lately i've been having this discussion with friends about the usefullness of retribution. one friend was talking about the satisfaction of watching "dexter". that she wants the horrible killers to not only be killed, but to experience the feelings of terror and helplessness that they caused others. another friend was saying that he wishes that evil people could be summarily executed (by a superhero or super-protector type person with only good motives). also he wishes that he could be that "protector" person.
the problem is, how does the protector know that their own intent is good? especially if they are acting from a frame of anger, which makes people brave, but also makes people singularly focused and not always recognizing their prejudice? war seems to me to be two sides who each view themselves as that honorable protector.
but i do believe in having a police force. people who act for the common good to stop crimes.
i've never had a lust for retribution though. (it's hard enough for me to feel or identify even anger or annoyance). i don't know why that is. to me if a murderer experienced the trauma they put another person through before they died all you would have is two traumatized people instead of the original one. and what does that serve? i mean, i believe there are consequences for violence. and that a person can't/shouldn't be in society if they act with persistent violence.
i've also never faced someone who has killed someone i love with evil intent. so i don't know what feelings would arise for me.
i have lived with someone who has hurt people i love with evil intent. i did that all through my childhood and adolescence. and i was hurt too and robbed of power and voice. i can remember trying to wrap my mind around jesus' teaching of "love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you" at the time. although i might have done it just because i didn't feel empowered to hate or fight it also gave me a sense of freedom. that i was master of my insides and nothing or no one could force me to choose hate.
lately i've been reading buddhist books on the practice of compassion. i think the problem with deciding that some people and their motives are pure evil is that it's never that cut and dried. i always want to know what made the person that way. unlucky brain chemistry. experiences of helplessness and victimization. learning that this is how you survive. i'm not saying that what the person does is right. but that there is something in the person that i can hook my own humanity to. and say "life is an incredible mystery. none of us understand it and we are all brave for showing up to it each day. and you are swept up in one of those things i don't understand".
an important balance in my practice of nonviolence is the buddhist concept of "right speech". otherwise it feels passive and helpless. but right speech reminds me to speak truthfully. to use my voice. to speak with kindness but also with integrity if i see injustice. i think my error is always wanting to fade to passivity/invisibility. instead of saying what i do see and feel. which can have incredible power.
the problem is, how does the protector know that their own intent is good? especially if they are acting from a frame of anger, which makes people brave, but also makes people singularly focused and not always recognizing their prejudice? war seems to me to be two sides who each view themselves as that honorable protector.
but i do believe in having a police force. people who act for the common good to stop crimes.
i've never had a lust for retribution though. (it's hard enough for me to feel or identify even anger or annoyance). i don't know why that is. to me if a murderer experienced the trauma they put another person through before they died all you would have is two traumatized people instead of the original one. and what does that serve? i mean, i believe there are consequences for violence. and that a person can't/shouldn't be in society if they act with persistent violence.
i've also never faced someone who has killed someone i love with evil intent. so i don't know what feelings would arise for me.
i have lived with someone who has hurt people i love with evil intent. i did that all through my childhood and adolescence. and i was hurt too and robbed of power and voice. i can remember trying to wrap my mind around jesus' teaching of "love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you" at the time. although i might have done it just because i didn't feel empowered to hate or fight it also gave me a sense of freedom. that i was master of my insides and nothing or no one could force me to choose hate.
lately i've been reading buddhist books on the practice of compassion. i think the problem with deciding that some people and their motives are pure evil is that it's never that cut and dried. i always want to know what made the person that way. unlucky brain chemistry. experiences of helplessness and victimization. learning that this is how you survive. i'm not saying that what the person does is right. but that there is something in the person that i can hook my own humanity to. and say "life is an incredible mystery. none of us understand it and we are all brave for showing up to it each day. and you are swept up in one of those things i don't understand".
an important balance in my practice of nonviolence is the buddhist concept of "right speech". otherwise it feels passive and helpless. but right speech reminds me to speak truthfully. to use my voice. to speak with kindness but also with integrity if i see injustice. i think my error is always wanting to fade to passivity/invisibility. instead of saying what i do see and feel. which can have incredible power.
