Morality and Justice

“Does the punishment fit the crime?” The answer to that is true.  In the Black Mirror episode “White Bear”, the punishment does fit the crime.

That doesn’t make it moral or just. And, I don’t think it is on either count. The woman did help murder a child, but it seemed that the community was choosing to punish her this way, since they couldn’t punish the true killer. Her fiancée who had committed suicide.

It’s Groundhog Day. She wakes up to the same thing, not knowing that she is part of a script. This is her eternal punishment for her crime. Except, she isn’t made aware of her crime until the end of the day. During the day she’s even convinced the girl she’s killed is her daughter. This punishment doesn’t fit into western ideals of how we punish crimes. We throw people in prison or if you’re from Texas you stick them with a needle.

The treatment of her is psychological torture, which is not moral. Their also making a profit off of her waking nightmare. It educates people on the dangers of being a criminal. And, this isn’t justice. This little girl was not murdered by her. And, if she had been. This is not rehabilitative punishment. All it is pain. The end. A justice system that works like this is not just and it’s moral seem to be in question as well.