Who was really justice: L or Light?

[Zaige Delecroix]

DomaDoma

Zaige Delecroix

And there is a difference between putting a toe out of line and being an outright bully.

There's also a difference between laziness and being an outright bully. How about tagging? Don't forget that suicide-by-tagging attempt in episode thirty. I'm sure that a lack of graffiti on the walls is worth a few hundred deaths.

And that's just what Light sets out to judge.

By episode three, he's killing mere suspects, and not the kind, like Otaharada, who are actually in the process of committing a crime and the news media is just being polite. By his third year of judgments, he's relying on this great big Lodge 341, this Defarge's Knitting Club, they call the Internet. Now, probably a plurality, if not a majority, of the information there comes from leaks by police officers. But police officers are hardly immune from mistakes, vendettas and plain bad faith; that's why we have a justice system, not just a whole bunch of police officers.

PS: Personally, I'd rather deal with the jerks in life than see them dead. But as I don't think we'll ever agree on that point, it's not part of my argument.

Yes, I agree that killing people for being lazy isn't a good thing. All the other stuff that you have listed are things I would have to go back and rewatch the show to pick up on. But I think you are right that some of our disagreement stems from a difference in principles rather than a different understanding. Many people just don't get that and just keep insisting that they know something I don't.  

[DeathNotesC]

Zaige Delecroix

DeathNotesC

L of course. Justice isn't doing what's good for good necessarily, is it? Justice is doing good for everyone. While it's true criminals had their chance to be good citizens, they do NOT deserve to die for those actions, especially if it's something like robbery. Needless to say, I do not support the death penalty.

I think what L sees as Justice is everyone's right to freedom and happiness. We, as humans, have absolutely no right to judge and punish others for their wrongdoings since we are all human. By definition, humans are born with original sin. Punishing people like that is hypocrisy, especially in killing them. How does that make you any better than they?

Also, Justice doesn't see itself as God. That's ridiculous and arrogant.

L is Justice, and I have never and will never think otherwise. :]

L supports the death penalty. He was going to have Kira executed once he was caught. How do you reconcile believing that L is justice with not supporting the death penalty? If you ask me, THAT stinks of hypocrisy more than anything.

Has it ever really been said that L supports the death penalty? Yes, he was going to execute Kira. Could that be because that would be common good? Sacrificing one life for the good of many is, you would think, the right thing to do, even if those lives are, themselves, criminal. If Kira was never stopped, everyone would eventually fall victim, no?  

[Zaige Delecroix]

DeathNotesC

Zaige Delecroix

DeathNotesC

L of course. Justice isn't doing what's good for good necessarily, is it? Justice is doing good for everyone. While it's true criminals had their chance to be good citizens, they do NOT deserve to die for those actions, especially if it's something like robbery. Needless to say, I do not support the death penalty.

I think what L sees as Justice is everyone's right to freedom and happiness. We, as humans, have absolutely no right to judge and punish others for their wrongdoings since we are all human. By definition, humans are born with original sin. Punishing people like that is hypocrisy, especially in killing them. How does that make you any better than they?

Also, Justice doesn't see itself as God. That's ridiculous and arrogant.

L is Justice, and I have never and will never think otherwise. :]

L supports the death penalty. He was going to have Kira executed once he was caught. How do you reconcile believing that L is justice with not supporting the death penalty? If you ask me, THAT stinks of hypocrisy more than anything.

Has it ever really been said that L supports the death penalty? Yes, he was going to execute Kira. Could that be because that would be common good? Sacrificing one life for the good of many is, you would think, the right thing to do, even if those lives are, themselves, criminal. If Kira was never stopped, everyone would eventually fall victim, no?

And by killing criminals, Light protected a lot of innocent people from being killed by them. What gives L the right if Light doesn't have the right? And whether or not L supports the death penalty, the fact of the matter is that he was working for a system that you apparently don't support, which means that L shouldn't be justice either in your book.

I may not agree with the philosophy that no one has the right to take the life of another, but I can at least respect that they have that opinion. But your stance is nothing but blatant hypocrisy. What makes it even worse is the fact that you denounced Light and people who would support him as being hypocrites which, ironically, makes you an even bigger hypocrite than you would have been otherwise.  

[Saiisawsome]

I think that L was more Justice than anything because Light just killed people even if it was for the greater good. L was trying to save people instead of having them murdered by a freakazode that thought it was his job to clean up the world...  

[Kavoru]

L...
You see.. At first, Light had a (somewhat) good idea, getting rid of all criminals. But when L began to taunt Light, if you notice, he vowed to get rid of L.. Not because L is a criminal, but because L was against him. Also, whenever someone came close to finding him out, he would kill them. Even if they were innocent. L never used innocent people as decoys. Lind L. Taylor was a criminal, who was already scheduled to be executed later that day.
So, as you can see..
Light is not justice.  

[DomaDoma]

Kavoru

L never used innocent people as decoys.

Technically speaking, he did use Matsuda as a decoy. But there was nothing to point to Higuchi having the Eyes, so yeah.  

[Kavoru]

DomaDoma

Kavoru

L never used innocent people as decoys.

Technically speaking, he did use Matsuda as a decoy. But there was nothing to point to Higuchi having the Eyes, so yeah.

When did he use Matsuda as a decoy?
I can't really remember.  

[DomaDoma]

Kavoru

DomaDoma

Kavoru

L never used innocent people as decoys.

Technically speaking, he did use Matsuda as a decoy. But there was nothing to point to Higuchi having the Eyes, so yeah.

When did he use Matsuda as a decoy?
I can't really remember.

During the plan to snare Higuchi, he set up this long, drawn-out talk show on Sakura TV where they'd reveal Matsuda as the spy, see how Higuchi attempts to kill him with a second fake name, and then grab him. "In and out", as they should know better than to say on Firefly. =p  

[Kavoru]

But he wasn't really behind the screen. They were just mannequins. Weren't they?  

[x-Mi-Ma-x]

Sadly i had to vote neither... i think they both had good ideas. and personally i like L alot better then Light. but thats aside the point. the really character that personifies justice is not in the poll. and that character would be out of two characters. Matsuda of Yagami-sama.  

[DomaDoma]

Kavoru

But he wasn't really behind the screen. They were just mannequins. Weren't they?

By the time Higuchi got to the studio, yes. Which is why I'm saying it doesn't really count.  

[Kavoru]

DomaDoma

Kavoru

But he wasn't really behind the screen. They were just mannequins. Weren't they?

By the time Higuchi got to the studio, yes. Which is why I'm saying it doesn't really count.

Oh. Lol. It's been like a year since I watched the show.. xD  

[FoxMarcello]

Like I said on the other thread, all in all I'm on team L. However, that doesn't mean I think he was totally in the right. I voted that neither of them are justice because, again mentioned in my other post, Light thought he could judge people just by what he hears on the news, not knowing for certain their true feelings and intentions. He was also willing to kill anyone who got in his way, regardless of who they were.

On the other hand, I don't think L was justice, mostly because it didn't seem to me that he had an interest in anyone who got in his way either. When L saw a possible advantage in Misa, for example, he took it without a second thought of anyone's feelings or opinions. L was able to keep the deaths he caused within death row, but I don't think he'd hesitate if an innocent person had to die...  

[x-Miss Understood]

I am on team L til the end! He is ahmazing and i absolutly love him!!! Even though he would make me fat I love him!!! Hes super smart!! 4laugh


 

[xRyiox]

That's a good question! But the answer is neither. They had different views of justice, both as a lawful good and a lawful evil.

So, I don't think any sane person would have supported either of them. In the end they were just stalemates of one another and both views ended in the death of both of them.