Introduction: The Uncomfortable Truth “We are all criminals.” The statement sounds outrageous. It offends our moral sensibilities. It appears to insult the honest citizen, the religious devotee, the respected public servant, the loving parent, and the law-abiding professional. Yet, before dismissing it as absurd, it is worth examining what we mean by crime, criminality, conformity, and deviance. The central argument of this essay is simple, yet profoundly disturbing: the line separating the criminal from the conformist or law-abiding person is far thinner than society is willing to admit. Indeed, that line is often so thin, so fragile, and so dependent on circumstance that many of us stand on both sides of it simultaneously. To understand this, we must begin where all discussions of crime properly begin – not with the criminal, but with the law. Crime Exists Because Law Exists A crime is not merely a harmful act. It is not simply an ...
WE ARE ALL CRIMINALS: DEMYSTIFYING AND BLURRING THE THIN DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN CONFORMITY AND CRIMINALITY
Introduction: The Uncomfortable Truth “We are all criminals.” The statement sounds outrageous. It offends our moral sensibilities. It appears to insult the honest citizen, the religious devotee, the respected public servant, the loving parent, and the law-abiding professional. Yet, before dismissing it as absurd, it is worth examining what we mean by crime, criminality, conformity, and deviance. The central argument of this essay is simple, yet profoundly disturbing: the line separating the criminal from the conformist or law-abiding person is far thinner than society is willing to admit. Indeed, that line is often so thin, so fragile, and so dependent on circumstance that many of us stand on both sides of it simultaneously. To understand this, we must begin where all discussions of crime properly begin – not with the criminal, but with the law. Crime Exists Because Law Exists A crime is not merely a harmful act. It is not simply an ...