punishment
Domestic Violence is Alive and Well
Violence is "alive and well." It seems quite clear that we still, as a global society, believe that violence is the solution to some problem. (Funny, it looks l to me like the symptom of some problem!)
All violence probably starts at home---the meaning of "domestic." It is true that some entire groups are persecuted by those in power; but those who use violence as a tool are clearly not operating from the “best of” aspects of the human race or soul… and I suspect they, too, were abused as children. I think their hearts (and souls) were damaged. No heart that was not deeply damaged would seek to harm another, not in a flash of anger but coldly, deliberately planned or ongoing harm, death or dehumanization.
But I do want to make one important point about "domestic violence" -- most people seem to assume it applies ONLY to men battering women. Not accurate. Women batter, women abuse… men do not report. Imagine-"hey world-I am so unmanned my wife beats me! Lets share!" NOT!
The Case Against Punishment Reviewed
Review - The Case Against Punishment
Retribution, Crime Prevention, and the Law
by Deirdre Golash
NYU Press, 2006
Review by V. Prabhu
May 12th 2009 (Volume 13, Issue 20)
http://metapsychology.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=book&id=4895&...
The author of the book is Associate Professor of Justice, Law and Society at American University. Her bio reports that she is interested in philosophical questions such as "What is justice?" and "Why should we obey the law?" She has a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.