i found the CD!!!!

I DIDNT THROW IT AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this must be the best thing (this weekend besides qiuhan huichiang and qiuping visiting me all at the same time) that has happened to me

to make up for all the bad luck/ordeal on friday!!!

happyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Laws are the greatest aspiration of society.

the supposed application of morals and ethics on human societies.

but the question is-

Is it (ever) ethical to break the law?

Even if the law has loopholes that let criminals go scot free?

Even at the risk/expense of the safety and lives of other innocent individuals?

Do we simply give in to the 'standard procedures' and red tape and bureaucracy?

if the current legal system is unable to apprehend those who should be apprehended-

no doubt changes should be made to the system, since it's clearly flawed.

but it takes immense effort, and years- decades or centuries even, for apparently outdated legislature of procedures to change and improve.

meanwhile, what do we do then?

i was watching ジョーカー 許されざる捜査官,(Joker, yurusarezu sousakan, or JOKER for short) (which IMO is a pretty awesome drama; or at least the concept of it, regardless of the execution), and i was/am really drawn to the idea of 'upholder of justice' who punishes criminals who are able to escape from the law due to loopholes or insufficient/inconclusive evidence. The protagonist is a detective in the police force who is known as a saint or buddha, due to his kind and patient nature. In reality, his true nature is that of an agent of justice who tackles criminals which are able to escape from the law.

I can't explain why i agree so much with the plot, or the whole idea of it, when this is hardly the first time this kind of concept has been played over in movies or dramas(it's pretty much as overused as the young-girl-with-terminal-disease's-pure-love-story or star-crossed-lovers-are-actually-siblings plot devices); Death note is a famous example- high school top student chances upon the death note and uses the power bestowed upon him by the grim reaper/death god, to put to death criminals which the laws of society have failed to punish/sufficiently punish.

The main difference for me i guess was the intent- clearly Light yagami, the protagonist in Death note was portrayed as a cold, unfeeling character with the main intention to play god and exercise his power as a superior being in order to satisfy his own egocentric needs/desires (even though one might justify Light's actions as reasonable, arguing that the criminals committed such horrible crimes they deserved to die). It didn't help that near the middle/end of the story Light started to kill innocent people who were getting in the way of his grand plans. =/

Date (pronounced da-tay), main character of JOKER, on the other hand, is portrayed as a flawed but relatable character with a tragic past. He clearly displays no pleasure in torturing or putting to death criminals, and his main intention is simply to uphold justice and to ensure the criminals get their due punishment. It also seems that the criminals that he 'apprehends' are neither killed nor tortured. He injures them and then locks them up in a place 'away from society' as they will 'never be forgiven'. No clear details yet since Episode 4, which apparently will clear all doubts as to where the criminals/their dead bodies (if they're killed that is) hasn't aired yet. But my point is that- the intention/objectives behind an action, and how it's done is crucial.

Some people just think that breaking the law is wrong, simply because laws are laid down for a reason- to protect the people living in which within it's boundaries the laws take effect- but think for a moment- if the laws fail to protect the people, then shouldn't other approaches be considered? Even at the expense of breaking the law...

Because what's more important is the criminals get their just desserts. Isn't it?

and in this drama- that's what the criminals get, exactly.

which is why i like the drama a lot. A lot.

However imperfectly it may be executed (though rather sensibly and satisfactorily, for the moment).

i don't know about you but for me,

it's justice above everything-

(sometimes even kinship, or love)