Justice and Revenge

In many past societies, justice and revenge were considered very similar. As said by Miller, justice was fair if revenge was taken out on the criminal even if it was behind the law’s eye. Today, revenge and justice each have their part in our society. If a citizen of the United States was asked to define revenge, he or she would probably have a very barbaric idea or think of gangs in inner cities. Vengeance and revenge also have a very emotional tie because it is said to be blind and has no end. With all of these negative connotations coming to mind when defining revenge, it is possible to see why revenge is associated with fear. Justice however, is a more rational way of dealing with punishment. Although justice seems to be elusive to many victims, it is a less emotional and depending on the victim, more satisfying endeavor than vengeance. Governments use a system of justice instead of revenge by taking the punishment away from the usually emotional victim and into the hands of lawyers and judges. By using a system of set practices and punishments, emotion does not blur the facts of the case and the minds of the jurors.