oh the law...

Aristotle once remarked that, the law is reason free from passion. I have to disagree. In my experience, law, which is meant to be carefully interpreted and followed in a very logical and strict way, is rarely done so. The legal system in place is meant to define the rules of civility and for society to quite simply follow them. Stray from the accepted societal principles and heed the consequences. Simple enough. Truth is, however, that it rarely is that simple.

Because we are flawed human beings, oh so clever and manipulative, the law and therefore justice has become less clear-cut and a lot more gray. The lines that divide good and evil have truly become blurred and it can often become difficult to ascertain innocence and guilt. Reason may be the catalyst for a law but it is the passion behind it that often violates it, seeks to enforce it and often changes it. There is no clear cut, no tried and true, no absolutes and no perfect models to follow. In the blink of an eye your life can change because someone, somewhere broke the law. How you decide to handle it that is where reason and passion come into play. Do you follow the rules and seek appropriate justice? Or do you take matters into your own hands and seek revenge? Either way, you are dealing with both reasoning and passion. Aristotle may have missed the boat on this one.