#infinite-planes

So the historical origin of the terms is empriical enough - it refers to the literal way delegates to the National Assembly during the French Revolution sat. Radicals and republicans tended to sit on the left wing of the assembly chamber, monarchists/loyalists/conservatives to the right.

As right-wingers in the sense of 'defending the ancien regime in 1789' are basically extinct across the liberal democratic world, the terms basically are entirely vibes-based these days. Various political theorists have tried to give the conflict rigorous definitions ('hierarchy versus equality', 'individual freedom versus collective solidarity', 'pious traditionalism versus libertine bohemianism', 'the interests of the rich versus those of the poor' - take your pick) but none of those really hold water when applied globally as a Grand Unifying Theory of politics. Which is what people really want them to be.

cute

but i think a good puppy can beg better than that, don't you think?

hihi!! let's see what i got for ya...

I would argue that every post I make about punitive justice being bad is also a post about restorative justice being good. But if you want to read more specifically about restorative justice, I can recommend some sources!

Three Core Elements of Restorative Justice - Actually this whole website is a good read if you want a quick primer on what restorative justice can look like (one of the ways it can look; there are many!)

Accountability in Restorative Justice - This isn't a riveting read, necessarily, but its purpose was to address those who are concerned that a restorative process cannot truly offer justice. It's a review of the author's fieldwork on that topic, exploring several cases of restorative justice and their outcomes.

The Big Book of Restorative Justice - This is basically an omnibus of four major works on restorative justice.

Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and the Road to Repair - This book delves specifically into the relationship between violent crime and mass incarceration in the U.S. and how restorative justice can provide a better path to addressing those problems. It's a good starting point for understanding why restorative justice is so important, why punitive justice isn't working, and how to talk to people who may not be fully on board about prison abolition.

I'd also recommend reading up on the prison system in Norway, and how restorative justice has given them one of the lowest crime and recidivism rates in the world!

Finally, for a more micro, personal view on restorative justice, I highly recommend looking into responsive parenting. I strongly believe that a more just world starts from birth for every child. Parents taking a responsive, restorative approach to parenting rather than a punitive one leads to more compassionate, emotionally intelligent humans who are less likely to do intentional harm, and more likely to take accountability for and initiate attempts to repair unintentional harm.

My favorite book on this topic is Momma Cusses by Gwenna Laithland, mom of three. She also does a podcast with fellow responsive parent Tori Phantom called Childproof, where they delve into various topics related to responsive parenting, especially how they handle it when it gets hard.