Street Justice Is Always Bloody

Gandhi once said, "An eye for eye makes the whole world blind."

Is this something you believe? I'm sure we were all brought up to be kind to others and show sympathy and compassion but do we always feel this way? How about murderers and hardened criminals? I have seen court hearings where a suspect will stand up and address a victims family or families depending on the case and some apologize for what they have done. At times the family has forgiven the suspect but I have always thought about myself in that situation. I see myself as a kind person and all but I don't think I could forgive someone for doing something harmful to a member of my family. Sure I can say that I might forgive someone depending on the circumstance but really, deep down, I'd probably want justice or revenge in the sense of an eye for an eye. I mean seriously, for one moment, I want you to think about it. You're a good person who feels that an eye for eye is wrong and that the person will get what's coming to them when they die and ready for judgment but what if it were your family? Do you think you would react the same way? This is a member of your family that has been hurt. Does the suspect deserve a life sentence or should that person or persons meet swift street justice?

I've spoken to a few people about this and it's interesting to me to hear what others think about the concept of an eye for an eye. Now, please don't take me for an evil heartless person. This post is simply a way to generate discussion on a topic I used for a project I did in class last month. The project involved creating a city and developing posters and such for it. The professor wanted us to dig deep into our imagination for this project and after a brainstorming session with a good friend of mine the city of Bounty Land was born. The following is an excerpt of my creative proposal for this city that was born out of the concept of an eye for an eye,

"Welcome to Bounty Land, a city built for justice. Although it appears to be normal, the city holds a controversial yet needed purpose. No children inhabit the city of Bounty Land. Those who have been convicted of a crime with a life or death sentence will be brought here. The same is true for those on the run, the fugitives. Once arriving at Bounty Land those who have done wrong will be assigned to a sponsor in a specific sector of the city. They will be made to believe that he or she will be rehabilitated rather than completing their sentence. The abolished will work until the day comes that reflects their specific sector, and on that day the guilty will be let out on the street to be hunted. In the end, the once predator will become the prey."

There is more to this idea and I plan on possibly creating a graphic novel based on Bounty Land but I'd like to know what you think. How do you really feel about an eye for an eye?

Let's look at it from another side. Have you ever watched, "The Boondock Saints"? If not, it's a superb film and is worth watching. The movie is about twin brothers who believe they are on a mission from God to dispose of those who seek to harm the innocent. Their main targets are the Mob who inhabit their city. They protect the innocent but they murder criminals. There is an FBI agent who is trying to figure out who has been killing off the criminals of the city and once he figures out who is doing the killing he eventually sees what they are doing as good. He believes their purpose is needed. What do you think of this concept? Is murder the same thing no matter if you're doing it to criminals or do we live with some type of, "We Don't Tolerate Scum" attitude and there is a difference? I would like some honest opinions here. It really doesn't matter what I think but if it came down to it, I would need to know without a doubt that the accused person was guilty before I went straight to an eye for an eye. There are many people out there who have been convicted of a crime and 20 or so years later turn out to be innocent, so yeah...I'd need some proof first. So here it is folks, the concept of an eye for an eye. The choice is yours and the topic is on the table. Don't be afraid to respond, I'd like to read all of your responses and trust me, after this post I will get back to the funny posts. This topic has been on my mind for a while now and soon enough I will have some stories written to go along with Bounty Land. I have concept shots and models for the hunters so it's coming along. Make sure to respond people!