And justice, and it would. Is it more akin to vengeance? Probably. Definitely, in the case of it happening to one of my own children, heaven forbid. Let's look at how webster defines justice vs. vengeance. Justice = the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments vengeance = punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense Because I feel the punishment would be merited, given the actions of the offender in question, and after having received a fair trial that resulted in a conviction, having found no "reasonable doubt" - I would consider it justice, by definition, to doll out a punishment befitting the crime in question. A person who rapes and murders a little boy does not merit, regardless of emotional involvement, a quiet, virtually painless death. Nor does that person's actions merit a last meal of anything they wish, nor does it merit any kind of respect. The idea that "justice" means answering violence with respect, dignity, and the assurance that no suffering shall be had does not correlate with the actual definition of justice, because the person's actions do not merit such mercy, kindness, etc. But, yes, what I would do to someone who did such a thing to MY child? THAT would be vengeance, and I would feel good about it. Of course, I also would have snapped entirely, so... Yes, I know I am not a bear, literally. It was an analogy, a simile. The real cause of an offenders sickness may lie outside of the realm of adequate punishment. However, there are individuals who engage in violent crime because they, much like my children, believe that any possible punishment they might receive would be worth doing what it is they wish to do. Others are actually hoping to be caught and killed, to go down in the history books. Still others are trying to see how much they can get away with before they have to bite the bullet. In any event ~ I say put on something to protect yourself from the blood bath, and throw the guy in the wood chipper. But, I'm not feeling merciful today... at all. Perhaps midol would be in order. Losing Weight and Feeling Great! A Day in the Life of a Pagan Parent The Funtabulous Stuff of the 80's

the statistics would not go down, any more then I can know that they would, considering we're not doing that. And, I would say that some would definitely reconsider, depending on the crime in question. I was referring to all kinds of violent crime, when I quoted my grandmother. The last time I remember her saying those exact words was when a gay teenager was killed by being tied to a truck and dragged to his death. I was also speaking in terms of the way the criminal should be killed, which negates the raping and kidnapping part of the equation. Not that I would cry if he were to be raped violently by a fellow inmate. As sick as it may seem to you, I would feel that justice had been served in such an instance, even if it were in a very unconventional way (via a prisoner, under no orders). A kind of sense that the universe had maintained a semblance of cosmic order would fill me, and I would be far more "zen." So, I'm not actually talking about doing to the perpetrator EXACTLY as they did to the victim, I'm talking about killing them in EXACTLY the same fashion (i.e. the felon strangled someone, they die via some kind of strangulation. A hanging where the knot wasn't in the proper place to instantly break the neck would suffice I'm sure). Delving more into the hypothetical situation you bring up... I can say with a high degree of certainty that if the person had done something like that to MY child? I'd probably do much worse to them. Much, much worse. And, I would do so gleefully and proudly. Again, you may think that's sick, and that's really okay with me. But, you asked what I think that would make me? A mom. Ever get between a mother bear and her cubs? Same thing. And, the mauling wouldn't be pretty. But, perhaps I'm just entirely too overprotective of a mother? I'm okay with that. I think that all mothers should be overprotective of their children, to a fault. Losing Weight and Feeling Great! A Day in the Life of a Pagan Parent The Funtabulous Stuff of the 80's