An Eye for an Eye, and A Tooth for A Tooth.

The signs in the newspaper's picture read, "If we all demand an eye for an eye, we'll all be blind." The pictures were taken at a protest against capital punishment rally. I heard an actor quote the same phrase years before. It is a "cute" thing to say. Not very intelligent, but cute. Not well thought out, but cute. But who needs cute. That's for puppies, kitty cats, and little children, not for things as serious as brutality, life, or death.
You know of course it refers to the biblical practice of maintaining order in our society. It simply means that if I do something to you intentionally, or accidently causing you to lose your eye, I have to pay. But (and here is where this statement is not well thought out) it protects the victim and the perpetrator. I do have to pay you for the loss of your eye, but you can only require of me one of my eyes and nothing more.
Sounds to me, like the fairest form of behavior control ever devised. And that's not cute, it is a well thought out and all around fair way of dealing with criminal elements in our society. If we don't demand an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, only the criminal and brutal will have eyes and teeth.