"I Hate These Guys"

I heard about that Nazi suspect guy who is 89, in poor health, and being shipped off to Germany to stand trial for being an accessory to something like 29,000 killings. The dude's family was all upset that it's harsh for a man of his age in his condition to be yanked from his house (wheelchair and all) and sent overseas. I think they actually called in torture. Audacious, eh? I wonder what they would call getting burned in an oven then? I don't feel sorry for this man, even though he may be innocent, but it does make me wonder, how long we should be held accountable for our actions? This old man surely isn't a threat anymore, but that doesn't undo the evil acts he (allegedly) committed before father time and circumstance stripped him of his power and strength. Everyone without the opportunity and resources to prove otherwise is honest and good.

Also, is there such thing as the innocence of youth? Obviously, Nazi tactics could never be considered innocence of anything, but is it just a question of severity (i.e. stealing a car and joy riding = ok, gassing someone in the "shower" = not so much)? I suppose that there is a difference between criminal actions and immoral actions. But at what point do "immoral" acts become criminal? Must I remind you that our country is filled with all kinds of bizarre state by state sex laws ranging from anti-vibrator legislation to the classification of unmarried (yet consenting) adults lasciviously associating as a class 2 misdemeanor.

A teeny tiny personal, not sexual (sorry to disappoint) application of criminal vs. moral concept...when I was in middle school, I used to stay after last period and help the teacher by cleaning the erasers and chalk board. As soon as she left the room, I would regularly steal the 'classroom reward' candy from her bottom right desk drawer. Criminal? Technically stealing, but probably less than the amount necessary to define the act as criminal. Immoral? Certainly. When I think about it now, me stealing candy from my teacher almost seems as bad as a junkie stealing a stereo from a stranger. I took advantage of her trust for my own personal (yet small) satisfaction.

From there I am forced to entertain the concept of honest immorality. If society as a whole deems a certain behavior as immoral, but a person who emulates the behavior in a victimless arena is honest with herself, where is the harm?

I'm about to get sucked into some serious circular thinking here, so alas, I must end.

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