William Blake:
Nebuchadnezzar
(1795)
God stripped the king of his realm and drove him to “eat grass as oxen, . . . his body . . . wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws” (Daniel 4:33)

Yea, we all could use a little mercy now
I know we don’t deserve it, but we need it anyhow
-Mary Gauthier

Mercy might represent the most powerful Comeuppance available anywhere, any time, to anyone. It seems to be the absolute antithesis of Comeuppance, though, almost the exact opposite of what first comes to mind when the word Comeuppance comes to mind. I think of vengeance first: swift, terrible swords and harsh words. Mercy seems beside any cogent point at the point of final punishment. Yet the choice remains, whatever the infraction, whatever the sentence, to mete out Mercy instead. But doesn’t that behavior just encourage what Comeuppance intended to discourage? Perhaps. Therein lies a rub. Mercy cannot possibly be a transactional response to any infraction. It might be the very soul of relationality, intent on enhancing a sense of community, just when that was supposed to be beside any remaining point. When I considered whether or not I really wanted to become the monster I intended to punish, when wreaking Comeuppance, I might have been deeply considering taking Mercy on myself first, less an act of generosity than self-preservation. It might be that no punishment ever adequately fits any crime, especially any peacekeeper.

In theory, Comeuppance seems quite obvious. In practice, it inevitably becomes much more convoluted. Stalking perpetrators seems like such a bloodless occupation. Catching them, infinitely more complicated. Punishing them, even worse. Responsibilities converge, encumbering each other. In theory, nobody ever wants any guilty party to go scot-free. In practice, it’s never quite that straightforward. It’s rarely straightforward at all. Our incumbent has amply shown that pardoning can sometimes feel like the worst punishment. Mercy, for one, might mete out an unintended punishment on their victim. An ecosystem seems to bloom around any serious infraction. Often, it seems the guilty party gets punished for the victim, leaving them unresolved and robbed of both a possession, for instance, and the release inherent in punishing the burglar. The entire experience might sometimes just as well have happened in absentia.

I admit to having been guilty of sometimes gleefully stalking our incumbent, for he has seemed such an inviting target. He has doubtless been guilty of ten thousand serious infractions, and our justice system has struggled to properly deliver his well-earned Comeuppances. But I was never elected as a judge. I was no more than a voluntary member of any jury, and I committed crimes by serving on that jury judging crimes allegedly committed against me. That’s some sort of double jeopardy or something, to presume oneself judge, jury, or even executioner against anyone accused of harming them. I lack jurisdiction, no matter how much I convince myself that I have been personally wronged. It can’t ever be mine to deliver the Comeuppance in such a circumstance, however much I might find that prospect satisfying.

The purpose of this life cannot be to simply satisfy myself. That produces feral outcomes antithetical to any civil society. Yes, I know our incumbent couldn’t care less about such philosophy. This might be why the rest of us carry an even deeper responsibility to see it’s cared for. When Comeuppance seems called for, checks and balances should properly kick in. Even Mercy must be arrayed on that table, regardless of how horrible the alleged infraction. In civil society, even the guiltiest party gets referred to as “the alleged” until properly convicted of violating a properly constituted statute. No punishing of political opponents allowed, even if the alleged stands accused of that very crime. The prosecution must carefully avoid slipping into persecution, no matter how justified it might seem. In this sense, proper prosecution might be understood to be a form of Mercy, something that distinguishes it from our more feral and vengeful ancestors.

Mercy might be a painfully acquired taste, one stemming from far too many half-baked sentences. I prefer to think we’re learning better, that we’re no longer capable of going all berserker on ourselves or our siblings. Even the Vikings understood not to push their enemies too far lest they become fey. Once fey, the usual courtesies no longer hold sway, and people will lash out without regard to their own well-being. Comeuppance therefore carries certain rules into every engagement, and these inevitably include Mercy, lest the punishment become much worse than any crime. We should fervently pray that when the day comes to administer a Comeuppance, even to our incumbent, that we somehow manage to maintain some presence of mind. Mindful vengeance does not compute. Neither does any punishment without at least a shred of Mercy grated on top.

©2026 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

Tags: #Comeuppance, #PureSchmaltz