Seeking Justice?

Justice used to mean for me something we seek to make things right, an act of mercy and compassion. Social Justice meant respect for rights of persons, equality and fair treatment. Now justice seems to mean revenge or punishment. We seek to kill persons or put them in prison in our struggle for justice. The assassination of Osama Bin Laden was called getting justice. Families of crime victims seek justice, which they mean punishment for those committing the crime.

Will the justice of the Bible be lost? Justice meant forgiveness, understanding, lack of discrimination and equality. Now justice means punishment, revenge or retaliation. Will justice go the way of other words like ‘family values’ and by constant repetition in a new context take out a new meaning. A lot of organizations have the word justice in the title. Will “Catholics for Peace and Justice” (CPJ) a local organization now mean Catholics for Peace and retaliation? CPJ today has once more censored from its monthly newsletter without explanation the essays on Catholic Church in North Central Milwaukee, essays about social justice and the Catholic Church. Maybe the change of the word justice has already changed and is beyond redemption.

Seeking justice should not mean seeking punishment or censorship. Seeking justice should mean working for fairness and human rights. What is justice these days?

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