Morally, revenge should never be the solution to a problem. Revenge often creates more trouble than the original dilemma itself and it fuels an endless cycle of violence and turbulent times. The best example of this is seen in document 3 that discusses the blood feuds in Albania. In Albania, people are killing others out of acts of revenge because they think the Kanun, an ancient code of retribution, justifies their actions. The article states, “The Kanun is not supposed to encourage long-running feuds, and its text provides for mediation of disputes…” (Cohen). However, Gjin Marku says “The problem with the blood feuds today is that people are using their own personal interpretation of the Kanun to suit their needs” (Cohen). Although there was originally a fair law code, people turned to revenge and found loopholes in the justice system that suited their intentions. Now, people can kill and get away with it because of the mixed interpretations of the Kanun and the citizens of Albania live their lives in hiding. They spend days locked in their homes because they fear being killed if they go outside. Because the people of Albania turned to revenge as a form of justice, now there is even more violence and unrest in their country …show more content…
A marvelous example of this is the justice system. Written laws have been around for thousands of years and they were all set in place to keep citizens protected and under uniform rules. One of the first law codes was known as Hammurabi’s code and it was created in an ancient Mesopotamian culture that clearly viewed revenge as ethically correct. This is seen in document 1. Although many believe this law code’s only role was to promote revenge and violence, that is incorrect because it a much more beneficial role for the citizens of Mesopotamia. Document 1 states, “Here, Hammurabi states that he wants ‘ to make justice visible in the land, to destroy the wicked person and the evil-doer, that the strong might not injure the weak.’’ (Ushistory.org) Document 1 also states that widows, orphans and others were protected by the code from being harmed or oppressed. Despite the fact that the phrase “an eye for an eye” is vengeful and a main theme of the code, the laws in the code were meant to protect people and discourage crime in Mesopotamia. Another great example of a form of revenge or equal punishment is seen in document 2. Document 2 speaks of the justice system in Japan around 1873. The document is written as a decree from the Japanese government and says, “Let it be plainly understood that anyone who ignores this junction and adheres to the old customs,