The Case for Justice Over Mercy

We're in an era that seems to value mercy over justice: Grade inflation, bankruptcy laws, reduced sentences, the media's replacing "hoodlums" with "under-served," even some  psychologists blaming bad behavior largely on externalities.

Mercy feels good and is consistent with religion's valuing of forgiveness but does it yield a net good?  In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I make the argument that it doesn't.