3 May 2015 8:14 PM

Today I watched a documentary on the Armenian genocide, where it is estimated that more than one million Armenians were systematically killed by the Ottoman Empire, now modern day Turkey. As I watched this heartbreaking film, I pondered justice, I pondered our human condition and I felt a deep pain.

When I looked up the definition of justice, this is what I found on the web:

"The administering of deserved punishment or reward" (dictionary.com) among other comments. I shared this one because it seems to me it is closest to the practical application of what we call justice.

What is justice really and can it really be accomplished?

I am not a legal expert but I think I have some life experience to say that justice is an ideal that most likely will never be fully reached, but which is worth working towards. In other words, it is really difficult to reach a point where something can be restored to what it was before a "crime" was committed, or to pay fully for something that, at times, is difficult to value.

Once something happens, the effects of that action take us, and sometimes everything around us, into a whole different course. Can we go back to the past by applying justice? I don't think so. Can we heal all wounds by acknowledging a crime and paying for it? I don't know, but it seems to me that it can never be fully restored because those we affected, or those who affected us, took us and themselves into a whole different path in life.

Let's use an example. Let's say there is a husband who was accused of murdering his wife. Based on witnesses and the available evidence, a jury decided this husband was guilty of committing the crime. After thirty years, with the help of new genetic technology and much fighting from this jailed husband, the case was re-opened. After some tests, it was proved beyond a doubt that he did not kill his wife.

What is the government to do? Say sorry? What are the witnesses who thought he was guilty to do? What if the government says to this husband that he will receive 10 million dollars for the mistake, and that they will publish a statement saying he was innocent of the crime?

Can justice really be applied here? Can the government or those involved in the application of justice restore the damages? I don't know what you think, but it seems to me this would be very difficult.

How do you think the husband must feel? Do you think he would feel relief? Would he feel better about himself after being proven innocent? Would he be angry for all the "lost years"? Would he hate those who sentenced him?

It seems to me that justice has to do with balance. It has to do, as in the definition we saw above, with applying the correct measures to restore something, to make up for something.

Now, as anything which is human, a system of justice will be far from perfect even if we have the best intent, which is not to say there would not be those who would like to take advantage of the system for their own benefit (like corrupted lawyers and judges).

What are we to do then?

Well, the more I think about it, the more I realize that because we are all human and because we share a life together in communities and cities where we trade with one another and relate as friends, lovers, parents, children and spouses, there will always be actions we do which will harm those we don't want to harm.

And even if we recognize our actions and their effects and try to do the right thing, we can never fully restore something to what it was. But this is ok, I feel, because the intention to be just and our actions to be so is better than no attempt.

Attempting to be ethical in our actions is better than living a primitive, careless life. And just as we will harm many without intent, there will be others who will harm us despite their attempts to be just. We need to acknowledge this fact, own it and accept it. The pain which we may feel for our losses can never be paid with any material possessions. The pain and mourning we may experience can never be fully restored by even a heartfelt apology...so it seems to me.

Because of this we need to be compassionate with ourselves and others, knowing our paths and lives will be far from perfect and that, even though we do not want to damage anyone, damage will be done and the "bill" will never be fully paid.

Imagine what a world would be like if there were never any broken pieces, broken hearts or damaged value? We would not value love, friendship, or our work and the value we build with it. By having the capacity to lose, we can value what we have. This seeming contradiction or duality is what makes our lives dramatic and emotional, like a very moving play or opera in which we act.

Let's also remember (I tell myself) that this life is just a game we play and that our roles are like roles in a movie, and not who we are. If we lose, we lose; if we win, we win. What is really important is that we live each experience fully and deeply, to become wiser and more loving.

Justice then can be desired, worked for and even fought for. Ideally, we do this with compassionate hearts that know how imperfect we are, and that know any system we create to better our relations will also destroy some of them. But this is the best we can do, until we create something better.

Let's not delay then in healing our wounds, by waiting for justice to be done. Better to cry, feel our pain and losses, and do the best we can to move on, knowing there will be many mistakes along the way.

Let's be part of the solution and never lose hope in humanity, never lose hope that we can be, and do better, to leave a better world for those coming after us.

With the intent of justice for all, with love and compassion towards everyone and everything, we can live our lives as well as we can. And that will be the best we can do.

If you still feel unresolved about an injustice done to you, please consider the following:

Top genocides in history: (wikipedia)

Jewish Holocaust: Between 5 million and 11 million people died.
Armenian Holocaust: Between 800,000 and 1 million people died.
Cambodian Genocide: Between 1 million and 3 million people died.

You can see the rest on the above link.

And I bet there are many genocides and killings that we will never know about. Do you think there will be ever be justice for them? The pain we carry for these crimes will be part of humanity forever. Hopefully we will learn from them, so that these lost lives create a better world than the one in which they lived.

Kindly,

JUSTICE & TRAGEDY