Against the Babylonian Judicial System
When reading the Hammurabi Code, there are laws that make a whole lot of sense, and then there are many that just do not make any sense at all. A great percentage of the laws reach out more to men and the elite (rich) members of the society, and that is just not fair. What about the women? What about the children? Did they even matter back then? Well, the Babylonian Judicial system was definitely harsher on certain groups like the common and poor people of the society then it was to the elite members.
Firstly, where do the women have any say in this? If they are going to be born and raised in the Babylonian society, then shouldn’t they be able to be a part of something? It is just sickening to read some of the laws about the women and how they only received very few rights while mean and elites received so much more. For example, “If that woman has not kept herself chaste (pure) but enters another man’s house, they shall convict that woman and cast her into the water.” Once read at first, it sounds pretty fair, but what about the woman that has to suffer the tragic death? What about her being able to testify in her defense? What if it wasn’t even true but an accident? It is unfair, and it is just absolutely preposterous that the men and elites of Babylonia didn’t even have to try to earn some respect. It is ridiculous that they barely even tried to respect the very beings that gave birth to them and would eventually give birth to their many children.
Secondly, what about the children? Yes they might only be kids, but once they begin to say realistic words and phrases, they should be able to rights as well. At least once they hit those double digits. Why were the wealthier of the society able to take such precious rights from such sweet children? Was it even necessary? What did those children do to the elites when they could possibly even buy the children? It was unfair game. What was it all about back then?
Lastly, what about the rights for the common people and poor people? They are people as well and they were basically treated like animals just because of their difference in money. They obviously deserved so much more rights and so much more fairness than they were ever received. For example, “If a man strikes the cheek of a [free] man who is superior [in rank] to him[self], he shall be beaten with 60 stripes with a whip of ox-hide in the assembly.” So what if the “strike” given was for something reasonable? The superior being could have done or said something rude or unnecessary. The common people deserved some more respect. They might have not had enough money, but they sure did work for it. It was totally unfair how the elites could just easily pay for respect while the common people had to work for it.
Even though times are different now, there is still a corrupt and communist world around us. This world that thrives to be a utopia, but it ends up falling into a dictatorship in many countries and continents. Babylonian women, children, and common and poor people deserve way more than men and elites that don’t even try to earn respect and rights. So why did the elites and the men get all the favor and credit when the women, children, common and poor people were the ones that were actually working for it?
