Sunday, September 23, 2007

The Concept of Innocence by Louis Evan Palmer

"Thefreedictionary.com" gives the definition of "innocence" as:..The state, quality, or virtue of being innocent, as: Freedom from sin, moral wrong, or guilt through lack of knowledge of evil; Guiltlessness of a specific legal crime or offense; Lack of knowledge or understanding; ignorance; Freedom from harmfulness..."

It can be used to imply other levels of creation or existence, in that, someone or something that is innocent can be innocent by virtue of not being of this world, or not participating in it, or only now emerging into it. Their innocence is in this existence.

Most often associated with the concept of innocence is a baby. What blame can be affixed upon a baby? We can ascribe various powers to a baby or think that it may serve as a vehicle for future fulfillment but that is not the baby, it is someone or something acting upon the baby in that same way it could act on any one of use. To lose that innocence, we would have to be able to form some kind of intent. The same arguments run towards any good that may issue from a baby, if it is innocent, then there is none other than what is inspired within each of us.

This concept reaches out to impinge on other ascertations like one used for abortions that have to do with rape. The wrongfulness of the rape itself is levied against the by-product, a living entity. Can we truthfully place blame on an unborn baby? Not if we believe in innocence and what it confers on its holders.

Crimes committed against the innocent are always more abhorrent to us because of their blameless state. In wars and the many crimes that come from that cauldron of hate, the crimes against babies and young children arouse our deepest repulsion because they have no possible excuse and every possible condemnation - because they are innocent.

In courts of law, the concept is more restricted, in that it refers only to a specific offence with which a person is charged. It asks us to ignore everything else that is known about that person and consider only the offence in question with the presumption of innocence. It is a more difficult application of that concept but it again serves the ideal of acting correctly and fairly.

We care about our animal friends partly because of this presumption of innocence on their part. Innocence always implies closeness to True Nature and to Truth. The concept of innocence is deeply-seated in our psyche and ennobling. As a society, we must strive to understand and preserve it and from that, to protect and nurture those innocents in our midst.

The Concept of Innocence, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com

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Copyright 2007 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

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