Volume III. No. 17
 12-01-04
 When Is Evil Something More?
 author: Vance Cureton
 © Copyright 2004
 

 The concept of pure evil - or the devil - is one that those of us who 
 have ever listened to a Sunday morning sermon can identify with. How 
 else would a person describe the man who cheats on his loyal, doting 
 wife; breaking her heart, and subsequently leading her into a downward 
 emotional spiral that she never quite recovers from. 

 The husband chose, of his own free will, to commit such a morally 
 indefensible act. Hence, he is not a good man. He is in a manner, evil.
 He is under the devil's influence.

 It sounds simple but it is not. 

 Of course, evil can take even more sinister forms. Some husbands 
 go beyond adultery and on to murder. { more on that later... } And of 
 course those sinners among us who are possessed, if you will, of an 
 evil spirit may become burglars or bank robbers, serial killers, demonic 
 rulers of entire nations, or the merciless swindlers of our beloved
 senior citizens.

 In recent weeks, old court cases and a new one that is still in progress
 have brought to the forefront again, the question of when is evil, simply
 that, and nothing more. Instead of as an indicator of mental illness.
.
 John Hinckley was recently denied the right to take longer unsupervised
 visits home by a U.S. Federal Court. Hinckley's situation is curious. Here 
 is a man who was led into bad acts by a delusional, twisted mind. But, 
 for the most part, the public wholeheartedly regards John Hinckley as 
 an evil man who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan. End of story. 
 His mental illness defense is regarded as a complete sham. But, if he isn't
 in some manner emotionally ill, then why is he still denied his freedom 
 after all of these years?

 { Hinckley may in fact be a political prisoner, but that's a story for a
 whole 'nother column...}

 Hinckley cannot be both "cured" and yet somehow, not permitted by
 the court to improve upon his personal circumstance. Something in the 
 manner of how this man has been handled is disquieting. The law is 
 clearly inadequate in this area. Hinckley seems at the total mercy of 
 prosecutors and federal judges who regard him as too politically radioactive 
 to do the right thing, with.

 In a crime of a different kind, former NFL star Ray Carruth was convicted 
 in 2001 of conspiracy to murder his pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams. 
 He was sentenced to a term of from 19-24 years in prison. His was a 
 calculated act involving others. Nothing in the mannerisms of Carruth 
 would leave anyone to suspect that he is mentally ill or emotionally 
 disturbed. He is smooth, remarkably intelligent, and aware of how he 
 is perceived by others.

 His demeanor is that of a man who is ruthlessly evil and fully 
 deserving of his unpleasant life behind bars courtesy of the state.

 Two other court cases are equally as horrible. Both O.J. Simpson and 
 Scott Peterson are alleged to have direct involvement in the murder of
 their wives. O.J. of course, was found not guilty in his criminal trial.
 Peterson was convicted in a case that was mostly circumstantial. It is 
 not even known exactly how he killed his wife.

 Peterson faces the prospect of life behind the bars without parole, 
 provided he is not sentenced to death. 

 So are both O.J. and Scott Peterson evil men such as Rae Carruth?
 That is not an easy question to answer. The public at large, may 
 believe that both men are guilty, but anyone who has glimpsed O.J. 
 on television lately has to wonder what is going on with him. He is 
 oddly exuberant and detached from the reality of his situation all at 
 the same time. And reports of Peterson's behavior during his trail 
 is that he has about as much emotion inside as a block of ice. Unlike 
 the poised Carruth, these two men have sometimes behaved in a 
 manner that is inconsistent with the concept of pure unadulterated 
 evil. 

 { if you believe they are both guilty, that is... }

 But, is it too much to wonder how much of a deleterious influence 
 it is upon a person when the caboose is attached to wrong end of 
 the train?

 The law states that to be criminally insane a person must be able 
 to discern the difference between right and wrong. But clearly this 
 principle of the law is too black and white. Too this or that. We 
 see mental illness. We can feel it in our bones. We can discreetly 
 withdraw to a distance when we suspect that there is a deep emotional 
 disturbance plaguing a friend or a loved one. Unfortunately, it is 
 only after a horrible crime has been committed do we freely 
 acknowledge to others what we may have suspected all along.

 But to slap the easy definition of  "evil" upon individuals who are 
 clearly emotionally at a bad place, is something that should give 
 us all pause. Because, human beings are by definition; emotional,
 unstable, and unfortunately, sometimes very unpredictable.
 

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