Eyes For Eyes and Teeth For Teeth



Posted: Sunday, July 01, 2007

by
Monte J Meldman MD

The New Talion Principle (nTP) For Managing Terrorists

The Talion principle ( lex talionis), has served as the basis for the administration of justice since it was developed in early Babylonian law. It is present in both biblical and early Roman law. It states that criminals should receive as punishment exactly those injuries and damages that they had inflicted upon their victims. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was taken literally in olden days. It is still the backbone of our law and the death penalty, though repugnant to some people, stands as our modern day punishment for murderers. All sanctions, from jail time, to financial repayment have the social revenge policy at heart. The retaliation provided by lex talionis provides appropriate punishment and revenge. It also serves as a strong deterrent to others. For knowing that you will be killed and punished for a crime, serves as a major deterrent to prevent people from pursuing a life of crime. There are imperfections and problems with revenge and retaliation as sources of justice, but lex talion does work well for revenge and to some extent for prevention.

But the Talion Principle, as it is written, is not effective in dealing with the problem of terrorism. In the Jihad, the murderers imagine that they are committing a religious act and will be rewarded by a seat at the side of God. They gladly blow themselves, and hundreds of innocent people to pieces. When that is done there is nothing left to punish and that puts the odds greatly in favor of the murdering terrorists. They get away with murder with no punishment possible because they are dead. Five to ten men killed thousands of American citizens on 9/11 and there was nothing left to punish because they had already done their self-sacrifice.

The new Talion Principle (nTP) would change that situation and put things back on somewhat of a more even basis. The nTP holds that all relatives of the family of the murdering terrorists are as guilty as the terrorist, and MUST BE punished with the exact full measure of revenge that would be meted out to the terrorist, based upon the nature and extent of the crime. We should not be looking for Osama Bin Laden. We should try and administer justice to all members of his family, all his relatives and a number of people in his home town, equal to the number of people slaughtered in 9/11. We cannot bring a dead car bomber to trial, but we can bring all of his relatives, all of his immediate family, to trial at the bar of justice and give them the justice the car bomber deserves.

Terrorism is popular and winning because there are no earthly consequences attached to their murderous acts. The new Talion Principle (nTP) would change that situation and bring justice to all the family and relatives of the terrorist. If a car bomber knew for sure that all of his relatives would be held accountable for his actions, he would not die such a peaceful and happy death. And he would think many more times about whether it is so great to kill his grandparents, his father and mother and all of his friends and siblings.

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Monte J Meldman MD 420 Lake Cook Rd #121 Deerfield, IL 60062 www.coachdiet.com

Copyright 2007 All rights reserved You may reproduce this article as is.

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