Quote Originally Posted by sweetwater View Post
People often confuse retribution with revenge. Revenge justice signifies inflicting harm on the offender out of anger because of what he has done. Retributive justice is not based on hatred for the criminal therefore the term "revenge murder" would not apply to capital punishment. Our country's justice system is based on retributive justice which demands that the criminal deserves to be punished and deserves to be punished in proportion to the gravity of his or her crime, whether or not the victim or anyone else desires it. We may all deeply regret having to carry out the punishment, but consider it warranted. When a society fails to punish criminals in a way that is thought to be proportionate to the gravity of their crimes the danger arises that the public would take the law into its own hands resulting in vigilante justice, lynch mobs, and private acts of revenge including revenge murders. The outcome is likely to be an anarchistic and insecure state of injustice.
I like the way you put that. Me...no mistake about it...if I have a loved one fall victim to a murderous or heinous person or persons I would want revenge, I wont try and hide that, but I will find some relief in knowing they would be charged and possibly punished by law.
Would I still want to be that person ripping their heart out an shoving it down their throat? Yep you can take that to the bank.