone to be happy

so until we get a better idea,

put john in jail, so that no one can harm him

sometimes it takes years until people can forgive or tolerate again

even if john continues to kill people

god still loves him and still does not want him to suffer

it might be necessary to restrain john further

but at no time, does god sanction the torture of john

 

jail does not legitimize torture

any more than war legitimizes murder

 

The American legal system is just another excuse

to permit one sadist an oppotunity to torture another victim

whether it be the politicians who profit by it

the sick humans who revel in it

or the injured party who demands it

 

The victims of crimes in America

are equally responsible for their misfortunes,

because they support the loss of freedom in America,

and therefore the use of torture.

When I hear that a junkie robbed a little old lady,

I doubt she will understand that

her support for the current suspensions of privacy

has mandated this response.

 

And to further extrapolate,

I wonder if she realizes that the war in Afghanistan, against people who hate us

for no good reason, will now give them the best reasons.

 

No, I don't think she ever will.