"Go to see an action film this weekend, and in addition to the spectacle of epic visual effects, you will likely encounter a very familiar storyline where in the end the good guys win, and the bad guy "gets what he deserves"...
"This is what is known as retributive justice, and it has deep roots in Western culture.... So when we speak of justice being done, we mean punishment....
"The converse to this is mercy....
"Because these are our culture's default understandings of both justice and mercy, it is common for people to think that the only way to address crime or conflict is by inflicting harm, by the use of violent force....
"The tragic irony is that inflicting violence and harm in the name of justice does not in fact stop violence at all; it perpetuates it....
"That is the difference between retributive and restorative justice. Looking at the fruits, we can see that one produces death and other life. We need to wake up and realize that seeking to harm someone is not justice at all.....
"It's about turning "bad guys" into "good guys." This is what real justice looks like, and the more that we can imagine and rehearse this, the more that we can make that story a reality in our world."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/derek-flood/a-better-story-how-our-un_b_3810325.html
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