{"id":5025,"date":"2020-06-01T16:08:02","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T22:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revolutionofman.org\/?p=5025"},"modified":"2024-02-03T09:34:25","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T15:34:25","slug":"the-justice-impulse-what-it-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revolutionofman.org\/the-justice-impulse-what-it-means\/","title":{"rendered":"The Justice Impulse – What it means"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was a little boy (around 9 years old), our home was robbed twice<\/strong>. A few weeks prior to the first robbery, our beloved dog was hit by a car right before my eyes. He lived for a few hours before dying. In the midst of the grief of losing my dog, our house was burglarized. The thieves stole pretty much everything of value, including a gold ring in the shape of Texas my grandfather gave me. My mom was keeping it for me until I was old enough to wear it. That gold ring and a pool cue were the only things I had from my mother\u2019s dad. I still have the pool cue.<\/p>\n

After the robbery, I remember feeling afraid and having nightmares.<\/p>\n

About a month later, we had replaced most of the \u201cstuff\u201d like the TV and VCR. We installed a security system. My parents were divorced and didn\u2019t care too much for each other but my dad bought us a puppy. It was his way of bringing some joy back into our lives. I remember mom let me name him Ralphie and let him sleep in my room sometimes. Within a few weeks, we were robbed a second time. This time the thieves entered through the empty house next door and broke through the adjoining wall of our duplex (to avoid the new alarm system and burglar bars on the windows). They took all the new stuff that replaced the old stuff\u2026 and they stole our puppy, Ralphie.<\/p>\n

This time anger overtook fear. It dawned on me that something is wrong with the world. This is my first memory of feeling injustice.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to the morning of November 10, 2015. I had been selected for jury duty. Sitting\u00a0in a most uncomfortable chair, we were introduced to the case. It was the worst kind of criminal case you could be assigned as a juror. It involved an older man sexually abusing a 5yr old little black girl.\u00a0Nothing could take my mind from my own daughter, who was 4 at the time.<\/p>\n

It was the one of the most heart-wrenching, sickening and traumatic situations I have ever experienced. After six days of testimony, a heroic little girl took the stand and faced her abuser. After 9 hours of deliberation, we found the man guilty on several charges. He was sentenced to what would amount to the rest of his life in prison.<\/p>\n

I walked away knowing that justice had been served.<\/p>\n

What do I mean by justice? <\/strong>
\nI think that defining terms is very important when we talk about ultimate issues. John Stonestreet likes to say that, \u201cPeople use the same words but different dictionaries.\u201d To put it another way, people can use the same words in a discussion but those words have different meanings. A good example is the word \u2018love\u2019. I love my wife, I love my kids, I love cheeseburgers, I love my mom and I love my best friend. However, I do not love them all the same way. Love means something different in each instance. \u201cJustice\u201d has multiple meanings and applications as well.<\/p>\n

Here are a few definitions of \u2018justice\u2019 from online dictionaries:<\/strong><\/p>\n