Revenge Isn't Justice

This past week we watched "White Bear" from the series "Black Mirror." The episode first shows a woman sitting in front of a television set, and she seemed to have lost her memory. She investigates the area and discovers a photograph of a young girl who she believes is her daughter. She then walks outside to see what's going on and maybe find someone who can help her. When she ventures outside she notices people staring at her and recording her with their phones through windows. She notices the people aren't responsive and then a little girl catches her eye by a fence, so she follows her and she is lead to the road where a man in a mask who chases her with a weapon. Scared to death she runs as fast as she can until she comes up to a gas station and sees a woman pumping gas. She asks for help and they both end up inside the store with another man, trying to run from the "hunter".  When the hunter breaks into the store this guy grabs him and tries to wrestle him for the gun. He fails and ends up getting shot. While both women run for their lives they make their way to who they thought might be a friend. He tricks them into going to his "safe place" and turns out to be a hunter. The two women then escape from him and make their way to "White Bear" to take down the signals causing the onlookers to be unresponsive. While they're inside the building, two hunters come in there is a bit of a scrap between the two groups. When the main character gets the gun and fires at the enemy, a blast of confetti leaves the barrel. Confused and still frightened everyone in this scene sits her down in a chair, restrains her and turns her to an audience. Turns out, this woman had kidnapped the child she assumed was hers in the beginning of the episode and recorded the child's unbelievably cruel death. "White Bear" is a justice camp where they sought to receive justice for the little girl. The "onlookers" were actually normal people who paid to see this "justice" first hand, and at the end of everyday they reveal what is happening to the woman, and then "brainwash" her once more, and continue the process the very next day.

I found this to be extremely disturbing in so many ways. In the beginning I sided with the woman who kidnapped the child because I was not aware of what she had done. When I found out the truth behind the whole situation I, too, wanted justice for the little girl, but still found the whole process disturbing. I think after one day of going through that would be enough punishment for the woman. I can't help but feel bad for her even after I know the truth, but shouldn't we draw a line for the whole punishment system? Holding someone hostage and mentally destroying them everyday is cruel beyond a doubt. It's also hard to just say that one time is enough punishment for her considering what her and her partner did to a child. The little girl lost her life and a mother and father lost their daughter, so I'm not even sure where I would draw the line in this scenario.  You can only punish someone so much before justice is out the window and you're at the point where you're just torturing someone.

This film really puts the justice system in prospective. Is justice about seeking to avenge someone, or is it about doing what is right?