Sparkles and Rainbows

I do not agree with the retributivist in their view that some people deserve to suffer. I believe that every person, regardless of their past wrong doing has the ability to change and become better, therefore I believe that while people deserve punishment for their crimes, they do not deserve to suffer. No one deserves more than just their fair punishment, and I do not believe that fair punishment could entail suffering. Justice, someone getting their just deserts, is important, however only instrumentally. It can serve to deter future wrong doing.

Suffering seems to me to be the prolonged lessening of someone’s well-being. This prolonged exposure to a severe lack of well-being will play into someone’s negativity, and quite possibly make greater the previous negativity that caused them to do wrong in the first place. If the person is not allowed to get rid of their negativity, and they are subject only to more negativity then how are they to be expected to ever reform. I believe that someone should be given a slight increase to their well-being, like we discussed in class, such as a flower or a good book. I believe that this would raise their spirits enough to perhaps set them on a path to reform, therefore lessening the morally negative population. Isn’t a person more apt to snap at their friend or break a glass if they are constantly subjected to negative stimuli, such as lack of sleep or lack of respect? I believe so. And isn’t it usually that if a person in such a negative mood gets a smile, or a surprise good happens to them their mood lightens, their well-being goes up, and they are more apt to act nicely towards other and not perform more negative acts? I believe this as well, hence I believe that people, while they do deserve to get their just deserts, I believe that their just deserts do not involve suffering, and they do deserve a chance to reform through shared positivity and (granted slightly) increased well-being.