It seems like, in the Mormon culture at least--I can't rightly say about others-- there is a certain negative connotation about the word justice. But do we really even have an understanding about what that means?
We use the word justice all the time. We demand justice, we offer "justice for all" in our pledge of allegiance, and we say that mercy satisfies the demands of justice.
Obviously, justice can have both negative and positive connotations. In my religion class last semester, we talked extensively about mercy and justice, but I'm not really sure that I understood the class discussions until recently.
Justice, to me, means a fair chance, and a guaranteed consequence. Let me give an example. I remember one time in my high school biology class overhearing a conversation about curfews. One girl was complaining that her mother was SO strict for making her come home at midnight. She moaned about the punishment she received if she was late even five minutes. The other girl kind of shrugged her shoulders and said, "well, at least she cares about you. My mom doesn't even care about where I am at night."
The conversation moved on to other things, but the memory of it stuck with me. Whether they knew it or not, those girls were discussing justice. The first girl had a guaranteed consequence if she came home late. The point of the second girl was, when a mother exacts justice it shows her love for her child.
So to me, there is no negative connotation to the word justice. It shows consistency and it shows love. I just love that our country, although imperfect, endeavors to establish justice for all.
No comments:
Post a Comment