I do not believe such a system to be implementable or sustainable in Zelien at this time, at least not without a significant investment of effort that is better placed in actions meant to ensure our continued survival and in working against COMPASS.
In particular, I am concerned that COMPASS's ability to so easily rewrite our usual inhibitions and motivations en masse, as has been proven in the past, makes the questions of motive and punishment far more difficult to determine than at home, and proving personal responsibility versus outside influence and determining how any law that could be written would apply would be a momentous amount of effort that ultimately does little to benefit our situation or place us any closer to removing ourselves from it.
Additionally, a legal system requires a foundation of support, even if it is only tacit approval, that I do not think will be easily found here, and once again the investment of energy required to build it ultimately does not put us any closer to escaping COMPASS's grasp.
Our first priority should be survival; our second, escape. I believe that in protecting those here who are unable to look after themselves, action will be far more effective than attempting to draft laws that will only be followed by those who were unlikely to break them in the first place and that will have no bearing on the greatest threats we face here.
I would like, at the very least, to be able to offer the Shinsengumi’s support in the form of assisting to protect those in the city, even if it is more similar to that which we undertake at home, as opposed to an official system of law. As it stands, there is no such system in place, and I believe that those who need protecting the most may not be getting the help that they need.
While a system of law would likely cause more problems than it solves, I believe that Judge Petrov is on the right track. What happened on the Ishimura illustrated better than anything that we must assist one another if we are to truly survive here without undertaking the large penalties that COMPASS is determined to impose upon us. Therefore, at least if we begin there, I think it would be highly beneficial, preferably before something similar happens.
I will never hesitate to draw my blade in the defense of the innocent. But I do not believe a system of law is necessary for me to do this, nor do I believe that law will offer them any protection against the enemy we should be focusing on.
Judge Petrov's intentions may be good, but if I may be so blunt as to abandon tact for a moment, sir: I do not believe anyone who has only been in Zelien for two days to be capable of understanding the difficulties in instituting such a system here, or the reality of how easily our own intentions and actions - the very thing the law is meant to regulate - can become no longer our own. Nor do I believe anyone so newly arrived can have earned the trust and reputation necessary here to have the faith of leading such an effort to be placed in them.
I'm not saying that we need to implement a law for this to happen. But I would like to see an official attempt made at a group that will protect the city. Perhaps implementing patrols, such as we did at home. What we have now is not sufficient. While I agree that his intentions will not work overall within the city limits, I do believe in his general ideas. And he does have experience in implementing a system regarding the protection of civilians in his own world. I am not talking about the law here. I am inclined to work with him on that much, at least.
I have no issue with patrols, sir. While you may not be speaking about the law, however, his remarks are overwhelmingly targeted towards addressing the matters of crime and criminals, which I believe reflects a poor understanding of what is truly at stake here.
My experience has been that the vast majority of threats to be dealt with here do not come from our fellow captives - thus falling outside the boundary of any law or justice that can be implemented - or they come from the loss of our own ability to act rationally and within our usual mental state, which is a far more complex issue than I believe any law enacted here to be capable of properly dealing with.
I do not have an issue with your apparent intentions here. My issue is with the fact that I do not believe Petrov understands what is feasible or necessary here, and that experience under the rules of one's home world does not necessarily translate to the situation here.
I will admit, that is a concern of mine as well. Admittedly, I realise that I fall short in that I'm not familiar with his profession, and he doesn’t seem particularly impressed by that. But I am sure that those who have been here longer and who have experienced more underneath COMPASS’s reign will have more to say to Judge Petrov than myself.
I intend to speak with him further to see if he cannot be persuaded, but if not, I believe that perhaps we should continue on ourselves with the idea of setting up a patrol unit. What do you think about that in particular?
I have no objection to a patrol unit for the protection of others. My concern is merely that accountability and punishment cannot be adequately judged and applied, given the nature of what we face here.
I appreciate your honesty, Saitou. I am beginning to think that it may be better to leave him to his own devices, if he will not be swayed on the matter. But a patrol unit would be rather useful for the city at large, I think, separate from all of that.
Thank you for hearing me out, sir. I intended no disrespect, but I believe that some particulars of our circumstances here are difficult to fully comprehend until one has gone through them, and thus I cannot help but be wary of the proposed solutions offered by those who are new here.
You weren't disrespectful at all. There is a reason why I asked for further opinions; I don't wish to make a move on behalf of the Shinsengumi as a whole regarding something like this, so your input has been very important. Particularly as I am newer to this place than you and Toshi, and so therefore I don't want to misstep. I will do my best to talk with him about such issues, and will update everyone as soon as possible.
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In particular, I am concerned that COMPASS's ability to so easily rewrite our usual inhibitions and motivations en masse, as has been proven in the past, makes the questions of motive and punishment far more difficult to determine than at home, and proving personal responsibility versus outside influence and determining how any law that could be written would apply would be a momentous amount of effort that ultimately does little to benefit our situation or place us any closer to removing ourselves from it.
Additionally, a legal system requires a foundation of support, even if it is only tacit approval, that I do not think will be easily found here, and once again the investment of energy required to build it ultimately does not put us any closer to escaping COMPASS's grasp.
Our first priority should be survival; our second, escape. I believe that in protecting those here who are unable to look after themselves, action will be far more effective than attempting to draft laws that will only be followed by those who were unlikely to break them in the first place and that will have no bearing on the greatest threats we face here.
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While a system of law would likely cause more problems than it solves, I believe that Judge Petrov is on the right track. What happened on the Ishimura illustrated better than anything that we must assist one another if we are to truly survive here without undertaking the large penalties that COMPASS is determined to impose upon us. Therefore, at least if we begin there, I think it would be highly beneficial, preferably before something similar happens.
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Judge Petrov's intentions may be good, but if I may be so blunt as to abandon tact for a moment, sir: I do not believe anyone who has only been in Zelien for two days to be capable of understanding the difficulties in instituting such a system here, or the reality of how easily our own intentions and actions - the very thing the law is meant to regulate - can become no longer our own. Nor do I believe anyone so newly arrived can have earned the trust and reputation necessary here to have the faith of leading such an effort to be placed in them.
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My experience has been that the vast majority of threats to be dealt with here do not come from our fellow captives - thus falling outside the boundary of any law or justice that can be implemented - or they come from the loss of our own ability to act rationally and within our usual mental state, which is a far more complex issue than I believe any law enacted here to be capable of properly dealing with.
I do not have an issue with your apparent intentions here. My issue is with the fact that I do not believe Petrov understands what is feasible or necessary here, and that experience under the rules of one's home world does not necessarily translate to the situation here.
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I intend to speak with him further to see if he cannot be persuaded, but if not, I believe that perhaps we should continue on ourselves with the idea of setting up a patrol unit. What do you think about that in particular?
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