(Punishment part 3)

What Society is Really Saying

Almost every argument in all social arenas right now can be distilled down to one simple concept: Who deserves to punished, who deserves to do the punishing, and who deserves to be rewarded for being on the side of the “rightful” punisher(s).

Let’s rephrase all the key issues facing American (and the greater global) society right now.

Racism: “People who are darker than me deserve to be punished, and I deserve to be rewarded for being lighter.”

Police brutality and murder:

(The targeted and empathizers) — “Why are the police not being punished?”

(The aggressors and empathizers) — “The victims got what they deserved; which was to be punished!”

Gun control:

(The targeted and empathizers) — “Let’s take the right to arbitrarily punish large groups of people out of average citizen’s hands!

(Aggressors and empathizers) — “How dare you try to take away my access to instruments I can use to punish people! You’re trying to punish me by limiting the ways in which I’m allowed to punish others!”

The Right: “Everyone who isn’t part of our groups is immoral and deserves to be punished!”

The Left: “The Right is dangerous and deserves to be punished!”

The current administration: “We’re going to use government as a weapon to punish the poor and minority groups.”

Citizens with respect to the current administration:

(The targeted and empathizers) — “I can’t wait for somebody to punish these despicable bastards!”

(The aggressors and empathizers) — “Yes! We love what you guys are doing! Please continue to punish all those we don’t like!”

Women’s rights (right to choose):

(The targeted and empathizers) — “Don’t try to punish women because of our biology! Don’t try to impose your sense of moral authority onto biological conditions you’re not forced to contend with!”

(The aggressors and empathizers) — “You deserve to be punished for having a vagina, and either using it, having it taken by force or doing anything that results in you becoming fertilized!”

It’s literally all one fucking argument. Who deserves to punished, who deserves to do the punishing, and who deserves to be rewarded for being on the side of the “rightful” punisher(s).