[boltondd]

Reading this thread, I was just musing and I hope these musings may help...

I've been thinking in the past about the justice system. These thoughts had been prompted by numerous debates about "responsibility" of the criminal (was the criminal "free" to act, or was s/he "led by the trauma of past abuse"), where proponents of a rather "vengeful" justice were opposing proponents of "he was not responsible because his actions were determined by abuse he suffered in the past, hence he should not be punished".

I was puzzled because, personally, I have long be a proponent of "all our actions are completely determined by the context, events and thoughts that have preceded" (which does not prevent me from having a notion of freedom but this is another issue) and in this context, nobody should be condemned by justice if only "free people" should be condemned, which does not seem more "right" than vengeful people wanting the worst nightmares imparted upon criminals.

In the end, I decided that "vengeance" had no space in the justice system, but that seeking to define people who were "free and responsible" and people who were "led by past abuse" to decide who to condemn and who to absolve was also absurd. On the other hand, I decided that three things matter in the justice system:

- compensating the victim for what was suffered, if at all possible
- preventing harm to the broader public
- supporting, in as much as possible, a positive change in the person who committed those acts.

This does not tell us anything as to what sentence justice should give - maybe the sentence will be felt to be harsh by the criminal, but it will be devoid of a will to avenge oneself, as its purpose is threefold: helping victims, helping the criminal, helping the broader society.

Coming back to your story, and trying to make the link with the above, you may have a hard time feeling compassionate for these kids because (1) you do not see anything "lovable" in these kids, while we may feel compassion for other people who commit inappropriate acts if we can first feel love for them for what positive traits we recognize in them (2) positive feelings may seem to contradict your sentiment of justice (that they "should get their comeuppance for what they did").

If you think of these kids in another way, though, and feel "Oh, I really wish that these kids will change and become better people", for their good, the good of their victim, and the good of all other people at large, then this, I believe, will no longer feel like it is contradicting your sentiment of justice. Furthermore, it does not require you to see anything lovable in these kids or to wish that the rest of their life happens with no "karma" showing them what was wrong (nor does it mean that you should wish for "karma" to hit them)... It requires you, though, to wish what is best for them (and animals, and society), whatever it is, rather than wish to "avenge" anyone.

Actually, I was recently struggling to find any positive feeling in me for a colleague of mine, who is not just not very competent, but is also "very full of himself"... OK, his case is far less bad than that of these kids, but as I was thinking of what I may answer to you, I started thinking about him, and I feel I can feel at last more positive towards him, not by loving his positive sides (he certainly has plenty, but I do not generally see them) but by wishing him good - that is, wishing him that he will change for his greater good and that of others!

I hope this helps, and sorry, this may as well not be Buddhist philosophy, but for sure it is my thinking, and it may work.

Binou