From: Greg Jordan (jordan@chuma.cas.usf.edu)
Date: Fri Apr 04 2003 - 07:59:15 MST
On 3 Apr 2003, Rafal Smigrodzki wrote:
> ### Playing with subtly shifting definitions of common terms, to derive
> startling conclusions ("law should be displaced (=abandoned)", "nobody
> is responsible for anything") is a moderately pleasant pastime, but I
> was approaching our discussion with concern for the practicalities of
> building and maintaining social and legal systems capable of meeting my
> needs. Indefinite verbal constructions tend to interfere with such
> practicalities, undermining the rationale for further discussion.
Things are only practical if they have the effect you want. Unfair laws
promulgated by short-sighted ignoramuses, enforced by prejudiced bullies,
judged by narrow-minded good ole boys, and ending in over-crowded prisons
in nightmarishly inhumane conditions is not what I would call a "justice
system", to the extent that I share a folk model of what justice is or
ought to look like.
People are already working on applications of the concepts I suggested,
even if they don't realize it. People who are trying to figure out ways to
build a working sense of responsibility in kids rather than assuming they
have it. People who are trying to set up conditions to prevent injustice
and criminality rather than assuming it must happen and being ready to
penalize it. People who are trying to feed self-correction information
into the streams of crooked and dysfunctional systems. People are working
on it...
gej
resourcesoftheworld.org
jordan@chuma.cas.usf.edu
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