Why Is Revenge Not Justified?

Have you ever been treated wrong and felt it was right to set out for revenge? The article "Blocking the Transmission of Violence" by Alex Kotlowitz talks about Martin Torres and Zale Hoddenbach and their involvement in a Chicago program called Ceasefire which is supposed to stop violence in it's tracks. Revenge is not justified because by seeking revenge it can cause you to go to jail, may cause you to feel guilty or may cause more harm to yourself. Revenge is not justified because it may cause you to go to jail. In the article the author discussed jail when talking about Hoddenbach's background."Hoddenbach was serving time for armed violence..." lines 36-38 on page 380. The author explains that Hoddenbach was sentenced to prison for armed violence among other crimes and was on his way to make a "hit" as a form of retribution. Seeking revenge is not worth going to jail …show more content…
In the article the author tells a story of a well-known gang member who was shot and out on life support. "High-ranking gang member who was on life support..." lines 139-140 on page 383. The gang member was shot as retaliation for something he did to someone else. The person who shot the gang member has enmity towards him. By seeking revenge it could cause a chain of reaction causing people to want to do harm to you. In summary, revenge is not justified because in the end once the damage is done there are consequences you have to face for your wrongdoings no matter your intentions. Seeking revenge is shown to negatively impact a person's life. Revenge may damage your life physically, mentally, and/or emotionally. Attempting to harm someone as retribution is a crime and an cause you to go to jail, may bring upon guilt and may cause you to get seriously hurt in the process. The article "Blocking the Transmission of Violence" by Alex Kotlowitz tells a number of stories where people that sought revenge were negatively