Is It Ever Justified In A Time To Kill

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In the past, as well as in society today, there are a lot of different conflicts. Things such as racism, sexism, fairness of the legal system, and revenge seem to be in the news almost every day. One may ask; is the taking of revenge acceptable and is it worth the consequences? In the film “A Time to Kill”, Carl Lee Hailey experienced many of the conflicts mentioned previously. In his eyes, his act of revenge was justified and the consequences for his actions were worth the price. Let’s argue his situation and make our own decision as to whether the taking of revenge is acceptable. The film unfolds in rural Mississippi where Carl’s ten-year-old daughter, Tonya, had made a visit to the grocery store to purchase some items for the family. …show more content…

I am a happily married man and have two children of my own. One son and one daughter. Even though both are grown up, married, and starting families of their own, I still love them with all my heart and will do whatever is necessary to protect them. They are my life and their existence gives me reason to live. Would I have made the same decisions as Carl did given the same situation with my daughter? In the same situation, I can say that I would probably react the same way as Carl did. Just knowing that my daughter was helpless while she was being attacked would drive me to the point of doing anything to try and right the wrong that was committed. Does that make the revenge justified? Probably not legally or morally justified but as was mentioned previously, sometimes revenge can seem like a form of justice to the parties involved. There are times when revenge could appear to give closure to a person that otherwise would be in a never-ending nightmare. One major problem with revenge, is that many times it provokes more revenge, feeding on itself and becoming a vicious cycle (Don't Confuse Revenge With Justice: Five Key Differences. (n.d.). Therefore, the issues are not solved and only continue to escalate. From a religious viewpoint, revenge is wrong. The Holy Bible says in Leviticus 19:18 “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own …show more content…

One would like to believe that our legal system is perfect, but as the film displayed the system can be manipulated. Therefore, sometimes it seems to us the justice we feel is deserved, isn’t handed down. “Taking matters into one’s own hands may sometimes seem justified, but it hardly meets the more rigorous criteria for consensual, or community, justice” (Don't Confuse Revenge With Justice: Five Key Differences. (n.d.). Justice is about restoring balance. It should not be affected by emotions and it should be as objective as possible. The Holy Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 16:18-19 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the

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