Wednesday, January 21, 2015

 

A good answer….


Yesterday was the first day of my criminal law class, and in talking about murder I used the picture above.  It is Caravaggio's depiction of Judith beheading Holofernes.  

If you don't know the story behind the painting, it's simple and compelling.  Holofernes was the Assyrian general who was about to destroy the Jewish city of Bethulia.  Judith, a widow from that city, was able to get into Holofernes tent and kill him.

My question was "is this murder?"  The students got to a good answer which was "It might be a justifiable killing."  

But someone had an even better answer-- that it depends on whether the Jews or the Assyrians were deciding.  

Which is absolutely true.  




Comments:
Or maybe if the DA has counted the votes and finds which group has the most voters!
 
Yeah, or that...
 
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