How far would you go to bring retribution to someone guilty of a terrible wrong?

This is a question I’m wrestling with in a book I have yet to publish. Whenever I revisit it, I find myself continually wanting to tweak something here and there. I really struggle with when to restructure a sentence, or find a better adjective, or just cut a couple paragraphs of what might be unnecessary filler. I know I’m not alone in this; I have spoken with other authors who have the same issue. When is what I’ve written “done?” I know if I want to put it out there to be read by others, I must walk away from it at some point. But nailing down that exact point is hard. It seems there is always something to edit in or out.

Back to the question: How far would you go to punish someone for something terrible they have done?

Do you try to just “let it go?” There is no undoing what has already occurred.  It happened and nothing you can do will erase it. Should you let sleeping dogs lie? Do you just accept it and try to move forward with your life? After all, you can’t change the past. Don’t dwell on it. Karma may eventually catch up with the bad guy. Live your life and look forward to the future rather than dwelling in the past. This may be the healthiest route to choose. However, let’s add another element to the mix. This terrible wrong that was committed? The bastard may do it again.

Knowing this, do you not now have a responsibility to act? If you choose the sleeping dog route, aren’t you almost enabling the guilty party and leaving the door wide open for them to do it again? And if it did happen again, wouldn’t this make you, indirectly but to a degree, guilty yourself?

You may think acting on this is a lot of responsibility to shoulder. Why not call in someone else to deal with it? Isn’t that what the authorities are for? Yeah, just hand it off, why not? Because, while the act was certainly against the law, you don’t believe the legal system to be capable of meting out justice in this case. So, it’s either you take care of it, or nothing. But isn’t this like vigilante justice? One person deciding another is guilty, then raining down vengeance upon them? Yes. Absolutely.

This is the question a character is wrestling with. It’s a matter is a good person taking justice into their own hands, and doing what may be considered a bad thing, all in the name of good. I used this theme in an earlier book, Disturbing the Dead, and it’s one I find fascinating. What about doing everything right only to achieve horrific results?

I think the whole idea of right and wrong can be fun to manipulate. On the landing page of this website, I address the fact that the world is full of moral ambiguities. If a truly good person does something bad in the interest of good, is it less bad, or even perfectly acceptable, when compared to an evil person doing THE EXACT SAME THING but with an evil intent? Society’s laws might say there is no difference; both parties are equally guilty. How do you feel about it? It can be complicated and confusing. I’m the guy asking the question and I’m not even sure how I feel about it.

One last bit to add to the mix. If you do choose to take matters into your own hands and punish the perceived wrongdoer, what if you get caught doing so? Morals aside here, you’ll be taking a risk. After all, you will be doing an end run around the authorities and enacting your personal brand of justice. That may not go down well. So instead of, or in addition to, the bad guy being punished, you might find yourself holding the dirty end of the stick. Not to worry, though, because you believe in your heart of hearts you are smart enough to get away with it. Yes, you have convinced yourself this is pretty much a non-issue. In your mind, once you make the decision to move forward, odds are way against your discovery. Yes. You are that clever.

Let’s assume for the moment you go through with it, and as you believed, no one is the wiser that you were behind this. Once you’ve made your move and the deal is done, will you then be giving yourself mental pats on the back for the rest of your life?  Or have you saddled yourself with a burden you’ll never be free of until death?

Yes, I’m talking about guilt. It might not be tangible, but it’s very real. You may be 100% positive you did the right thing, but are you certain you will always feel this way? Guilt can be sneaky. Will it creep into your head at night and make sleep impossible? Will it manifest itself as a gnawing in your stomach and next thing you know, you’ve joined the ranks of the ulcer sufferers? Or worse, will it weigh on you, until just getting through each day is a colossal effort, completely devoid of any enjoyment or happiness? I know as a lapsed Catholic, guilt is always ready to raise its nasty head whenever it can. And I’m certain I’m not unique; it’s the same with many other religions. Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving.

So, we’re back full circle. What do you do? Every day is chock full of mundane choices that, in the long run, have very little effect on our lives. Blue shirt or white shirt? Cheerios or Lucky Charms? But then there are those choices that are life changing. For all involved.

Once more, How far would you go?