Crime and Personality

The age old debate contines. Are people born bad or do they become bad? Are criminals different from "normal" people? Or are we faced with choices that we may not respect and therefore can not respond to?

In a fictitious perfect world, we, as functional beings in a fair society can be seen to clearly be "right" or "wrong". In a simplistic sense, "right deeds" could be lauded and "wrong" can be punished.

If our perceptions are skewed we may not see actions others consider as "right" as acceptable or correct. We may think, now wait a goddam minute, that is not right. But what power or authority should we seek to augment our authority?

A basic tenet of law is that people should not hurt each other. An artificial shield protects us from the acts of others.

Can this aura of authority stop the blade slipping in between the ribs of the blameless? Obviously it can not. It makes an attempt the imbalance between strong and weak by putting heads on pikes and thus inducing a balance of fear. If you commit the crime, you do the time.

The symbol of justice is the scales. Balance. But putting the wrong and strong behind bars is not reflective of balance. It is a deliberate social distortion.

So where does crime originate? If convictions of young are likened to ambulances at the bottom of the cliff, where is the hospital and how should it intervene.

A recent visit to the police station with a young offender - to return stolen property was greeted with some surprise by the officer. Returning stolen goods voluntarily just does not happen. The officer pointed out that if the minor was 14 a charge would be laid.

This was a child who had been abused heavily as a toddler and now suffers from a personality distortion that prevents a knowledge of right vs wrong. Years of careful training and non-violent conditioning has taught this child the value of admitting to fault. But when the child comes of age as a criminal, he can not longer afford to seek amnesty for his errors.