Far, far below the deepest delvings of the dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things.
J. R. R. TolkienRead
We oppose the death penalty not just for what it does to those guilty of heinous crimes, but for what it does to all of us: It offers the tragic illusiion that we can defend life by taking life.
Interpretation
The quote argues against the death penalty, emphasizing that it harms society and undermines the value of life.
Joseph Fiorenza's quote critiques the death penalty by highlighting its moral implications. He suggests that while society may believe it is defending life by executing those who commit heinous crimes, in reality, it perpetuates a cycle of violence and devalues human life. This perspective invites reflection on the ethics of capital punishment and its effects not only on those executed but on the society that endorses such an act.
In practice
In a debate about criminal justice reform, this quote can illustrate the need for more humane solutions.
Far, far below the deepest delvings of the dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things.
Our science, so called, is always more barren and mixed with error than our sympathies.
Good order results spontaneously when things are let alone
Let us face a pluralistic world in which there are no universal churches, no single remedy for all diseases, no one way to teach or write or sing, no magic diet, no world poets, and no chosen races, but only the wretched and wonderfully diversified human race.
Children, old crones, peasants, and dogs ramble; cats and philosophers stick to their point.
For a great many years, as a soldier, I had a suspicion that war was a racket; not until I retired to civil life did I fully realize it.
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