An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind

I was at the Triple Crown of Surfing on Sunday in Haleiwa, Hawaii and saw someone walking around with a shirt that had this quote on it. The quote is from Mohandas Gandhi, but he is quoting from the Old Testament law,

"If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" Exodus 21:23-25

"Anyone who maims another shall suffer the same injury in return: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; the injury inflicted is the injury to be suffered." Leviticus 24:19-20

"Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." Deuteronomy 19:21

No doubt I would like to research a bit about the context in which Gandhi makes this statement, but here are a few first thoughts: Gandhi is speaking about the themes of justice versus grace. Gandhi is probably dealing with people who are crying out for revenge in the name of justice.

I agree completely that grace and forgiveness are the only way to achieve reconciliation... BUT I also believe that there can be no peace without justice. I wonder if Gandhi himself believed in the same paradox that I hold to here. Jesus taught that it was by grace that we were given reconciliation, but that it was in justice that we were granted peace with God.

Maybe I am taking Gandhi's quotes out of context, but I might say the same about how he quoted from Old Testament law. Regardless, I appreciate his effort to talk about grace and forgiveness. 

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind

Doesn't this assume that the whole world has sight? Jesus said that the whole world has already gone blind, he came that they might regain their sight. 

Mr. Gandhi, the world doesn't need a prevention of blindness it needs the cure.