[ It had taken time and a great deal of effort, but Fraser had managed to get himself into his red serge before arriving at the meeting today; although he isn't here in an official capacity as a policeman, this is still community business, and deserves the respect he can give it.
He listens quietly to those who stand up and confess their actions, listens and observes as others speak in defense or accusation. He wonders what Ray would make of all this. Finally, he stands, his hat off, held in his hands, to address the group. ]
We have all been through a terrible ordeal. Many of us were afflicted, some of us were nearly, if not wholly, out of our minds with fear and rage. Now, whether that's enough to clear us from the choices we made while under the influence is, I think, a question we all must contend with and answer on our own. But is this really about justice?
[ He gestures with his hat to those who had confessed. ]
We have no lawyers, no judge, no jury. We have no laws. We all of us come from different worlds and times, perhaps with different ideas of right and wrong or how to hold someone accountable, or even if we should. We have no jurisdiction to determine who should be punished or how, aside from whatever expectations we hold each other to as part of a community. Whatever we do here, today, will be established as precedent.
Whether these people are guiltier than any of the rest of us because their actions were more final, I don't know. I am not saying 'forgive,' if you find what happened too abhorrent. And I am certainly not saying we allow malicious violence to run rampant and unchecked. I am merely reminding us all that the only laws currently guiding us are our own moral compasses and whatever social pressures we enforce, knowing or unknowing, on each other. I realize this may seem like a strange sentiment coming from a police officer, but I hold no more jurisdiction here than do any of us. My concern is for our surviving people, and for what we do next.
With that in mind, I believe we would be better suited turning our thoughts and energies toward what we can do to benefit us all: work with each other to learn necessary skills, seek out game to feed the community, glean what we can from the woods, rebuild the barn. Until we decide to prioritize the structure and trappings of a society, laws included, our focus must be on helping each other. None of us will survive on our own.
et al
He listens quietly to those who stand up and confess their actions, listens and observes as others speak in defense or accusation. He wonders what Ray would make of all this. Finally, he stands, his hat off, held in his hands, to address the group. ]
We have all been through a terrible ordeal. Many of us were afflicted, some of us were nearly, if not wholly, out of our minds with fear and rage. Now, whether that's enough to clear us from the choices we made while under the influence is, I think, a question we all must contend with and answer on our own. But is this really about justice?
[ He gestures with his hat to those who had confessed. ]
We have no lawyers, no judge, no jury. We have no laws. We all of us come from different worlds and times, perhaps with different ideas of right and wrong or how to hold someone accountable, or even if we should. We have no jurisdiction to determine who should be punished or how, aside from whatever expectations we hold each other to as part of a community. Whatever we do here, today, will be established as precedent.
Whether these people are guiltier than any of the rest of us because their actions were more final, I don't know. I am not saying 'forgive,' if you find what happened too abhorrent. And I am certainly not saying we allow malicious violence to run rampant and unchecked. I am merely reminding us all that the only laws currently guiding us are our own moral compasses and whatever social pressures we enforce, knowing or unknowing, on each other. I realize this may seem like a strange sentiment coming from a police officer, but I hold no more jurisdiction here than do any of us. My concern is for our surviving people, and for what we do next.
With that in mind, I believe we would be better suited turning our thoughts and energies toward what we can do to benefit us all: work with each other to learn necessary skills, seek out game to feed the community, glean what we can from the woods, rebuild the barn. Until we decide to prioritize the structure and trappings of a society, laws included, our focus must be on helping each other. None of us will survive on our own.