What is Justice?

2 years ago a mother in my town of Smyrna fell asleep and let her 3 year old and 2 year old get out of the house and into a broken down car. They shut the door and died because of the heat. These poor kids died a horrible, painful, excruciating death because of their mother's exceptionally gross negligence. She was sentenced yesterday. She plead guilty and received 16 years. Of that 16, she will serve 8 but can actually serve less based on "good behavior" or whatever they do for parole. 

The Facebook jury was outraged and is still speaking. Let me tell you, some of the comments far exceed the measure of decorum one would expect from civilized people. Now, before you jump all over me for "being on her side", hear me (or should I say, "read me") out. 

Is it really possible for justice to be served in this case? 

If the mother had been given the electric chair and killed the next day, would that be justice? Some would say no she did not have the opportunity to experience enough grief or be haunted long enough.

If she had been given a life sentence, would that be justice? Some would say no because she gets to live on our dime for the rest of her life. 

If she would have been sentenced to die the same way her kids died, would that be justice? Some would say no because there were two of them and she can't die twice. Plus, that doesn't bring the babies back.

I read several comments that say she has no remorse. We can't know that. I read some comments that alluded to vigilante justice, that just puts blood on someone else's hands. I read some that called this woman all kinds of names from "crackhead" to "hooker". None of that is substantiated nor is it constructive. Of course the woman's mother was in the interview and did not help matters with her idiotic comment that it wouldn't have happened if it was cool outside. 

Bottom line is this, there is no way for justice to be served--period. It doesn't matter what you do to this woman, the babies are gone and they died way more horribly than I would wish upon anyone else. It is a tragedy, an avoidable tragedy. 

The best thing for the community to do is to remember that it happened and educate people so that it never, ever happens again. In the meantime, let our "justice" system work, broken though it may be, and pray for this woman, her family and anyone that knew the babies. Pray for them all to heal, to repent, to gain perspective and to perhaps, somehow, redeem this situation. Maybe she can go on to share her story with expectant mothers as a means of communicating the need for vigilance and responsibility. I know that is far-fetched but you never know. Either way, stop trying to make sense of it and exact justice. It can't be done.