By Renee Shay, Harvesting Thought
–explore–
Knock, knock, knock! Who is there, Justice, Justice who? Justice once I would like see accountability (insert about any wrong you can think of). This is where I awake and start my day, thinking about justice. With a photo I took some years ago while in Washington D.C. and a knock, knock joke, here I go. It was Shakespeare, I love that guy, where the origins of “knock, knock” began. Full disclosure: I did not know the writings from him some 415 years ago would present such prefect inferences relating to our current affairs but then again, history repeats. So, if not today, it will be something tomorrow, you do not need me to tell you that. You, as the judge, can decide for yourself if you believe Shakespeare is still relevant today as I do.
–challenge–
It is simple, history repeats. I do not need to add one more word here as Shakespeare says it best in Act 2, Scene 3 of his play Macbeth. In Macbeth’s castle, enter a Porter, knocking within. Porter. Here’s a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell gate, he should have old turning the key. (Knock.) Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there, i’ th’ name is Beelzebub? Here’s a farmer, that hanged himself on th’ expectation of plenty (the farmer hoarded so he could later sell high, but when it looked as though there would be a crop surplus, he hanged himself). Come in time! Have napkins enow (enough) about you; here you’ll sweat for ‘t. (Knock.) Knock, knock! Who’s there, in th’ other devil’s name? Faith, here’s an equivocator (Jesuit who allegedly employed deceptive speech to further God’s ends), that could swear in both the scales against either scale, who committed treason enough for God’s sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O, come in, equivocator. (Knock.) Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there? Faith, here’s an English tailor come hither for stealing out of a French hose, come in, tailor. Here you may roast your goose. (Knock.) Knock, knock, never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. I’ll devil-porter it no further. I had thought to have let in some of all professions that go the primrose way to th’ everlasting bonfire. (Knock.) Anon, anon! [Opens an entrance.] I pray you, remember the porter. New American Library: The Tragedy of Macbeth New York, New York (1998)
–expand–
Justice is something that comes after the fact so on one hand it is flawed. It is seen as oftentimes useless unless it is intended to prevent something similar from occurring in the future. Its power cannot bring back the dead and cannot prevent all alleged wrongs in the first place. I believe it must always be remembered as inclusive for and from both sides, with no order, viewed as consequence and deterrence. Even though it is the bedrock of well-functioning societies, people still die at the hands of other people, the ultimate injustice that should hold the highest price. Humans kill humans, nothing more tragic than that. If we do not want to hold those accountable to the highest betrayal a human can make, then why have justice at all? Justice must hold accountable and deter those it governs, at the same time. Justice should be applied to those who know that what they did was wrong equally to those who are incapable of recognizing the wrongs they have committed. Knock, knock, knock! Who is there?
Harvesting Thought 