making justice equitable

Another discussion in LA class. A little less intense than ones past...no one ended up in tears and the yelling did not have other professors begging us to shut our door, but the questions and discussion brought up was still thought provoking.

The main question was
Is Justice Relative?

Many people in the class said yes, they believe it is.
I do not

I can't believe that justice is relative and fluctuates depending on where you are and who you are. I am not able to wrap my mind around the fact that it is ok in Sudan for a woman to be beat as punishment for wearing pants. Or, in some countries it is still considered alright to stone a woman for getting pregnant out of wedlock.

i know these are customs and are deeply rooted in culture, but i cannot accept them as "just". justice in my mind is when the punishment fits the crime, and both of those cases are too extreme.

I am ingrained with the belief that "all men (and women) are created equal" and that means that in order for us to decide what is just we have to set aside all of our beliefs and prior knowledge or any one person or one situation.

We have to start with a blank slate, or as said in class, behind a veil of ignorance.

We have to forget whether a person is male or female, the color of their skin, the country they are from, and their socio-economic background. We have to disregard any education they may or may not have had, the jobs they hold, the place they live.

Because it is absolutely impossible to NOT take into account all of those factors, i believe it is impossible for true justice.

I do not think that justice is relative, but i may believe that justice is an impossibility. That is quite a sombering conclusion.