Can anyone actually solve the only problem that I have with pursuing politics?

[NightHawkBuzz]

I would like to know if anyone can actually solve the only problem that I am having with pursuing the career that I want to go into which is politics. I have done my research and out of 36 different areas of politics I do find all of them meaningful and I am passionate about them. However their is only one of those areas which is an issue for me which is judging victims of crimes that I do not know or have never met and I would like to know how I can stop doing this? 

When I only look at the crime that has taken place and the number of victims. I am passionate and I find it meaningful to make sure that the proper punishment is given whether that is a life sentence or the death penalty. However when I start to think about each of the victims in these situations more deeply I start to doubt myself and think that maybe some of the victims were actually bad people. Once I start to judge the victims then my passion and meaning fade away because I start to feel like I might be helping someone who I would consider a bad person. 

Like I said I don't know any of the victims and I have never met any of them but when my mind starts to judge them I begin to feel like I might be helping the wrong people. I would like to know how I can stop judging victims I have never met and I don't know? How can I just look at the crime and the number of victims and think about the proper punishment without judging the victims?

Like I said when I don't judge anyone and I just look at the crime and the number of victims I do find it meaningful and I am passionate about making sure the proper punishment is given. However it is only when judgement comes in that it gets confusing and messed up. How can I stop the judgment and just focus on the crime and punishment? 

[aurum]

@NightHawkBuzz why would this be required of you to work in politics?

Politicians are not responsible for dealing with crime and punishment. 

[NightHawkBuzz]

@aurum They are required to in certain cases. 

Like for example President Biden asked that the death penalty be reinstated for the boston marathon bomber. Also, Ron Desantis changed the death penalty laws in Florida after the parkland shooter. They do deal with crime and punishment in that type of way. 

[NightHawkBuzz]

If anyone could help me solve this I would really appreciate it. I feel that politics really is for me and this is the thing I need help getting clarity on.  

Edited August 3, 2023 by NightHawkBuzz

[PlayOnWords]

Justice is justice.

It doesn't matter if you play a part in getting justice for a victim who then turns out to be a crook themselves, justice must be served nonetheless.

You could also flip it and think of it not as getting justice for the victim but as bringing the perpetrator to justice. This way the victim is secondary and justice, for the sake of justice, is primary.

[Raze]

It sounds like you have a deeper psychological phenomenon causing your motivation to enter politics to be to find justice for those you see part of yourself in

[NightHawkBuzz]

@Raze Your right that's probably what it is. I know though that as a politician I can't just get justice for those I see part of myself in it will be for everyone. Do you have any advice on how I can change my mindset to want to get justice for everyone then? 

[Raze]

3 hours ago, NightHawkBuzz said:

@Raze Your right that's probably what it is. I know though that as a politician I can't just get justice for those I see part of myself in it will be for everyone. Do you have any advice on how I can change my mindset to want to get justice for everyone then? 

Get ifs therapy 

Read the righteous mind 

Edited August 3, 2023 by Raze

[aurum]

12 hours ago, NightHawkBuzz said:

@aurum They are required to in certain cases. 

Like for example President Biden asked that the death penalty be reinstated for the boston marathon bomber. Also, Ron Desantis changed the death penalty laws in Florida after the parkland shooter. They do deal with crime and punishment in that type of way. 

I think you are psyching yourself out here.

The kind of situations you are describing are pretty rare. In most cases, the most that will be asked of you will be to vote on a criminal justice bill. In which case you will weigh the pros and cons and come to the best decision you can, just like everyone else.

Do you really think you can’t handle doing that?

Do you really not trust your future judgment?

Do you really think it’s worth throwing away a fruitful career you are passionate about and can make a difference in because of some potential vague “what if” scenario?

What are you really afraid of here?

Edited August 3, 2023 by aurum

[DefinitelyNotARobot]

Your worrying about whether the victims are bad people, but what if your entire outlook on life can be shifted away from looking at people as "bad". That doesn't mean that you can't disagree with their actions, but that you can recognize the suffering that fuels their "bad" actions or the "evil" in them.

First you have to grasp your own suffering, then you will start to recognize the suffering of others and suddenly bad people appear as nothing but a lost and lonely children. That doesn't mean that people who harm others should just get off hook. There is a reason for why we "punish" people. But what is that reason? A deep understanding of that question will require you to open your mind to higher dimensions of consciousness and love. 

Perhaps punishment isn't the highest goal you could pursuit? Perhaps there are more loving goals in this kind of work. Goals that are focused on a larger picture than "person commits crime, person get punished". A goal which doesn't rely on a transactions like "you're a good human, you get rewarded, you're a bad person, fuck you!".

The problem with thinking of people as bad is that it's extremely limited. The reason it's limited is ironically because you can come up with unlimited reasons to call a person "bad". It's a subjective notion and if really wanted you could frame ANYONE as bad.

Try it. Take a person you wouldn't usually consider to be bad and try to find reasons for why you could actually consider them bad. Then do the reverse. Take a person you'd usually consider bad and try to find reasons for why they're a pure person. That will be more helpful in getting you to understand this than reading what I'm typing here. Doing this repeatedly will allow you to start understanding this issue more deeply. Once you actually start to understand this I would start to look for more loving perspectives on people that do bad things. You could focus on people being bad for your ENTIRE life! It will never get you anywhere other than to pain.

Changing this must come from your own desire, because you're going to do what you want to do anyways.

Edited August 3, 2023 by DefinitelyNotARobot

[NightHawkBuzz]

@aurum

Well yeah when it comes to voting on a criminal justice bill I could handle doing something that.

I am able to trust my future judgement for voting on a criminal justice bill like that. 

No your right I don't think it's worth it to throw away a fruitful career in politics like you said for a "what if" scenario 

What I am afraid of though is going into politics and being in one of those "what if situations" like for example if I became governor or mayor and another mass shooting happened. I do find it meaningful and I am passionate about advocating for the proper punishment to be given for something like that happening. However what I am afraid of those is some of those victims I am advocating for being the wrong people. Like my passion and effort to make sure that the proper punishment is being given is going to the wrong person.

Basically what I am scared of is if one of these situations might come up when I have a choice of advocating for the death penalty for victims of crimes I am scared that I might be advocating for bad victims and not good victims. By advocating for bad victims my passion and effort is going to the wrong people. This is what I am afraid of. 

Edited August 4, 2023 by NightHawkBuzz

[Phil King]

18 minutes ago, NightHawkBuzz said:

Basically what I am scared of is if one of these situations might come up when I have a choice of advocating for the death penalty for victims of crimes I am scared that I might be advocating for bad victims and not good victims.

Youve made a similar post before. Realize that there is no such thing as a "bad victim." In politics youre always making a choice between the lesser of two "evils." Whatever good policies you create will inevitably help "bad" people so stop torturing yourself by only trying to help a select group of people that you have biasedly called good

@DefinitelyNotARobot also explained it nicely

Edited August 4, 2023 by Phil King

[aurum]

55 minutes ago, NightHawkBuzz said:

What I am afraid of though is going into politics and being in one of those "what if situations" like for example if I became governor or mayor and another mass shooting happened. 

You should be so lucky to have a career successful enough in politics that you even become governor or mayor.

You are worrying about something that you are not even remotely close to achieving.

This is an irrational fear.

56 minutes ago, NightHawkBuzz said:

I am able to trust my future judgement for voting on a criminal justice bill like that. 

Then why can’t you apply that same logic to this scenario?

And if you really can’t see yourself being able to handle such a situation, maybe you shouldn’t be governor or a mayor. Leave it to someone else who has the guts for it. Maybe you can clean their office instead and let that be your career in politics, sounds promising.

1 hour ago, NightHawkBuzz said:

Basically what I am scared of is if one of these situations might come up when I have a choice of advocating for the death penalty for victims of crimes I am scared that I might be advocating for bad victims and not good victims. By advocating for bad victims my passion and effort is going to the wrong people. This is what I am afraid of. 

Then you will have made an honest mistake. No one is going to fault you for advocating for victims of mass shootings.

And if you’re really still scared, then resolve to continually sharpen your judgment overtime. Work and work and work on discerning truth. That is the best safeguard against what you are describing. Not running away.

[NightHawkBuzz]

2 hours ago, Phil King said:

Youve made a similar post before. Realize that there is no such thing as a "bad victim." In politics youre always making a choice between the lesser of two "evils." Whatever good policies you create will inevitably help "bad" people so stop torturing yourself by only trying to help a select group of people that you have biasedly called good

@DefinitelyNotARobot also explained it nicely

 @Phil King Your right I know in reality there is no such thing as a bad victim. But in my own head I can't help but putting my own judgements on people and separating them into good and bad. I know you linked a couple of videos, do you have any other advice on how I can stop judging people as "bad" and just help? 

Your right whatever policies I will create will inevitably help "bad" people but how do I keep the same passion and meaning when I know it's going to people I would judge and consider "bad" as well. For example when the Parkland Shooter killed 17 people and was given a life sentence and not the death penalty Ron Desantis was outraged over it. 

I watched plenty of videos of him reacting to it on Youtube and you can see the passion and meaning in his words wanting to change the death penalty laws because he felt strongly that what happened was a miscarriage of justice.

When he was speaking about all 17 victims he had so much passion and meaning in his speech for all 17. How could I have that same passion and meaning if some of the victims might have been "bad" people then to? 

I know I would be that exact person and I would have the exact same passion and meaning but right now I feel like only if it is for good victims would I have that same passion and meaning. Like you said though it won't just be for good victims inevitably it will help bad victims so how can I switch this thinking? 

My question is how can I keep the same passion and meaning in a situation like that while at the same time knowing the help will go to people that I consider "bad" and not just good? 

Edited August 4, 2023 by NightHawkBuzz

[Loving Radiance]

2 hours ago, NightHawkBuzz said:

how can I keep the same passion and meaning in a situation like that while at the same time knowing the help will go to people that I consider "bad" and not just good? 

When you decide on a life path it's important to ground yourself in the feeling of your desire towards that path. You are invited to let go of those scenarios of fringe situations (which seem to be challenging, to disarm you and to be areas of your weaknesses) which your mind comes up with, and you are also invited to come to trust. Trust in yourself, and trust that life is benevolent, takes care of you and provides growth opportunities if you only ask for it.

The mind will always come up with opportunities to safeguard you and it's your job to differentiate between what is valid or of no concern. Don't let your mind be hung up on this small part of being a politician. Ground yourself in something deeper... like the principles of service and integrity (like cleansing politics of corruption).

Edited August 4, 2023 by Loving Radiance

[NightHawkBuzz]

18 hours ago, Loving Radiance said:

When you decide on a life path it's important to ground yourself in the feeling of your desire towards that path. You are invited to let go of those scenarios of fringe situations (which seem to be challenging, to disarm you and to be areas of your weaknesses) which your mind comes up with, and you are also invited to come to trust. Trust in yourself, and trust that life is benevolent, takes care of you and provides growth opportunities if you only ask for it.

The mind will always come up with opportunities to safeguard you and it's your job to differentiate between what is valid or of no concern. Don't let your mind be hung up on this small part of being a politician. Ground yourself in something deeper... like the principles of service and integrity (like cleansing politics of corruption).

@Loving Radiance I agree 

[NightHawkBuzz]

@Leo Gura any thoughts on this? 

[Phil King]

22 hours ago, NightHawkBuzz said:

 Like you said though it won't just be for good victims inevitably it will help bad victims so how can I switch this thinking? 

Really the only way to switch this thinking is through self purification. As long as you have selfishness in you, you will see bad in others. Realize that those people you call bad have people in their lives that see them as good. Even some of the most evil people in history like Hitler had hundreds of thousands of people who saw him as a good leader. 

 

22 hours ago, NightHawkBuzz said:

My question is how can I keep the same passion and meaning in a situation like that while at the same time knowing the help will go to people that I consider "bad" and not just good? 

Lawyers also have this dilemma where they are required by law to try and prove the innocence of people who have committed horrible crimes. I definitely agree with you that the Parkland shooter should have faced the death penalty, but also realize that there were lawyers arguing on the defense of the shooter who tried to claim he was mentally ill and was not in control of his actions. 

Also in the case of the potential "bad victims" of the parkland shooting. Does them being in your eyes morally bad mean they should not have the right to justice?

 

21 hours ago, Loving Radiance said:

Don't let your mind be hung up on this small part of being a politician. Ground yourself in something deeper... like the principles of service and integrity (like cleansing politics of corruption).

^^^ I feel this is the best way to move forward. If you keep getting hung up on fringe possibilities, you will never end up taking action to making a better world. Just trust that if you are doing your best to create good and holistic policies that benefit society, you will create a better world and that evil/selfishness will slowly be purified (Even if it takes hundreds/thousands of years). Commit to service, selflessness, and integrity in your politics and the rest should take care of itself

Edited August 5, 2023 by Phil King

[NightHawkBuzz]

2 hours ago, Phil King said:

Really the only way to switch this thinking is through self purification. As long as you have selfishness in you, you will see bad in others. Realize that those people you call bad have people in their lives that see them as good. Even some of the most evil people in history like Hitler had hundreds of thousands of people who saw him as a good leader. 

@Phil King I agree 

Quote

 

Lawyers also have this dilemma where they are required by law to try and prove the innocence of people who have committed horrible crimes. I definitely agree with you that the Parkland shooter should have faced the death penalty, but also realize that there were lawyers arguing on the defense of the shooter who tried to claim he was mentally ill and was not in control of his actions. 

Also in the case of the potential "bad victims" of the parkland shooting. Does them being in your eyes morally bad mean they should not have the right to justice?

No your right even the "bad victims" of the Parkland shooting case do deserve justice. But like you said lawyers even have this dilemma so my thing is which you talked about is how can I keep that passion and meaning for everybody even the bad victims. I am specifically talking about if I was in a position of politics and another Parkland shooter case happened and I had to speak about it at a rally or event. 

Like for example if something like the Parkland shooter happened and I knew all of the victims were good there would be no problem for me to be passionate and find it meaningful speaking about getting justice for all the victims. Like when Ron Desantis was speaking about the Parkland shooter verdict at different rallies and events you heard the passion and meaning in his voice talking about ALL 17 victims not just the good ones but the "bad" ones as well. He felt it was a miscarriage of justice for ALL the victims and he never separated the victims into good and bad. That is how I want to be. 

No just because they are in my eyes morally bad doesn't mean they don't have the right to justice. You talked about this too and that is why I want to correct this thinking so if I am in a position of power I can speak passionately and find it meaningful to talk about ALL the victims and change laws to get justice for everyone not just people I consider good. 

Quote

 

^^^ I feel this is the best way to move forward. If you keep getting hung up on fringe possibilities, you will never end up taking action to making a better world. Just trust that if you are doing your best to create good and holistic policies that benefit society, you will create a better world and that evil/selfishness will slowly be purified (Even if it takes hundreds/thousands of years). Commit to service, selflessness, and integrity in your politics and the rest should take care of itself

I agree. 

Edited August 5, 2023 by NightHawkBuzz

[NightHawkBuzz]

On 8/3/2023 at 9:50 PM, aurum said:

You should be so lucky to have a career successful enough in politics that you even become governor or mayor.

You are worrying about something that you are not even remotely close to achieving.

@aurum I agree 

Quote

This is an irrational fear.

Then why can’t you apply that same logic to this scenario?

And if you really can’t see yourself being able to handle such a situation, maybe you shouldn’t be governor or a mayor. Leave it to someone else who has the guts for it. Maybe you can clean their office instead and let that be your career in politics, sounds promising.

Your right I do have the guts to actually handle these situations and figure out what the proper punishment should be. Yeah I want to be the politician not the one cleaning offices for a politician. 

Quote

Then you will have made an honest mistake. No one is going to fault you for advocating for victims of mass shootings.

And if you’re really still scared, then resolve to continually sharpen your judgment overtime. Work and work and work on discerning truth. That is the best safeguard against what you are describing. Not running away.

I get what your saying I can advocate for all victims of mass shootings and if some of them happen to be bad people then I would have just made an honest mistake that I couldn't have known about. I want to have the power to choose which victims I advocate for but it will be out of my control. I can just advocate for them and if some of them happen to be bad I don't have control over it.

Yeah I agree sharpening my judgement and work on discerning truth. 

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by NightHawkBuzz