I disagree with justice. I don’t believe in the old definition of justice because I don’t believe in revenge, or retribution. I think that revenge or retribution doesn’t makes a situation better.

The idea of justice, for me, has become something else. My ‘justice’ ends when the threat is removed. I believe that it is just to kill someone who is or will kill hostages. But I don’t believe it’s just to kill someone who has killed hostages. The difference, here, is that one is a current threat, and the other is not.

In terms of ethics, I believe that killing is unethical, or wrong. However, I do believe that just killing can sometimes be the most ethical solution to a problem. For this reason I am against capital punishment and war, but I’m not a pacifist. I’m better described as a supporter of non-violence.

Since I don’t believe in payback, my view of justice ends when the threat is removed. I do believe in our justice system, or the aims of it. But I don’t think that it makes justice, and I don’t think that it should try. The criminal justice system should be used to determine who is a threat to society and remove them from our society (like jailing mass murderers) and rehabilitating, where possible.

I support parole. But not set jail sentences of a specific length. I think threats to society should be removed until they aren’t threats (if that ever happens). The idea of jail sentences is two ply. First, some believe that jail time is revenge, or retribution. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime. That it’s a just payment for the crime, but when you wrong someone you can’t pay them back. Others believe it’s removing a threat to society, but the idea that you know how long in takes in Parliament rather than talking to the individual is silly. In Canada, Corrections Services isn’t given the laws, policy, or resources to do what it’s name implies. Really, they are just a holding pen.

I believe in being just, but I don’t believe in the classical ideas of Justice.