Unless the sage Mahavira is secretly a member of the Dope, there’s not a person among who is utterly above breaking at least one law or other. But even the wickedest have some line they’d never cross. What’s yours?
I’ll start. I can imagine myself committing murder in a fit of rage, if presented with a person who had raped or killed a member of my family; hell, I can even imagine doing it in cold blood, though the reason would have to be unbelievably good (and probably a situation only to be found in fiction). I can imagine stealing a loaf of bread, if I were in imminent danger of starvation and had exhausted all possible alternatives, or if my child were in such danger and Ihad exhausted all reasonable alternatives.
But I can’t imagine ever being so horny that I’d commit a rape, and if I somehow went mad enough to do it, I think whatever part of me was still me would be rooting for for the victim to kick, knee, bite, and fight until she escaped, help came, or I was dead.
I also can’t imagine myself buying bootleg music or movies. I don’t mean to equate doing so with rape; it’s just that it’s just so PETTY. If I want it enough own it indefinitely, then the creators deserve their cut. I do own a couple of bootleg movies given to me as a birthday present by a former girlfriend; I accepted them because it seemed unforgiveably rude not to, but I don’t watch them.
Some people are capable of certain acts (Killing) others are not. I am one of the people who isn’t. I’d seriously have to be out of my mind to kill someone. (or do any of a number of other unspeakable things)
Murder for hire. I couldn’t be cold blooded about it.
Prostitution
‘Grand Larceny’? Some huge heist, like robbing a bank or walking into a museum and taking a Van Gough. I don’t have the balls to do that sort of thing.
eta
Con Artist. Having close interaction with my target would make me go soft on them.
I can imagine situations where I could kill someone, rob some person or some business, or assault someone. But I can never imagine myself committing vandalism – breaking windows, spray painting on buildings, or otherwise defacing property that is not my own. It’s such a petty, anti-social crime and I cannot stand people who find entertainment or satisfaction in it.
I also will never be charged with “cruelty to animals.” To me, there’s nothing more abhorrent than hurting the powerless and what’s more powerless than a pet?
I excercise self control, so I don’t act on this… but I would derive pleasure from vandalism. Setting fire to things, smashing things, blowing things up, crashing things.
I often vandalized my own toys.
I took great pleasure in making my millenium falcon look like it had been in a huge battle.
I don’t think rapists perform this act out of horniness either.
Personally, although as a kid I stole pop and gum and stuff from the corner store, I would never consider stealing anything physical from anybody again.
However, paradoxically, I have no conscience when it comes to free downloads, etc. I know there shouldn’t be a difference, but somehow - in my mind - downloading something that’s widely available for anyone to take, is different than physically taking something from someone. Weird. I know.
As noted above, rape is not a crime of passion, but one of control. Those arrested for rape often try to make it a matter of being horny, only to be told by the police: “Hey. You don’t need a partner if you got a good hand.”
Bolding mine. Do what you want to your stuff. You bought it, you own it, you have that right.
But that subway car? The one we all use? The one you certainly didn’t fork over money to buy? Keep the permanent marker off. Vandalism says to me that you don’t have an ounce of respect for your fellow man and the community space we all occupy. It’s a selfish, narcissistic crime.
I could be a trained killer. Like a hit man (hit woman?) or something. No crimes of passion, though. I certainly don’t ever want to kill anyone or anything, but I’ve always had a feeling that I’m one of those people who could become a killer and have few moral qualms about it. That potential side of myself scares me a little.
I could easily steal, but I don’t think I could rob (or mug).
I could be a prostitute, but only if I picked my customers.
I could be a con artist.
I could never abuse a child or an animal, and I could never commit a hate crime.
I can envision very unlikely situations where I could be persuaded to commit most evil acts (murder, arson, reckless driving, prostitution, repeated ingestion of controlled substances), but I could never knowingly commit crimes against elderly people–say people 70 and over. I just think they deserve better after surviving all those years on Earth.
Rape would also be out of the question. I can’t think of any situation in which it would give me an advantage, and don’t have enough interest in control, power, or sex to put forth the effort.
Obstruction of the mails. I could never knowingly or willfully obstruct or retard the passage of the mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail. Anything else I’m pretty much game for.
I don’t feel prostitution should be a crime, but forcing others to prostitute I couldn’t do.
Aside from that, I agree with Misnomer. I’d much rather kill in cold blood than lose control of myself and kill or hurt someone in a state of rage or whatever. It’s not the taking of another life that bothers me so much as the giving in and letting the Dark Side (ooooo!) take over, even for a moment. I don’t want to control others, but I have to be in control of myself
I’m a lousy lier and know I can’t get away with anything, so I live the life of a law abiding citizen. That and I don’t really want to hurt anyone, physically or financially, so I’ve little incentive to turn to crime.
